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India is mulling various options on its engagement in the development of the strategically-located Chabahar port in Iran against the backdrop of the Trump administration threatening a 25 per cent additional tariff on countries doing business with Tehran. India is a major partner in development of the Chabahar port, located in the Sistan-Balochistan province Iran's southern coast. In September last year, the US imposed crippling economic sanctions on Iran but had granted India a six-month exemption from the punitive measures on the Chabahar port project. The waiver will come to an end on April 26. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday said New India is engaged with the US on the issue. His remarks in answering a question came amid reports that New Delhi is looking at withdrawing from it in view of fresh American tariffs on nations having trade relations with Iran. "As you are aware, on October 28, the US Department of Treasury had issued a letter outlinin
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma on Saturday met BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, a day after the party officially elected him to the position ahead of the scheduled February 12 elections. The meeting lasted for some 40 minutes, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) media cell spokesman Sayrul Kabir Khan told PTI, calling it a courtesy call. BNP emerged as the forerunner in Bangladesh politics, with its once crucial ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, being the main rival, ahead of the scheduled February 12 elections, in the absence of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's now disbanded Awami League. A student-led violent street movement toppled the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, while the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government disbanded the party in an executive order last year, debarring it from contesting the elections. Rahman has been steering BNP as its acting chairman since 2018. The party's policy-making standing committee on Friday night formally elected him as
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday began a six-day visit to France and Luxembourg to hold talks on bilateral and global issues of mutual interests. In Paris, he will be meeting the French leadership and will hold talks with Foreign Minister Jean Noel Barrot, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Jaishankar's visit to France comes against the backdrop of growing global concerns over the US capturing Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in a military operation. The MEA said Jaishankar and Barrot will discuss the progress made under the India-France strategic partnership and matters of global importance. The two ministers are also expected to prepare ground for French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India next month to participate in the AI Summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had co-chaired the AI Summit along with Macron in Paris last February. The external affairs minister will also address the 31st edition of the French Ambassadors'
India on Sunday asserted that it has never allowed its territory to be used for activities inimical to the interests of Bangladesh and pressed for holding the upcoming parliamentary polls in that country in a peaceful atmosphere. India's reaction came hours after the Bangladesh foreign ministry summoned Indian envoy to Dhaka, Pranay Verma, and conveyed its concern over former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's "incendiary" statements from Indian soil. According to a readout released by Dhaka, the foreign ministry also brought to Verma's notice the activities of some members of Hasina-led Awami League while staying in India. "India categorically rejects the assertions made by the interim government of Bangladesh in its press note," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. It said India has consistently reiterated its position in favour of free, fair, inclusive and credible elections in Bangladesh in a peaceful atmosphere. "India has never allowed its territory to be used for activi
India and Israel on Thursday inked terms of reference (ToR) to formally launch negotiations for a free trade agreement, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said. The ToR include market access for goods by eliminating tariff and non-tariff barriers, investment facilitation, simplification of customs procedures, increasing cooperation for innovation and technology transfer, and easing norms to promote trade in services. "We have signed the ToRs today. Now we will soon finalise the dates for starting the negotiations for that," Goyal told reporters here. Goyal is leading a 60-member business delegation to Israel. He will meet leaders and businesses to discuss ways to boost bilateral trade and investments. The TOR was signed by Goyal and Israeli Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat. Goyal said that the Israeli side has conveyed that they will not seek market access in sensitive areas such as dairy, rice, wheat and sugar. He also informed that Israel has come out with a ...
India and Angola on Sunday exchanged multiple Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) to strengthen bilateral ties on subjects like fisheries, aquaculture and marine resources during the first day of President Droupadi Murmu's official engagements in the African country. The President is on a four-day state visit to the country between November 8-11. This is the first visit by an Indian president to Angola. Murmu was officially welcomed at the Presidential Palace here by Angolan President Joo Manuel Gonalves Loureno, starting with a 21-gun salute and a ceremonial guard of honour. The two leaders later sat down for delegation-level talks, following which MOUs were exchanged between the two countries, followed by a joint reading of statements before the press. Murmu said the partnership between India and Angola was built on "mutual trust, respect and a shared vision for the prosperity of our peoples." She thanked the Angolan people and the government for hosting her delegation in their
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said India and the US are holding continuous discussions for the proposed bilateral trade agreement. "Talks are going well...and are continuously going on. ..kaee samvedanasheel mudde hai, kaee gambheer mudde hai, toh svaabhaavik hai ki thoda samay lagega (There are many sensitive issues, many serious issues, so it is natural that it will take some time)," he told reporters here. He was replying to a question about the progress on India-US negotiations on the pact. Goyal is here on a four-day official visit. He is leading a business delegation. Five rounds of talks have been completed so far for the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement between the US and India. A team of Indian officials, headed by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, was in Washington last month to hold trade talks with their US counterparts. The three-day talks ended on October 17. In February this year, leaders of India and the US directed official
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