UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations MCQs on Nagorno-Karabakh, BIMSTEC and more (Week 122)

QUESTION 1

With reference to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), consider the following statements:

1. It is a connectivity project to develop infrastructure to enhance trade among India, the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean region and Europe.

2. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the IMEC was signed in 2023 in New Delhi during the G-20 summit.

3. The IMEC comprises two corridors — India-Gulf and Gulf-Europe.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— India’s National Security Council Secretariat hosted envoys and officials from the United States, UAE, Saudi Arabia, France, Italy, Germany, Israel, Jordan and the European Union, to discuss progress on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

— The IMEC was announced during the G20 Summit held in New Delhi in 2023 “to stimulate economic development through enhanced connectivity and economic integration between Asia, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe.” Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct.

— The IMEC comprises two corridors — India-Gulf and Gulf-Europe. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— Its eastern section would transport containers from India’s western ports to the UAE, from where a high-speed goods railway will transport commodities across the Arabian peninsula (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan) to Israel’s port of Haifa.

— The second leg will see cargo carried from Haifa to ports in Greece and Italy, from where Europe’s well-established train networks would transport goods to their final destinations throughout the continent.

— Overall, the IMEC is intended to reduce shipping time from India to Europe by around 40% compared to the Red Sea route. However, after the announcement, development has been minimal.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

With reference to the BIMSTEC, consider the following statements:

1. It includes countries of the Bay of Bengal region and seeks to act as a bridge between South and Southeast Asia.

2. The latest members to join BIMSTEC are Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

3. China has undertaken a massive drive to finance and build infrastructure in South and Southeast Asia through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in all BIMSTEC countries.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— BIMSTEC includes countries of the Bay of Bengal region and seeks to act as a bridge between South and Southeast Asia. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Originally formed as BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation) in 1997, it became BIMST-EC after Myanmar joined, and BIMSTEC in 2004 with Nepal and Bhutan. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— It provides a common platform for countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia at a time when the SAARC is more or less defunct. While the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is seen as one of more cohesive groupings in the world, the lack of forward movement in the fraught India-Pakistan relationship has left few options for South Asian countries. Landlocked countries, Nepal and Bhutan, may also benefit from access to the Bay of Bengal as a result of better ties with BIMSTEC countries.

— China is another key part of the equation. It has undertaken a massive drive to finance and build infrastructure in South and Southeast Asia through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the last decade, in almost all BIMSTEC countries except Bhutan and India. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— BIMSTEC could allow India to push a constructive agenda to counter Chinese investments, and the Bay of Bengal can be showcased as open and peaceful, contrasting with China’s behaviour in the South China Sea.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

The nuclear weapons storage site at Coulport was in the news due to the release of low levels of tritium. The site is located in:

(a) Russia

(b) United Kingdom

(c) Ukraine

(d) Iran

Explanation

— Radioactive water from the UK’s nuclear weapons storage site at Coulport was allowed to enter the sea after a series of burst pipes, according to official files obtained by The Guardian.

— The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) found that the leaks, which released low levels of tritium into Loch Long near Glasgow, were the result of “shortfalls in maintenance” by the Royal Navy.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

The dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in December 1991 gave rise to:

1. Belarus

2. Russia

3. Kyrgyzstan

4. Tajikistan

5. Turkey

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 2, 3 and 4

(b) 1, 2, 3 and 4

(c) 3, 4 and 5

(d) 3 and 4 only

Explanation

— The dissolution of the Soviet Union dismantled the ideological “iron curtain” and paved the way for a new global order characterised by the rise of powers like India and China, exerting significant influence in global politics.

— The dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in December 1991 gave rise to 15 new republics. These included Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

The region of Nagorno-Karabakh was in the news. It is located in:

(a) Azerbaijan

(b) Georgia

(c) Armenia

(d) Turkey

Explanation

— Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a US-brokered peace agreement that would boost bilateral economic ties after decades of conflict and move them toward a full normalization of their relations.

— Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at odds since the late 1980s when Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous Azerbaijani region mostly populated by ethnic Armenians, broke away from Azerbaijan with support from Armenia. Azerbaijan took back full control of the region in 2023, prompting almost all of the territory’s 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee to Armenia.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 120)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 122)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 122)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 122)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 122)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 121)

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