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India is firmly in favour of holding free, fair and inclusive elections in Bangladesh at the earliest and it is ready to work with any government chosen by the people in the polls, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Monday. Misri also said that India has a stake in the peace, progress and stability of Bangladesh. The foreign secretary made the remarks while interacting with a group of visiting journalists from Bangladesh. "We will work with any government that emerges through the mandate of the people of Bangladesh," Misri said. Bangladesh's interim government has already announced that parliamentary elections in the country will be held in February next year. "I want to be very, very clear that India is firmly in favour of free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections in Bangladesh and it is in favour of these elections being held at the earliest possible time," he said. "We are encouraged by the fact that Bangladeshi authorities themselves have spoken about a timeframe
India and Singapore are looking at finalising nearly 10 memorandums of understanding in areas such as advanced technology, connectivity, skilling and digitisation during a meeting of their top ministers on Wednesday, people familiar with the matter said. The two sides are also in the process of finalising an ambitious proposal to lay an undersea cable to carry solar energy from India to Singapore that will also provide data connectivity, they said. The new initiatives are set to be firmed up at the third India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) to be held here on Wednesday. The ISMR is also expected to make preparations for Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's likely visit to India next month, the people said. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will hold the ISMR with six Singaporean ministers. The Singaporean delegation will be led
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said he was glad to note the steady progress" in various bilateral initiatives with Singapore as he met Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong here. Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to Singapore and China. Good to catch-up with Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Jaishankar said in a social media post, and added that he was glad to note the steady progress in various bilateral initiatives. The external affairs minister also said that he looked forward to the 3rd India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR). Earlier in the day, Jaishankar met his counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan and said, Singapore is at the heart of our Act East Policy. Always insightful to exchange views there. Posting about the meeting on X, Balakrishnan said, "As the world inexorably transitions into multipolarity, India will play an increasingly important role as one of these major poles of opportunity." He also said he looked forward to seeing Jaishanakar in Ne
As a long-awaited ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect in Gaza, Israeli ambassador Reuven Azar on Sunday thanked New Delhi for supporting his country's "right" to self-defence. The ceasefire and hostage-release deal between the two sides followed 15 months of conflict that was triggered by a shocking attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023. The deal is expected to stop the ongoing war in Gaza and facilitate the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. "I would like to thank the Indian government for supporting our right for self-defence and we specially appreciate the overwhelming support of the Indian people," Azar said in a video released by the Israeli embassy. Israel had launched a massive military offensive in Gaza as part of its retaliation to the October 7, 2023 attack on Israeli cities by Hamas. While strongly condemning the attack by Hamas, India consistently called for a ceasefire and creating conditions for direct peace negotiations towards a two-s
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden raised the "compelling and consequential" partnership between the US and India to new heights, outgoing US ambassador Eric Garcetti said on Sunday. "What was seen as unthinkable a generation ago will seem as indispensable a generation from now, thanks to the work of these leaders and the people of our nations," he said in a post on 'X' after meeting Modi. In an emotional short video, the outgoing US envoy described India as his "second home" and said that he is leaving as a "lifelong" friend and supporter of US-India partnership for the future. He said the India-US relationship is "truly an enduring story of love for the ages" and that "we are only getting started". "How do I say thank you to the most hospitable people in the world?" he said in the video. "Your people's dosti and zinda-dili touched me every day. Your festivals, your music, your art, your cuisine -- all have left an indelible mark on my soul," he added. Garcetti
China and Japan agreed on Wednesday to set up talks on often contentious security issues as they seek to improve a relationship driven in recent years by a range of issues, from territorial disputes to the discharge of water from Japan's tsunami-wrecked nuclear power plant. Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, on his first trip to China since assuming the post in October, sounded positive after meetings with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, saying the talks were very candid" and wide-ranging. I feel we were able to build a personal relationship that would lead to the future," he told reporters in the Chinese capital. Wang agreed to visit Japan next year for a high-level economic dialogue including cooperation on the environment, energy conservation and health and nursing care. Japan announced an easing of visa requirements for Chinese visitors, following China's recent decision to allow Japanese to enter without a visa. The two countries also have major ..
Bangladesh and India will be able to overcome the stalemate in the relationship witnessed in recent months, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said here on Sunday. His comments came ahead of Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's visit to Bangladesh on Monday during which he is likely to raise with Dhaka India's concerns over attacks on Hindus after a massive uprising ended deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's 15-year rule in August. This will be the first visit to be made by a senior Indian government official to Bangladesh since the interim government came to power on August 8. We expect that we will be able to overcome this impasse. Establishing mutual communication and meeting each other is very important to overcome any such stalemate, Hossain told a seminar titled 'SAARC - People of South Asia Crave' at the National Press Club. I hope they (foreign secretaries) will have a fruitful discussion, he said. He noted that it is important to acknowledge that there is a ..
Foreign ministers from the world's leading industrialized nations are meeting Monday, with the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East entering decisive phases and a certain pressure to advance diplomatic efforts ahead of the new US administration taking over. Hopes for brokering a cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon are foremost on the agenda of the Group of Seven meeting outside Rome that is gathering ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. On the first day of the two-day gathering Monday, the G7 will be joined by ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, as well as the Secretary General of the Arab League. With partners will be discussed ways to support efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, initiatives to support the population and the promotion of a credible political horizon for stability in the region, the Italian foreign ministry said. The so-called Quint grouping of the US, Saud
Consul General of the United States of America in Mumbai, Mike Hankey, on Friday said the US and India can forge "different types of partnerships", and noted that there are possibilities of cooperation in electric vehicle manufacturing and green energy sectors. Talking to reporters in Goa during his visit to the state, he said the supply chain of lithium ion batteries required for electric vehicles (EVs) is reliant only on China, adding that no supply will be strong and resilient if it relies on a single point. During his visit to the coastal state, Hankey met several stakeholders, including the industry experts under Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) initiative. He said that during the interaction (with industry experts), he was particularly impressed with what some of the electronics industry and green power industry firms are looking forward to doing. "I see some opportunities for collaboration between counterparts that are doing really advanced work on the US side and the
Of the 26 requests sent to Canada for extraditing Khalistani terrorists, Ottawa has resolved only five and the rest remain in limbo, India's top envoy to that country has said, calling it the result of "inaction". The five men are in the process of being extradited, High Commissioner Sanjay Verma told PTI in an interview this week. He said he is not at liberty to disclose the name or give details. The interview took place on Wednesday, a couple of days after his return to New Delhi. India recalled him and five other Indian diplomats after they were named "person of interest" in a Canadian investigation into the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist who was a Canadian citizen. Relations between the two countries have plunged to their lowest level ever over the issue of Canada's tacit support for Khalistani extremists among the large Sikh-Canadian population of about 8 lakh. New Delhi accuses Ottawa of doing next to nothing to stop the activities of Khalistani .