Page 22 - Bilateral Ties

PM Modi holds 'fruitful' meetings with French counterpart, Senate President

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday began his two-day visit to France with "fruitful" meetings with his French counterpart Elisabeth Borne and Senate President Gerard Larcher during which he discussed ways to impart new impetus to India's longstanding and time-tested strategic partnership with the key European nation. Modi, who landed here earlier in the day, was received by Prime Minister Borne at the airport in a special gesture. A ceremonial welcome and Guard of honour were accorded to Prime Minister Modi upon his arrival. In his first engagement, Modi had a "productive meeting" with Senate President Larcher and the two leaders deliberated on a range of issues of mutual interest and agreed to work together to deepen India-France cooperation in a number of areas, the Prime Minister's Office said. Modi then met Prime Minister Borne and discussed measures to further strengthen the bilateral ties. "PM @narendramodi held fruitful talks with PM @elisabeth_borne in Paris. The leaders

India-France partnership to advance secure Indo Pacific region: PM Modi

During his France visit from July 13-14, PM Modi will hold formal talks with President Emmanuel Macron. Macron will host a State Banquet as well as a private dinner in honour of the Prime Minister

Foreign Secy arrives in Colombo ahead of Sri Lankan Prez's India visit

Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra has arrived here on a two-day official visit to Sri Lanka to take stock of several Indian projects and make arrangements for Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe's upcoming trip to India. Kwatra landed at Bandaranaike International Airport here on Monday night. Officials said Kwatra would assess several Indian projects in multiple sectors which are in the pipeline and prepare the ground for Wickremesinghe's visit to India. Wickremesinghe will embark on a two-day visit to India on July 21 during which he is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, officials here said on Sunday. They said Wickremesinghe will finalise the implementation of several Indian projects related to power and energy, agriculture, and maritime issues in the island nation ahead of his departure for New Delhi. This will be Wickremesinghe's first visit to India after being appointed President of the cash-strapped country last year following the ouster of Gotabaya ...

PM Modi's France visit to likely boost economic cooperation, EU-India ties

PM Modi will visit France to attend the Bastille Day Parade as the Guest of Honour at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron

Rajnath Singh discusses deepening of bilateral ties with Malaysian PM

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called on Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim and held talks with his Malaysian counterpart Mohamad Hasan here on Monday and discussed ways to further deepen bilateral defence ties. Singh arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday on a three-day visit aimed at further boosting bilateral defence and strategic ties. "Called on the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mr @anwaribrahim in Kuala Lumpur. Deeply appreciate his positive approach and interest towards further deepening India-Malaysia bilateral relations," he tweeted. "Had an excellent meeting with the Defence Minister of Malaysia, Mr. Mohamad Hasan in Kuala Lumpur today. We reviewed the diverse pillars of the extensive bilateral defence engagement and discussed the roadmap for the 4th Decade of India-Malaysia Defence Cooperation," he said. The defence ministry in New Delhi said on Saturday that Singh and Hasan will review defence cooperation between the two countries and explore new initiatives to further .

Ukraine's possible entry may be biggest challenge at upcoming Nato meet

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues with no end in sight, NATO's much-celebrated unity faces fresh strains when leaders gather for their annual summit this week in Vilnius, Lithuania. The world's biggest security alliance is struggling to reach an agreement on admitting Sweden as its 32nd member. Military spending by member nations lags behind long-standing goals. An inability to compromise over who should serve as NATO's next leader forced an extension of the current secretary-general's term for an extra year. Perhaps the most difficult questions are over how Ukraine should be eased into NATO. Some maintain admitting Ukraine would fulfil a promise made years ago and be a necessary step to deter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe. Others fear it would be seen as a provocation that could spiral into an even wider conflict. "I don't think it's ready for membership in NATO," President Joe Biden told CNN in an interview airing Sunday. He said joining NATO requires countries t

Yellen's China visit ends sans announcement of agreements to mend ties

She indulged in ten hours of meetings over two days and left for Washington on Sunday. However, it is unlikely that the economic tension between the two countries will actually ease, the report noted

Lankan Speaker thanks India for help amid crisis, says 'you saved us'

Describing New Delhi as a "close associate" and a "trustworthy friend" of Colombo, Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Friday thanked India for the financial assistance it extended to the island nation when it reeled under an unprecedented economic crisis last year. Sri Lanka was hit by a catastrophic financial crisis in 2022, the worst since its independence from Britain in 1948, due to a severe paucity of foreign exchange reserves. As the country struggled, locked in the throes of the crisis, India extended multi-pronged assistance of about USD 4 billion to it last year, through multiple credit lines and currency support, in line with India's Neighbourhood First' policy. In his address at the gala dinner reception hosted for delegates of the Indian Travel Congress here, Abeywardena said that India "saved us" during the financial crisis otherwise, there would have been "another bloodbath for all of us". At the evening reception, the Speaker thanked India for

EAM to visit Tanzania from July 5-8, will co-chair Joint Commission Meet

"India and Tanzania have traditionally enjoyed close and friendly relations. EAM's visit to Tanzania will further consolidate the bilateral relations between our two countries," the MEA said

UK calls for UN reform with permanent Security Council seat for India

The UK government has reiterated its call for reform of the United Nations as one of its top transnational priorities and supported India's bid for permanent membership of the powerful Security Council. India has been at the forefront of the years-long efforts to reform the UN Security Council (UNSC), saying it rightly deserved a place as a permanent member of the United Nations. Currently, the UNSC has five permanent members - China, France, Russia, the UK and the US. Only a permanent member has the power to veto any substantive resolution. In a speech at a conference at the Chatham House think tank in London on Thursday, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly called for a reinvigorated multilateral system that is more reflective of the times. He pointed out that the world's economic centre of gravity is shifting away from the Euro-Atlantic and towards the Indo-Pacific but the multilateral institutions are yet to catch up. I have five transnational priorities. First, reform of the .

Pak Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto to visit Japan to revive bilateral ties

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is set to make his official maiden visit to Japan from July 1 to 4 to revive the bilateral relations after a considerable hiatus. Pakistan has tried to maintain a fine balance while pursuing ties with its all-weather ally China and its rival Japan. During the visit, Bilawal will be calling Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and will hold a meeting with the National Security Advisor Takeo Akiba, the Foreign Office said. The Foreign Minister's visit signals the revival of leadership level contacts with Japan after a considerable hiatus, it said in a statement, adding that Bilawal will hold delegation-level talks with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi. He will deliver a lecture at the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), which is a renowned think tank in Japan. Bilawal is also expected to interact with senior officials and executives representing prominent business houses and entities related to the import of Pakistani manpowe

President Putin calls PM Modi big friend of Russia' at Moscow's ASI forum

President Vladimir Putin has called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a big friend" of Russia and said his 'Make in India' campaign has had a "truly impressive effect" on the country's economy. Putin made these remarks on Thursday at a forum in Moscow organised by Russia's Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI). Our friends in India and our big friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, launched the Make in India' initiative several years ago. It has had a truly impressive effect on the Indian economy. It would do no harm to emulate what is working well, even if it was not us but our friends who created it, the president was quoted as saying by the RT News. Putin made a case for India as he discussed the opportunities for Russian companies due to the West's sanctions policies, and the need for Moscow to offer support tools to help our companies market their products more efficiently. Crediting Indian leadership for creating an effective model to develop local manufacturing capabilities and w

US sees growing role for India in South China Sea: Biden admin official

The US sees a growing role for India in the disputed South China Sea and there will be a collaboration between Washington and New Delhi in this strategically vital region, a top Biden administration official said, amid growing Chinese aggression in the area. These remarks were made by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific Daniel Kritenbrink on Wednesday at the Thirteenth Annual South China Sea Conference by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. China claims almost all of the 1.3 million square mile South China Sea (SCS) as its sovereign territory. China has been building military bases on artificial islands in the region also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Responding to a question on if Kritenbrink sees a growing role for India in the South China Sea and if there will be US-India collaboration in this, Yes, I do. And yes, I think we will. he .

Jaishankar, Manalo co-chair 5th India-Philippines co-operation commission

The two leaders discussed a number of key areas of cooperation including cooperation in trade and investment, defence, health, medicine, agriculture, and others

India, Philippines underline commitment to strengthen bilateral relations

The Philippines Secretary for Foreign Affairs on Wednesday said India and the Philippines are working together to amplify their voices for the developing world in the global discourse

Wouldn't allow to be used as base for threats against India: Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka would not be allowed to be used as a base for any threats against India, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said, asserting that the island nation remains "neutral", having no military agreements with China. Wickremesinghe, who was on an official visit to the UK and France, made the comments during an interview with France's state media on Monday. In an interview with France24, Wickremesinghe said, "We are a neutral country, but we also emphasise the fact that we cannot allow Sri Lanka to be used as a base for any threats against India." Responding to a question about China's perceived military presence in Sri Lanka, the president said that the Chinese have been in the country for about "1500 years and, so far, there has been no military base". Wickremesinghe asserted that the island nation has no military agreement with China and said, "There won't be any military agreements. I don't think China will enter into one." The president said there were no issues of military u

Japan to reinstate South Korea as preferred trade nation from July 21

Japan announced a decision on Tuesday to reinstate South Korea as a preferred nation with fast-track trade status starting July 21, virtually ending a four-year economic row that was further strained during their bitter historic disputes. Trade Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told reporters that Japan and South Korea have also agreed to set up a framework to review and follow up on the systems as needed. Japan and South Korea have been rapidly mending their ties as they deepen three-way security cooperation with Washington in response to growing regional threats from North Korea and China. A reinstatement of South Korea's preferential status next month would end a four-year trade dispute that began in July 2019 when Japan removed South Korea from its white list of countries given fast-track approvals in trade as ties deteriorated over compensation for Japanese wartime actions. Japan's tightening of trade controls against Seoul was an apparent retaliation for South Korean court rulings

Wise policies being adopted by Modi in bringing co-existence: Grand Mufti

The Grand Mufti also presented a special gift to Prime Minister Modi in Cairo

PM Modi meets Egyptian counterpart, top ministers; discusses trade ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday began his maiden state visit to Egypt by holding discussions with his Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Madbouly and top Cabinet ministers on deepening trade relations and further strengthening the strategic partnership. Modi is visiting Egypt at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. This is the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Egypt in 26 years. Modi began his visit with discussions with Egyptian Prime Minister Madbouly and top Cabinet ministers to deepen trade relations and further strengthen the strategic partnership. The Prime Minister also met the Grand Mufti of Egypt Dr Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam and interacted with the members of the Indian diaspora. He also met the members of the Indian diaspora and the Bohra community. The Prime Minister's meeting with the Bohra community members comes ahead of his visit on Sunday to Cairo's historic Al-Hakim Mosque, restored with the help of India's Dawoodi Bohra .

PM Modi's first state visit to Egypt to boost bilateral ties: Indian envoy

India's multi-faceted relations with Egypt, which was elevated to a Strategic Partnership' this year, will receive further impetus with the first state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to this key Middle East nation, India's ambassador here has said. Prime Minister Modi will be arriving here Saturday evening at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. It will be the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister since 1997. "We are very much looking forward to the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Cairo from 24th to 25th of June. The visit is a very historic occasion because the last bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister was as far back as 1997," Ajit Gupte, India's Ambassador to Egypt, to PTI in an interview. Modi will hold talks with El-Sisi on Sunday to discuss ways to give further impetus to the strategic partnership between the two major nations. "I am excited to pay a state visit to a close and friendly country for the first time," Modi said in his depart