Author: Praful S Adagale
The contretemps between the Russian Federation and NATO over the basing of the proposed ballistic missile defence components in the Czech Republic and Poland illustrates the kind of ‘jointness’ that has developed within the EU members on issues of security. However, contradictions persist about who should join and who should stay outside this ambit although the professed rationale of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is designed on the basis of common values and interests, including the need for a joint response to common challenges e.g., prosperity gaps, migration, crime, environmental issues, public health, extremism and terrorism. Because of the universality of the threat of terrorism, confining the BMD to the Iranian context practically leaves Pakistan out of its ambit. A more balanced approach would tend to strengthen the rationale of the ENP by forging a synergy between the ‘intra’ and the ‘extra-territoriality” of the perceived threats to security.