Page 14 - Bilateral Ties

Foreign Secy Vikram Misri arrives in Nepal on two-day visit to boost ties

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri arrived here on Sunday on a two-day visit to discuss with the country's leadership and officials ways to further strengthen India-Nepal relations and advance the mutually beneficial ties with the Himalayan nation. Misri was received by his Nepalese counterpart Sewa Lamsal on his arrival here. "Foreign Secretary of India @VikramMisri arrives in Kathmandu for an official visit from 11-12 August 2024. Warm reception by Nepal Foreign Secretary Ms Sewa Lamsal," the Embassy of India in Kathmandu said in a post on X. "The visit is in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level India-Nepal bilateral exchanges & underlines India's commitment to its #NeighbourhoodFirst policy," it said. Misri will call on Prime Minister K P Oli and President Ram Chandra Poudel and Foreign Minister Arzu Rana. Misri's visit reflects the priority India attaches to its relations with Nepal and will be an opportunity to further advance the bilateral ties, the Ministry of ...

President Murmu conferred with Timor-Leste's highest civilian award

President Droupadi Murmu was conferred the Grand-Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste, the country's highest civilian award, by her counterpart Jos Ramos-Horta on Saturday. Murmu, 66, received the award for her achievements in public service and dedication to education, social welfare and women empowerment, her office said in a post on X. President Murmu said that the honour is a reflection of the ties of friendship between India and Timor-Leste. Murmu arrived in Dili on the last leg of her three-nation visit on Saturday after concluding her trip to New Zealand and Fiji. Murmu's trip is the first-ever presidential visit from India to the Southeast Asian nation. She was warmly received by President Ramos-Horta at the airport, her office said. Cheerful children greeted her on the way from the airport. She was also accorded a ceremonial reception and guard of honour in the Presidential Palace, Dili. President Murmu held extensive discussions with her counterpart Ramos-Horta on enhanc

President Murmu holds discussions with Timor Leste prez on boosting ties

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday reached Timor-Leste, on the last leg of her three-nation visit, after concluding her visit to New Zealand and Fiji. This will be the first-ever presidential visit from India to Timor-Leste, a Southeast Asian nation. In a post on X, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "Furthering the Delhi-Dili connect! President Droupadi Murmu @rashtrapatibhvn arrived in Dili for the first-ever Head of State level visit from India to Timor-Leste. In a special gesture, President @JoseRamosHorta1 of Timor-Leste warmly received President Murmu at the airport" During the visit, apart from the bilateral meeting with President Jose Ramos-Horta, there will also be a meeting with Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmao who will call on Murmu. The president will also attend a community reception with the Indians in Timor-Leste and Friends of India, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Ahead of the visit, MEA Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar told reporters in

Prez Murmu discusses ways to boost bilateral ties with New Zealand's Dy PM

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday met New Zealand's Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters to discuss friendly bilateral ties and ways to enhance cooperation across various sectors. Murmu arrived in New Zealand on Wednesday on the second leg of her three-nation tour. She was accorded Royal Guard of Honour on her arrival in the country. "President Droupadi Murmu held a meeting with Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro of New Zealand. Both leaders hailed the warm and friendly relationship between the two countries and discussed cooperation across various sectors," the President's Office said in a post on X. Later, Peters, who is also the Foreign Minister, called on President Murmu. "Both leaders acknowledged the progress in bilateral relations and deliberated upon ways of enhancing cooperation in several areas," her office said. She also addressed the New Zealand International Education Conference in Wellington. During her address, she spoke about

President Droupadi Murmu arrives in New Zealand to boost bilateral ties

President Droupadi Murmu arrived in New Zealand on Wednesday on the second leg of her three-nation tour during which she will meet Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and other senior ministers as India seeks to give further impetus to the bilateral ties. Murmu was accorded a warm welcome by Todd McClay, Minister of Agriculture, Trade, Forestry, Hunting and Fishing and Associate Foreign Affairs, as she arrived in New Zealand, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a post on X. "A warm welcome to the Hon'ble @rashtrapatibhvn Smt. Droupadi Murmu as she arrived in New Zealand today. Warmly received by Minister @toddmcclaymp and HC Neeta Bhushan at Auckland," it said. Taking to X, McClay said it was an honour to welcome President Murmu to New Zealand. "This visit is one of many recent government engagements to deepen our relationship & boost our strong people-to-people & cultural links," he said. Murmu arrived in New Zealand after concluding .

India, Saudi Arabia hold first High-Level Task Force meeting on investments

India and Saudi Arabia on Sunday discussed various opportunities for bilateral investments in diverse areas in the public and private sectors, including refining and petrochemical plants, new and renewable energy, and power. They reviewed measures aimed at promoting two-way investments in a mutually beneficial manner at the first meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia High-Level Task Force on Investments, co-chaired by the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister PK Mishra and the Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in the virtual mode. The two sides reviewed the discussions held between the technical teams of the task force, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office here said. Constructive discussions were held on various opportunities for bilateral investments in diverse areas in the public and private sector, including refining and petrochemical plants, new and renewable energy, power, telecom, innovation, among others, the statement ...

Commerce Secy Sunil Barthwal meets Russian, UAE ministers on trade issues

Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal held bilateral meetings with Russian and UAE ministers to discuss bilateral trade issues for their early resolution, an official said on Sunday. Barthwal held these meetings on the sidelines of the 14th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Trade Ministers' meeting in Moscow on July 26. The secretary held bilateral meetings with the Russian Minister for Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov; Member of the Board (Minister) of Trade, Eurasian Economic Commission Andrey Slepnev; Russia's Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Alexey Gruzdev; Head of FSVPS (Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision) Sergei Dankvert of the Russian Federation. He also met South Africa's Deputy Minister for the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition Zuko Godlimpi, and UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi. In these meetings bilateral trade issues were discussed in brief for their early resolution, th

Local currency trade, exports, FTA will boost India-Russia commerce: GTRI

Steps such as increasing exports, making local currency trading workable and a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union will help boost trade between India and Russia, think tank GTRI said on Thursday. India should not worry over the trade deficit, as it is getting crude petroleum oil at cheaper than market rates from Russia and it is also cutting India's overall oil import bill, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said. Since the Ukraine war began in February 2022 and the US imposed sanctions on Russia, the trade relationship between India and Russia has shifted significantly. There has been a sharp increase in imports from Russia, resulting in a notable trade imbalance. Exports during the financial year 2020-21 and 2023-24 grew by 59 per cent, while imports surged by about 8,300 per cent, the report said, adding the trade deficit rose from USD 2.8 billion before the war in 2020-21 to USD 57.2 billion at present. It said that the import surge is solely due to

Normalisation of our ties with China must be based on mutual respect: MEA

India on Saturday thanked China for congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his election victory and said it would continue to make efforts for normalisation of the bilateral ties based on "mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity". The comments by External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal came as relations between India and China remained frosty in view of the lingering border row along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. Jaiswal was replying to a congratulatory message to Modi posted by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on X. "Thank you @MFA_China for congratulating PM @narendramodi on his election victory. Will continue to pursue efforts towards normalisation of India-China ties based on mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity," Jaiswal said on X. India has been consistently maintaining that peace and tranquillity along the LAC were key for normalisation of overall ties. On June 5, the spokesperson of the Chinese forei

'India should seek easy visa norms for unskilled workers in bilateral pact'

India should seek easy visa norms in bilateral agreements with different countries for its semi and unskilled workers as it would help increase flow of remittances, and higher wages to labourers, trade experts said. They said easy visa norms will also help contain illegal entry of Indian labourers into developed and rich nations. Normally in a free trade agreement, two trading partners seek greater market access for its skilled professionals. India, too, asks for easy provisions for its IT and other skilled workforce. "Now, India should start talking for its semi and unskilled workforce also in the proposed free trade agreements. We should take this as a binding commitment. It will help stop illegal entry of labourers from India into developed nations. India provides low customs in trade agreements, so in lieu of that we can seek greater access for our labours," international trade expert Biswajit Dhar said. He said that wages in other countries, particularly developed, are high an

GoAir temporarily loses slots and foreign bilateral rights amid insolvency

Bilateral air service agreements between airlines and countries allow them to operate international flights; slots for these flights are allocated by the DGCA and civil aviation ministry

Maldives foreign minister lands in India to discuss bilateral ties

Amid a diplomatic standoff, Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer on Wednesday arrived in New Delhi on an official visit to India to discuss bilateral ties between the two countries.During his visit, the two sides will discuss bilateral and regional issues and seek ways to provide impetus to our multifaceted relationship.Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also shared details of his arrival on X saying. "Warm welcome to FM @MoosaZameer of Maldives on his official visit to India. Discussions on bilateral & regional issues and seeking ways to provide impetus to our multifaceted relationship lie ahead."According to the MEA release, the Maldivian Minister will hold a meeting with the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to discuss the bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest."Moosa Zameer, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives will be in India on an official visit on 09 May 2024. During his visit to New Delhi, Foreign Minister Zameer will meet the External Affairs ...

Govt delegation on three-day visit of Bangladesh to further boost ties

A central government delegation is on a three-day visit to Bangladesh beginning Sunday to further boost bilateral ties on governance matters, according to an official statement. The visit is being undertaken on the invitation of the Bangladesh Ministry of Public Administration and will focus on the mid-career capacity building programs in field administration for Bangladesh civil servants, said the statement issued by the Personnel Ministry on Sunday. "V Srinivas, Secretary of Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) will lead a four-member delegation to Bangladesh from April 28-30, 2024 for bilateral discussions regarding renewal of memorandum of understanding (MoU) between National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) India and Bangladesh Ministry of Public Administration for the period 2024-2029," it said. The NCGG and the Bangladesh Ministry of Public Administration have collaborated for conducting capacity building programs for Bangladesh civil servants .

Biden welcomes Japanese PM Kishida as they aim for deeper bilateral ties

US President Joe Biden has welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House as the two leaders seek to further boost bilateral ties amid shared concerns about China's increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. Biden and the First Lady Jill Biden have welcomed Kishida and his wife Yuko Kishida at the White House on Tuesday and treated them to a seafood dinner at a city restaurant. Biden has invited the Japanese Prime Minister for a State Dinner on Wednesday as part of the efforts to strengthen ties with countries in the Indo-Pacific region. President Biden last year hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a State visit. "This (Kishida's) official state visit will build on the immense progress between our two nations that we've made towards creating a safer and more secure Indo-Pacific, as well as mutual prosperity for our peoples," US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said. The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region, comprising the Indian Ocean and

US-China relationship on 'more stable footing' but more can be done: Yellen

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen met Sunday with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing and sent a message of mutual cooperation despite the nations' differences. Yellen came to China top of mind with trade practices that put American companies and workers at an unfair competitive disadvantage. In the ornate Fujian room of Great Hall of People building just west of Tiananmen Square, she told Li: While we have more to do, I believe that, over the past year, we have put our bilateral relationship on more stable footing." This has not meant ignoring our differences or avoiding tough conversations," she said. "It has meant understanding that we can only make progress if we directly and openly communicate with one another. Li said media interest in Yellen's visit "shows the high expectation they have ... and also the expectation and hope to grow" the US-China relationship. The meeting comes after the US and China on Saturday agreed to hold intensive exchanges on more balanced economic

China lifts tariffs on Australian wine, ends three years of punitive levies

Ties have improved significantly since last year, leading China to steadily lifting trade hurdles on Australian goods, including barley and coal

My first duty to Indians is to secure the border, says EAM Jaishankar

Normalcy in bilateral ties with China will only be achieved based on the traditional deployment of troops and that will be the prerequisite for the relationship going forward with Beijing, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday. "My first duty to Indians is to secure the border. I can never compromise on that," Jaishankar said while responding to a question on the current state of India's relations with China during his interaction with the Indian diaspora here in the Malaysian capital. He said every country wants "good relations with its neighbours. Who doesn't? But every relationship has to be founded on some basis." "We're still negotiating with the Chinese. I talk to my counterpart. We meet from time to time. Our military commanders negotiate with each other. But we are very clear that we had an agreement. There is a Line of Actual Control. We have a tradition of not bringing troops to that line. Both of us have bases some distance away, which is our traditiona

EAM Jaishankar meets Singapore PM Lee to further deepen bilateral ties

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Monday called on Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and other senior ministers and discussed ways to further the strategic bilateral ties, and the situation in the Indo-Pacific and West Asia regions. Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to Singapore and reached here on Saturday. He addressed the Indian diaspora on Sunday and met with investors on Saturday. "Honoured to call on Prime Minister @leehsienloong at The Istana. Conveyed the personal greetings of PM @narendramodi. Valued his perspectives on the current state of the world," Jaishankar posted on X. "His positive sentiments on India-Singapore relationship have always been a source of strength for our ties," Jaishankar said about Prime Minister Lee's support the bilateral relationship. Apart from foreign minister Balakrishnan, Jaishankar held separate meetings with Minister of Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong and Senior Minister and ...

Affinity between people of India, Bhutan makes bilateral ties unique: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the affinity between the people of India and Bhutan makes their bilateral relationship unique while emphasising that "Bharat" resides in people's hearts in this Himalayan nation. He said this in his address to a gathering here after receiving Bhutan's highest civilian award, the 'Order of the Druk Gyalpo', the first foreign Head of the Government to receive the honour. The honour was conferred on him by the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. Modi said the successful endeavour of one country is cheered by the other. "The affinity between people of India and Bhutan makes our relationship unique," he said. In his address, he told the Bhutanese people that "India resides in your hearts". Prime Minister Modi on Friday arrived in Bhutan earlier in the day on a two-day State visit to further cement India's unique relations with the Himalayan nation as part of the country's 'Neighbourhood First' Policy.

'Operation Indravati' to evacuate stranded Indians in Haiti launched

Taking to his official X handle, Jaishankar posted, "12 Indians evacuated today. Fully committed to the security and well-being of our nationals abroad."