South and Southeast Asia in the Emerging Polycentric World: Political and Economic Crossroads

This article employs a historical framework to examine the development of a free trade zone in the Asia-Pacific region and its broader implications for the geopolitical and economic trajectories of Southeast and South Asia. The historical underpinnings of this process are inherently geopolitical, closely intertwined with U.S. efforts to maintain strategic influence over a rapidly emerging center of economic growth within the evolving “post-American†world order. Regional economic integration initiatives reflect both the intrinsic inclination of states in these regions to foster deeper horizontal cooperation and the strategic maneuvering of a fiscally constrained United States to uphold its dominance in a geopolitical environment increasingly oriented toward autonomous national interests - interests that are progressively diverging from the official policy agenda of Washington. Within the context of ongoing global transformations, India's role in both regional and international politics is undergoing a profound recalibration. Against the backdrop of these systemic shifts, this article seeks to evaluate the prospects for strengthening Russian-Indian relations within the framework of a rapidly evolving global order.