Page 4 - Diplomacy

Iran swaps EU diplomat for Sweden freeing convict for '88 mass executions

Iran and Sweden carried out a prisoner swap on Saturday that saw Tehran release a European Union diplomat and another man for an Iranian convicted in Stockholm of committing war crimes over his part in 1988 mass executions in the Islamic Republic. The arrest of Hamid Nouri by Sweden in 2019 as he travelled there as a tourist likely sparked the detentions of the two Swedes, part of a long-running strategy by Iran since its 1979 Islamic Revolution to use those with ties abroad as chip in negotiations with the West. As Iranian state television claimed without evidence that Nouri had been illegally detained, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described the detentions of diplomat Johan Floderus and Saeed Azizi as a hell on earth the two men faced. Iran has made these Swedes pawns in a cynical negotiation game with the aim of getting the Iranian citizen Hamid Nouri released from Sweden," Kristersson said. It has been clear all along that this operation would require difficult decision

'Hoping for strong bilateral relations': Mohamed Muizzu after India visit

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu attended the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and described his first official visit to India as a major 'success'

A wild ride for US diplomacy

Stuart E Eizenstat's book is a technocratic endeavour that harks back to an ideal of US diplomacy as a nonpartisan arena

The East wind blows harder

The global power balance is shifting as China and Russia assert dominance in technology and diplomacy

Can govt revoke Revanna's diplomatic passport? Not without a court order

MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, clarified that Prajwal did not seek political clearance for his travel, which is typically required under such circumstances

Prajwal Revanna row: Visa-free entry to 34 nations with diplomatic passport

But a visa is mandatory for Indians in Germany. So, how did Revanna not need one? That's because he holds a diplomatic passport

India's relations with neighbours much better than earlier, says Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said that India's ties with all neighbours, except China and Pakistan, have improved significantly compared to previous times. Speaking during a media interaction here to underscore India's diplomatic strides in the region, Jaishankar said India's relationship with China was "challenging," but the country was "confident" and capable of protecting its interests. "We have a challenging relationship with China. But this is a country which is today confident, which is capable of advancing and defending its interests, and in a competitive world, we will compete," he said when asked whether the Chinese interference in small countries around India is a matter of concern. The minister dismissed the suggestion that India has more unfriendly neighbours than it had a decade ago. "Please go to Bangladesh and ask people what they think. Please ask in Sri Lanka. During their deepest economic troubles, who stood by them? Go to Nepal and ask them

Seema Nazareth Award: Media, diplomacy relationship evolving, says Menon

"I first became aware of the role of journalism in diplomacy in Beijing in the early 1970s during the last furious, or rather hectic, days of the Cultural Revolution," he recounted

Ukraine foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba to visit India on Thursday: MEA

Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba is slated to arrive here on Thursday for a two-day official visit during which he will have meetings with his Indian counterpart and others to discuss matters related to the bilateral relationship. His visit comes at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. During his visit, Kuleba will have "a number of engagements, including official meetings with External Affairs Minister and Deputy NSA to discuss matters pertaining to the bilateral partnership and cooperation on regional and global issues of mutual interest," the statement said. He is also expected to interact with the business community. Kuleba's visit comes amid the Russia-Ukraine war. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 20 had held separate conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and asserted that dialogue and diplomacy were the way forward

China's EAM Wang Yi meets New Zealand counterpart to begin diplomatic tour

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his New Zealand counterpart Monday, as China's most senior diplomat began a tour of the country and Australia. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters greeted Wang in Wellington, New Zealand's capital. There have been some significant developments since we last met, not least a global pandemic that impacted both our countries," Peters said in his opening comments of their formal meeting at New Zealand's parliament house. Today is a valuable opportunity to reflect on the challenges and opportunities that are now before us. Wang is the highest-ranking Chinese politician to visit the country since his own previous visit in 2017. New Zealand has had strong economic ties with China in recent years, and was the first developed country to sign a bilateral free trade deal with Beijing in 2008. While in Wellington, Wang will also have brief meetings with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Trade Minister Todd McClay. China look

Deputy PM of New Zealand Winston Peters to visit India from March 10-13

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of New Zealand, Winston Peters is slated to visit India from March 10-13, his first to the country after the new government in New Zealand assumed office last November, officials said on Friday. He will be visiting Ahmedabad and New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of New Zealand, Winston Peters will be "paying an official visit to India on 10-13 March 2024" at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, it said. "Deputy Prime Minister Peters will be visiting Ahmedabad and New Delhi on his first visit to India after the new government in New Zealand assumed office in November 2023. He had earlier visited India as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in February 2020," the statement said. In Ahmedabad, he is expected to meet the political leadership of Gujarat on March 11. "In New Delhi, Jaishankar and Peters are scheduled to hold a "bilateral meetin

India-US relationship can be highly ambitious now: Indian envoy Ranganathan

The relationship between the world's two largest democracies, which have made significant progress in the last 20 years, now can be as ambitious as "we choose to be," a top Indian diplomat has said. "When I look at the broader relationship, the India US strategic partnership, I think we have now reached a stage where we can say that the partnership has come into its own. We have achieved a lot over the past 70 years. But what we have achieved over the past 20 years has been at a different level altogether. And I would say that now we are at a stage where we can be as ambitious as we choose to be," said India's Deputy Ambassador to the US, Sripriya Ranganathan. The top Indian diplomat was speaking at the Stanford India Dialogue, the Leaders of Tomorrow Conference, organized by Stanford India Policy and Economics Club (SIPEC), in partnership with the Motwani Jadeja Foundation. "We can decide to set our goals, set our sights on targets that were unimaginable a few years ago, and we can

Qatar case: MEA says 8th Indian will return once requirements fulfilled

The lone Indian national who could not return to India from Qatar along with seven of his colleagues around two-and-a-half weeks ago will return home once certain requirements are fulfilled, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. Seven of the eight former Indian Navy personnel returned to India on February 12 after Qatar freed them. The Navy veterans were given death sentences by Qatar's Court of First Instance on October 26 last year. The Court of Appeal in the Gulf country commuted the capital punishment on December 28 and sentenced them to jail terms for varying durations. The former Indian Navy personnel apparently faced charges of espionage, but neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against them public. "As you know, all eight Indian nationals who were involved in the Al-Dahra Global case have been released. Seven of them have returned to India," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing here. "The eighth Indi

US narrows gap with China in number of diplomatic posts, says report

China has pushed in recent years to be seen as a key voice of the Global South, a reference to emerging-economy nations

India's lentil imports from Canada surge despite diplomatic strains

After Trudeau's comments, Indian lentil buyers slowed purchases from Canada, fearing that New Delhi or Ottawa could impose barriers on trade

Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis to arrive on Wednesday for two-day trip

Talks on fast tracking mobility agreement expected

Mongolia's India-assisted refinery on track for 2026 launch: Ambassador

Mongolia's ambassador to India Dambajav Ganbold has said the India-funded greenfield oil refinery project in South Gobi is on track and will be operational by 2026. However, he acknowledged some delays from the Indian side in delivering products for the refinery plant. "Of course, there are some delays from the Indian side in delivering the products, but overall, the project is progressing well," he told PTI. "It is crucial for our relations, and we eagerly look forward to its completion." With a USD 1.2 billion line of credit announced by India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Mongolia in 2015, the refinery's construction has been delayed by 1.5 years due to COVID-19. "The work on the refinery project is going well. Because of COVID, it has been delayed by one and a half years. We believe that it will be operational by 2026," Ganbold said. The refinery aims to reduce Mongolia's reliance on Russian oil imports. Upon completion, it will have a capacity of 30,000 barre

Sri Lanka's Marxist party to make official visit to India on Monday

A delegation of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a MarxistLeninist communist party in Sri Lanka, will on Monday start on an official visit to India. The delegation of JVP, the largest party under the broad entity National People's Power (NPP), is to leave Colombo tomorrow (Monday) for India on an official invitation of the Indian government," a statement from the party said. The delegation to India comprises JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, senior legislator Vijitha Herath, Secretary Nihal Abeysinghe and executive committee member Prof Anil Jayantha, the statement said. The JVP, which led an anti-India campaign in 1987-90 against the Indo-Lanka Accord, has continuously led in at least one public opinion poll. Its NPP broader front has led in surveys, leaving the island nation's main parties trailing. The surveys claim that in the post-economic crisis phase since 2022, the NPP has gained significantly in public support, particularly in anti-corruption perceptions. Dissanayake

Global South is about mindset, solidarity, self-reliance: EAM Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said Global South is about a "mindset, a solidarity and a self-reliance". Addressing the Nigerian Institute Of International Affairs (NIIA) here on India and the Global South, he said the global agenda today is on promoting rebalancing and multipolarity, thereby restoring the world to its natural diversity. "Contemporary challenges emanate from old forms of domination as well as new economic concentration...Global South is about a mindset, a solidarity and a self-reliance," Jaishankar said. The transformation over the last decade, the minister said, has "enabled India to be an example, a partner and a contributor". Jaishankar arrived in Nigeria in the concluding leg of his two-nation tour to Uganda and Nigeria. He arrived in the Nigerian capital Abuja on Sunday after attending the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Uganda.

Taiwan in the balance

Election results complicate global diplomacy