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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday discussed with a three-member American Congressional delegation various aspects of India-US relations, including trade and security, against the backdrop of continuing strain in ties between the two countries. US Ambassador Sergio Gor, who was also present at the meeting, said the talks were "productive" and that the focus was on strengthening the bilateral partnership in the domains of security, trade and critical technologies. The visit of the US Congressional delegation to India, comprising Jimmy Patronis, Mike Rogers and Adam Smith, came as both sides are looking to move forward in the negotiations for a bilateral trade deal. In a social media post, Jaishankar described the meeting as a "good interaction". "Discussed various aspects of India-US ties, Indo Pacific and Ukraine conflict. Congressional interactions have always been an important facet of our relationship," he said. On his part, Gor said on X: "Just wrapped a producti
Iran is ready to expand cooperation with India on counter-terrorism and regional instability, the country's newly appointed Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, has said. Fathali emphasised sharing experiences in confronting extremist violence while fully respecting each other's independent policies and national interests. In an interview with PTI Videos on Tuesday, Fathali highlighted strong potential for new initiatives with India in emerging technologies, renewable energy, academic and scientific cooperation, and cultural diplomacy. "Terrorism and regional instability are areas where Iran and India can expand cooperation, with full respect for each other's independent policies and national interests," the ambassador said, referring to India's actions against terrorism in May and Iran's own challenges amid regional tensions. "Iran has long been a victim of terrorism and has paid a heavy price in confronting extremist violence. In this fight, we have lost many of our best ...
The High Commission in Singapore has opened a One Stop Centre (OSC) as part of the government's scheme to support Indian women in distress overseas. The initiative has been taken under the Indian government's Sakhi One Stop Centre scheme, marking a major step in extending women-centric welfare initiatives overseas. The establishment of One Stop Centre' at the High Commission of India in Singapore will provide a comprehensive support system to Indian (national) women in distress, High Commissioner Shilpak Ambule told PTI on Friday. As part of this initiative, assistance would be extended to distressed Indian women to cover legal, medical and other expenses, he said. The centre will offer integrated support services including legal aid, medical assistance, psychological counselling, temporary shelter, and emergency response for women facing physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, or economic abuse. Located within the High Commission's premises, the OSC aims to create a safe, ...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, on Wednesday and expressed appreciation for the progress made in advancing the Italy-India Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029.Tajani, currently on a three-day visit to India, called on PM Modi as part of a wider series of engagements aimed at reinforcing the bilateral partnership across multiple sectors. His visit, which includes a sizeable business delegation, reflects Italy's growing focus on expanding economic cooperation with India.Sharing details of their meeting, PM Modi wrote on X, "Delighted to meet Italy's Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, today."He added that he "conveyed appreciation for the proactive steps being taken by both sides towards implementation of the Italy-India Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029 across key sectors such as trade, investment, ...
India and Afghanistan have decided to appoint dedicated commercial attachs in each other's capitals to revitalise bilateral trade currently valued at over USD 1 billion. The decision has been taken during a bilateral meeting between Afghanistan's Minister of Industry and Commerce Hajji Nooruddin Azizi and Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasad here on Thursday. "In yesterday's meeting with the External Affairs Minister and the Minister of State for Commerce, both sides agreed to depute trade attaches in each other's embassy to oversee and support bilateral trade cooperation. Afghan minister will soon be sending a trade attache to the embassy here," M Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary (PAI division), said on Friday. Prakash also stated that the air freight corridor on the Kabul-Delhi sector and Kabul Amritsar routes have been activated. "Cargo flights on these sectors will commence very soon.This will significantly enhance and further strengthen our bilateral trade,"
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Bhutan on Tuesday on a two-day visit to further strengthen bilateral ties and inaugurate a mega hydroelectric project jointly developed by the two countries. Modi will meet Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay during the November 11-12 visit. The prime minister will also attend celebrations to mark the 70th birth anniversary of Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the former king of Bhutan. "The visit seeks to strengthen the special ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday. Modi and King Wangchuck will jointly inaugurate the 1020 mega watt Punatsangchhu-II hydroelectric project developed jointly by India and Bhutan, it said. The prime minister will attend the celebrations dedicated to the 70th birth anniversary of Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan, the MEA said. "India and Bhutan share
India and Israel on Tuesday signed a defence pact that will facilitate sharing of advanced technologies and promote co-development and co-production of key weapon systems and military hardware, in a major move to further bolster their already robust strategic ties. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Tel Aviv following a meeting of India-Israel joint working group (JWG) on defence cooperation. The MoU on defence cooperation was signed to provide a "unified vision and policy direction to deepen the already strong defence cooperation between the two countries," the defence ministry said. "India-Israel defence partnership is long-standing based on deep mutual trust and shared security interests," it said. The ministry said a wide range of areas for cooperation have been identified in the MoU that will benefit both countries. "Important fields include strategic dialogues of mutual interest, training, defence industrial cooperation, and capabilities including science an