Page 3 - Bilateral Ties

Jaishankar holds 'productive' talks with South Korean foreign minister Hyun

India and South Korea on Saturday resolved to expand their strategic partnership by boosting cooperation in the areas of semiconductor, clean energy, defence and artificial intelligence. Ways to ramp up the overall bilateral cooperation figured prominently in talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his visiting South Korean counterpart, Cho Hyun. "Held productive discussions on advancing our bilateral cooperation in trade, manufacturing, maritime and people-to-people exchanges as well as new opportunities in AI, semiconductors, clean energy and defence," the external affairs minister said in a post on X. Jaishankar said he and Hyun also exchanged perspectives on the Indo-Pacific region and contemporary global developments. "Appreciated our deepening convergences and growing engagement as our Special Strategic Partnership completes 10 years," he added. In his opening remarks at the meeting, Jaishankar also thanked Seoul for its condemnation of the horrific Pahalgam

China confirms talks with India, to share Wang Yi visit details soon

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, China and India are maintaining interactions at various levels

Singapore PM Lawrence Wong likely to visit India next month to sign MoUs

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

India, Singapore to hold 3rd ministerial roundtable in Delhi on August 13

The 3rd round of the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) will be held in New Delhi on 13 August 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday.Indian Ministers who will participate in the 3rd ISMR are Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs; S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs; Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry; and Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology.Ministers from Singapore who will participate are Gan Kim Yong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry; K. Shanmugam, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs; Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Josephine Teo, Minister for Digital Development and Information; Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower; and Jeffrey Siow, Acting Minister for Transport.Envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ISMR is a unique mechanism for setting .

Yemen's leader praises deep-rooted friendship, cooperative ties with India

Yemen's top leader Rashad Al-Alimi has praised the "cooperative" bilateral relations and "deep-rooted friendship" his country shares with India, in a meeting with the Indian envoy. Al-Alimi, who heads the Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen, met with the Indian Ambassador Suhel Khan on Sunday in Riyadh. "Amb. Dr Suhel Khan called on Chairman, Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen H.E. Dr Rashad Al-Alimi @PresidentRashad today in Riyadh, along with DCM Shri Abu Mathen & First Secretary Shri Rishi Tripathi. They discussed India-Yemen relations & other issues of mutual interests," the Indian mission said in an X post. Al-Alimi "praised the bilateral cooperative relations and deep-rooted friendship," according to an official statement by his office. He expressed his appreciation for India's "historical stance in support of the Yemeni people and its legitimate government, including humanitarian interventions such as shipments of wheat, medical supplies, medicines, and ...

India certainly crucial in IMEC project: Italy's envoy Francesco Talo'

India is "certainly crucial" in the transnational IMEC project because it's a huge market and producer, as also the initiative is about trade of goods, energy and data connectivity, and New Delhi is a "protagonist in all three sectors," a top Italian diplomat has said. Billed as a pathbreaking initiative, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) envisages a vast road, railroad and shipping networks among Saudi Arabia, India, the US and Europe with an aim to ensure integration among Asia, Middle East and the West. In an exclusive interview to PTI Videos earlier this week, Italy's special envoy for IMEC, Francesco Talo' also said the ambitious project was started with a "lot of hope" and such initiatives are needed especially in times of volatility and uncertainty driven by global security challenges. Talo', a seasoned diplomat, visited India recently to take part in a meeting of representatives of countries which are partners in the IMEC initiative, which was was firmed

EAM Jaishankar meets Germany MP, discusses growing bilateral ties

Germany and India share a strong strategic partnership, which has grown steadily over the decades since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1951

Inaugural India-New Zealand defence strategic dialogue held in Delhi

The inaugural edition of India-New Zealand Defence Strategic Dialogue was held here on Tuesday with an aim to discuss security perspectives and further bolster bilateral cooperation, officials said. The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary (International Cooperation), defence ministry, Amitabh Prasad and Head of International Branch, Ministry of Defence, New Zealand, Kathleen Pearce. "Both nations expressed satisfaction at the ongoing defence cooperation and identified means to enhance the existing areas of collaboration, especially in the fields of training, capability building, defence industry, maritime security and multinational cooperation," the Indian defence ministry said. The co-chairs also articulated steps in the direction of emerging areas of cooperation and issues pertaining to global commons, officials said. "The Indian side complimented New Zealand for its successful command of CTF-150 in which five Indian Navy personnel were also deputed as staff. Both sides als

India announces free e-visas to tourists from the Philippines, boosts ties

The development comes after the Philippines earlier this year announced that it will grant visa-free entry to Indian nationals

Navies of India, Singapore conclude maritime bilateral exercise SIMBEX

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the Indian Navy have completed their annual Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) that was held from July 28 to August 1. This year's exercise comprised a shore phase held at RSS Singapura-Changi Naval Base, followed by a sea phase held in the southern reaches of the South China Sea. The sea phase involved ships from both navies and aircraft from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), the Defence Ministry here said. The RSN deployed a Formidable-class frigate, RSS Supreme, and a Victory-class missile corvette, RSS Vigilance, supported by MV Mentor. The Indian Navy participated with a Shivalik-class frigate, INS Satpura. An S70B naval helicopter, two Fokker-50 maritime patrol aircraft and two F-15SG fighter aircraft from the RSAF also participated in the exercise. During the shore phase, both navies participated in joint planning, simulator training, professional exchanges and sports. At the Subject Matter Expert Exchanges,

Philippines President to visit India from Aug 4-8, to meet PM Modi, Murmu

Marcos after arrival in New Delhi on August 4 will meet with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

Philippines president to visit India from Aug 4-8, hold talks with PM Modi

President of the Philippines, Ferdinand R Marcos Jr., is slated to visit India from August 4 to 8 during which he will meet President Droupadi Murmu and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said. This is his first visit to the country since assuming the office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines, it said. The forthcoming state visit of President Marcos coincides with the 75th anniversary of India-Philippines diplomatic relations. The visit is an opportunity for both leaders to "set the path for future bilateral cooperation", and to engage on regional and international issues of mutual interest, the MEA said. Prime Minister Modi and President Marcos are scheduled to hold bilateral discussions on August 5, it said. President Marcos will also be meeting President Murmu during his visit. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is also scheduled to call on him during the visit, the MEA said in a ...

India, UK to ink FTA today: Trade, defence, energy on Modi-Starmer agenda

The Free Trade Agreement is being described as India's most comprehensive trade pact ever and the UK's most significant since Brexit

FTA, UK-India Vision 2035 mark shift in bilateral ties: Foreign secy Lammy

Besides a "significant and comprehensive" Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to be signed between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Keir Starmer, an ambitious new UK-India Vision 2035 agreement will also be agreed between the leaders on Thursday to mark a "step-change" in bilateral ties for the next decade, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said. In an interview with PTI to coincide with Modi's visit to the UK, the senior UK Cabinet minister said the pact will build on the FTA to unlock new opportunities that strengthen defence cooperation and drive innovation between both economies. Lammy said the UK is thrilled that Prime Minister Modi is visiting to sign the FTA, the most significant bilateral trade deal for Britain since leaving the European Union (EU) and the most comprehensive agreement India has ever signed. The UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will naturally be a central focus, a testament to the strength of our partnership, said Lammy. It's projected to boost bilateral trade

Explained: What the India-UK free trade deal means for both economies

India and the UK are likely to sign a long-awaited free trade deal during PM Modi's visit to London on July 24, aiming to boost trade, cut tariffs, and deepen economic ties

Iran president to visit Pakistan on July 26 to strengthen bilateral ties

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will visit Pakistan on Saturday to deepen the bilateral ties in the backdrop of recent regional conflicts, according to a media report. Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi discussed the upcoming visit with his Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni during a telephone conversation on Monday. Momeni had called Naqvi to express sorrow over the loss of lives and property caused by the floods in Pakistan, according to Radio Pakistan. The Iranian Interior Minister also discussed the visit of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Pakistan on July 26, Radio Pakistan reported. Pezeshkian will be the second Iranian president to visit Pakistan in as many years, after his predecessor, Ebrahim Raisi, paid a three-day official visit to Pakistan in April 2024. The exact agenda of the visit is not known as yet, but the two leaders are expected to discuss bilateral and regional matters, especially the security issues in the wake of the recent conflicts, it h

Importers delay clearances for US dry fruits to avoid high import duties

Indian dry fruit importers are expecting a cut of nearly 50 per cent in import duties on US-origin shipments and are delaying customs clearances to avoid losses if duties are reduced after clearance

PM Modi wraps up five-nation trip after concluding visit to Namibia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday left for home after wrapping up his visit to Namibia, during which he addressed a Joint Session of the Namibian parliament. Namibia was the final stop of his five-nation visit. "A highly productive & successful 5-nation tour to Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia concludes," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a post on X. PM Modi has emplaned for New Delhi, it said. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi held talks with Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah that focused on imparting a new momentum to the bilateral ties. Following the talks between the two leaders, India and Namibia inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on setting up an Entrepreneurship Development Centre in Namibia and another pact on cooperation in the field of health and medicine. Namibia has also joined the India-backed CDRI (Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure) and the Global Biofuels Alliance. Later, addressing a ...

PM Modi arrives in Namibia, to hold talks with President Nandi-Ndaitwah

PM Modi is in Namibia for a State visit at the invitation of Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah

Want India-Brazil relation to be as passionate as football: PM Modi

India and Brazil on Tuesday set a target of nearly doubling the bilateral trade to USD 20 billion in annual trade in the next five years and inked six agreements to expand cooperation in a range of sectors including energy and agriculture following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The two leaders also deliberated on combating terrorism with Modi saying both sides were clear that there is no place for double standards on terrorism. "We have a similar thinking on the fight against terrorism -- zero tolerance and zero double standards. We are clear that there is no place for double standards on terrorism," the prime minister said in his media statement. "We strongly oppose terrorism and those who support terrorism," he added. Modi travelled to Brasilia on Monday evening after attending the two-day BRICS summit in this seaside Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. "We want India-Brazil relations to be as colourful as carnival,