Page 4 - Diplomacy

We are looking forward to working with B'desh interim govt: US diplomat

The US was looking forward to working closely with Bangladesh's interim government and strengthening ties with Dhaka on a range of issues, a top American diplomat said on Monday. US Embassy Charge d'Affaires Helen Lafave made the remarks during her meeting with Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Yamuna, the state-run BSS news agency reported. "The US government was happy to congratulate the Chief Adviser and was looking forward to working closely together," the chief adviser's press wing quoted the US diplomat as saying. Helen said the US Embassy in Dhaka will resume this week its consular service to expedite visa processing. She said thousands of Bangladeshi students now study in US universities. She said the US would work closely with Bangladesh in health, education, labour, governance and Rohingya issues, the agency reported. The US is the largest contributor to the Rohingya humanitarian responses, and Helen said the amount of Rohingya monthly food aid has ..

'India engages with world on equal footing': PM Modi tells IFS trainees

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met officer trainees of the 2023 batch of the Indian Foreign Service and asserted that India engages with the world on an "equal footing, with mutual respect and dignity". During the meeting, the trainees praised the success of the foreign policy under Modi's leadership and sought guidance from him on their upcoming new assignments. Modi suggested to the Officer Trainees to expand their engagement with the Indian diaspora when posted abroad, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said. The Officer Trainees of the 2023 batch of the IFS called on the prime minister at his residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. There are 36 IFS Officer Trainees in the 2023 batch from 15 different states and Union Territories, it said. The Officer Trainees praised the success of the foreign policy under Modi's leadership and sought suggestions and guidance from him on their upcoming new assignments, the statement said. Modi suggested that they should alway

India seen as 'Vishwa Bandhu' in conflict-ridden world: President Murmu

Asserting that India is engaging the world with renewed vigour to find solutions to global challenges, including climate change or taking a principled stand against international terrorism, President Droupadi Murmu on Monday said the country is seen as a reliable Vishwa Bandhu' in a fast-changing and conflict-ridden world. Addressing officer trainees of the Indian Foreign Service (2023 batch), who had called on the President at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here, she asked them to always be there for fellow Indians abroad. "In my recent visits abroad, I have seen for myself, the immense goodwill generated by our development partnership projects, in the field of infrastructure, education, health and agriculture; particularly in countries of the Global South," Murmu said. There is also tremendous interest in Indian soft power, including films, Yoga, Ayurveda and Indian art, crafts, dance and music, she said. "I have also sensed that our friends and partners abroad now have very high ...

Diplomacy intensifies to halt Israel-Hamas war, prevent rise in conflict

International diplomacy to prevent the war in Gaza from spreading into a wider regional conflict intensified Friday, with the British and French foreign ministers making a joint trip to Israel while internationally mediated cease-fire talks in Qatar were expected to enter their second day. The new push for an end to the Israel-Hamas war came as the Palestinian death toll in Gaza climbed past 40,000, according to Gaza health authorities, and fears remained high that Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon would attack Israel in retaliation for the killings of top militant leaders. This is a dangerous moment for the Middle East, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. The risk of the situation spiraling out of control is rising. Any Iranian attack would have devastating consequences for the region. Lammy and French Foreign Minister Stphane Sjourn were expected hold a joint meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. It's never too

India evacuates non-essential staff from Bangladesh, releases helpline nos

Bangladesh political turmoil: All Indian diplomats have remained in Bangladesh, and the missions are continuing to operate in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, and Sylhet

India calls for infusing new energies into BIMSTEC to bolster cooperation

India on Thursday called on seven-nation BIMSTEC grouping to infuse new energies, resources and a fresh commitment to bolster cooperation among the Bay of Bengal countries. The appeal was made by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar while hosting his counterparts from BIMSTEC member states at a two-day retreat in the national capital. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) brings together seven countries of South and Southeast Asia for multifaceted cooperation. Besides India, BIMSTEC comprises Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan. Jaishankar said BIMSTEC should harbour higher aspirations. "For India, BIMSTEC represents the intersection of its 'Neighbourhood First' outlook, the 'Act East Policy' and the 'SAGAR' vision," Jaishankar said in his opening remarks on the first day of the retreat. "Each of these endeavours is being proposed with a specific focus on the Bay of Bengal, where collaborative potenti

India's scientific upsurge gives cutting edge to soft diplomacy: VP Dhankar

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar on Saturday said that India's scientific upsurge is not only globally acclaimed, it also gives a "cutting edge" to the country's "soft diplomacy" and rise in foreign affairs. Dhankar, who is in Kerala for a two-day visit, was speaking at the 12th convocation of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) here. Addressing a large gathering of graduates in various fields, their parents and faculty members of IIST, the Vice President (VP) said that India has made significant strides in the realm of space, science and technology and has "carved a very special niche" for itself in the global arena. Dhankar said that India has traversed significantly in the last decade and during that period, there were global challenges and a pandemic. Despite the challenges, "Bharat has been a shining star" and it was globally recognised as a "favourite place for opportunity and destination". "At the global level, India is a country of hope and possibilit

Israel weighs Hamas' response to cease-fire proposal as diplomacy revives

Israel's Cabinet was set to convene on Thursday to discuss Hamas' latest response to a US-backed proposal for a phased cease-fire in Gaza, as diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the nine-month war stirred back to life after a weekslong hiatus. Fighting, meanwhile, has intensified between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah, with the militant group saying it fired more than 200 rockets and exploding drones into northern Israel to avenge the killing of a senior commander in an Israeli airstrike the day before. The relatively low-level conflict has literally set the border ablaze, and raised fears of a potentially even more devastating war in the Middle East. Hezbollah has said it will halt its attacks if there is a cease-fire between Hamas a fellow Iran-backed ally and Israel. The United States has rallied world support behind a plan that would see the release of all of the scores of hostages still held by the militant group in return for a lasting truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forc

Iran, Bahrain to discuss resuming diplomatic relations severed since 2016

Iran and Bahrain have agreed to talk about how they might resume bilateral relations after nearly eight years, Iranian media reported Monday. The report by state-run IRNA news agency said Iran's acting foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani and his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani spoke on the sidelines of the ongoing Asian Cooperation Dialogue in Tehran. The report said both sides agreed on creating the framework to start talks on the requirements for resuming diplomatic relations. This is al-Zayani's second visit to Tehran in a month. The first came during the memorial for President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash in May. Bahrain cut its diplomatic relations with Iran after Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties with Tehran following Riyadh's execution of an opposition Shiite cleric and attacks on Saudi diplomatic posts in Iran in 2016. Iran and Saudi Arabia resumed their diplomatic relations in 2023.

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