Well oiled diplomacy

Well oiled diplomacy

In nominating Rex Tillerson, Chief Executive of the oil and gas conglomerate (समूह/आधिपत्य) ExxonMobil, to the post of Secretary of State, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has provided another glimpse into his world view and decision-making process. Similar to Mr. Trump, Mr. Tillerson has no formal experience in political office, yet brings impressive heft (महत्त्व) in terms of deal-making across 52 countries over six continents. On his watch, the stock market value of ExxonMobil, the U.S.’s largest oil company, soared to over $360 billion. Yet the vast global reach of Mr. Tillerson’s work and the sheer complexities involved in drilling for oil, especially the sometimes messy geopolitics at play, have meant he has often been at odds with the agenda of the U.S. State Department. In Nigeria, for example, his company faced flak (आलोचना) for lack of transparency in dealings with the government. Nowhere is the potential divergence from the hallowed traditions of Foggy Bottom’s diplomatic norms more visible than in Mr. Tillerson’s decade-plus engagement with Russia to secure oil drilling rights. Under him, ExxonMobil since 2006 signed a plethora (बहुतायत/अधिकता) of drilling agreements including through partnerships with the Russian oil behemoth (विशालकाय) Rosneft. Yet, as Mr. Tillerson’s star rose in the eyes of the Kremlin, U.S. President Barack Obama’s fell, especially since early 2014 when he authorised sanctions against certain Russian individuals and entities for violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Thus, reactions to Mr. Tillerson’s nomination have been divided between relief, among those who would welcome the likely thaw (सामान्य होना (सम्बन्ध के परिपेक्ष्य में)) in Washington-Moscow diplomatic ties, and alarm, of critics who fear that as in Mr. Trump’s case, Mr. Tillerson may find it difficult to disentangle his personal and official interests. In his confirmation hearing in the Senate he will be grilled, in all likelihood by John McCain and his peers (समान पद का/समकक्ष), on his views on whether Russian hackers had interfered in the presidential election, as the U.S. intelligence community suggests they did, and whether these hackers could still launch cyberattacks on U.S. targets. His answers will provide clues about how he might carry out his duties as America’s top diplomat. They will also supply clarity on his apparent (स्पष्ट/प्रत्यक्ष) belief, contra-Trump, that human activity does cause climate change, necessitating mitigation and adaptation efforts. To India, the nomination of Mr. Tillerson, if successful, may smooth military cooperation with Moscow as Obama-era hostility (विरोधभाव) towards Russia softens. ExxonMobil also has extensive oil business assets on Indian soil, so New Delhi may have reason to be sanguine (आशावादी) about bilateral detente (नरमी/दो देशों के संबंध सुधारना), especially in trade and investment terms.