Page 10 - External Affairs Ministry

Keeping a close watch on neighbours: India as ISI officials visit B'desh

Against the backdrop of an increase in engagement between Bangladeshi and Pakistani military officials, India on Friday said it keeps a close watch on developments in the neighbourhood having a bearing on national security and takes "appropriate" action if required. Pakistani spy agency ISI's Director General of Analysis Maj Gen Shahid Amir Afsar and certain other officials are currently visiting Bangladesh, according to reports. The visit to Dhaka by the Pakistani military officials came after a delegation of Bangladeshi military officials toured Pakistan and held meetings with the three service chiefs. "We keep an eye on all activities around the country and in the region, as well as all activities affecting national security, and the government will take appropriate steps," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to a question at his weekly media briefing. He said India's approach towards Bangladesh has been to maintain friendly ties. "We support

Attack on Indian consulate in San Francisco a 'serious matter': Jaishankar

The arson attack on our consulate in San Francisco is a very, very serious matter, and it is something for which we expect accountability, he said

We didn't stop trading, concerned about MFN status: EAM on Pakistan ties

He also reiterated India's longstanding concern regarding the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status, which India had extended to Pakistan but which Pakistan didn't reciprocate

Jaishankar holds bilateral meetings with counterparts from Japan, Australia

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday held meetings with his counterparts from Australia and Japan here during which they discussed bilateral issues and those pertaining to QUAD. An initiative of the Donald Trump administration in its first term, QUAD comprises Australia, India, Japan and the United States. The outgoing Joe Biden administration elevated it to the leadership level. A QUAD ministerial is expected to be the first order of business in terms of international meetings of Marco Rubio once he is confirmed by the US Congress and sworn in as the Secretary of State, which is reflective of the importance given to this grouping by the second term of the Trump administration. "Delighted to meet FM @SenatorWong, a Quad colleague, in Washington DC today. As always, enjoyed our discussion on the state of the world," Jaishankar posted on X after meeting Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. "Good to meet with FM Takeshi Iwaya of Japan. Reviewed the progress in our ...

India, US sign agreement for cooperation in cybercrime investigations

India and the US have inked an agreement to enhance cooperation in cybercrime investigations, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The signing of the pact comes days before the Biden administration hands over charge to the Trump administration. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Washington DC on Friday by Indian Ambassador Vinay Kwatra and Acting US Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Kristie Canegallo, the MEA said. It said the agreement allows the respective agencies of the two countries to step up the level of cooperation and training with respect to the use of cyber threat intelligence and digital forensics in criminal investigations. From India, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) of the Home Ministry is responsible for the execution of the MoU. On the US side, the DHS and its constituent agencies US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations Cyber Crimes Center are tasked with implementing the

India's High Commission in London hosts film screening, celebrates cinema

The screening, attended by over 250 guests, including members of the Indian diaspora and a diverse international audience, highlighted India's growing prominence in Indian cinema

Trump administration to convene Quad foreign ministers meeting on Jan 21

The foreign ministers of QUAD countries Australia, India, Japan and the US will meet in here on January 21, a day after the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th US President, making it one of the first foreign policy acts of the new administration, a media report said Friday. Trump will be sworn in for a second term on Monday. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya would be representing their respective countries at the presidential inauguration. The QUAD ministerial meeting is intended to signal that the US commitment to the Indo-Pacific won't change under the new administration, Politico reported, quoting a person familiar with the matter. This is expected to be the first major interaction and meeting of the new administration with foreign leaders. Marco Rubio is expected to be confirmed by Congress as the new US Secretary of State by then and is likely to be sworn in on Monday evening. Thi

Indian national sentenced to 8 yrs for attempt to attack White House

Indian national Sai Varshith Kandula, 20, on Thursday was sentenced to eight years for an attempted attack on the White House with a rented truck on May 22, 2023. The attack aimed to overthrow the democratically elected American government in order to replace it with a dictatorship fuelled by Nazi ideology, the Department of Justice said. Kandula had pleaded guilty on May 13, 2024 to a charge of willful injury or depredation of US property. Born in Chandanagar, India, he was a was a lawful permanent resident of the US with a green card. In addition to the prison term, District Court Judge Dabney L Friedrich ordered Kandula to serve three years of supervised release. The Indian national flew on a commercial flight from St Louis, Missouri, to Washington D.C. on the afternoon of May 22, 2023, connecting through another airport on a one-way airline ticket, according to court documents, and arrived at Dulles International Airport about 5:20 pm, wherein he rented a truck at 6:30 pm. He .

PM Modi to attend AI Action Summit in France on Feb 10-11: French Prez

During a press briefing about the summit, the French Presidency announced that 90 countries, including India, had been invited to participate for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit

MoS Margherita to visit Philippines, Palau, Micronesia from Jan 14-21

According to the MEA, this visit is expected to strengthen India's partnership with the Philippines, Palau, and FSM, aligning with India's Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific vision

EAM stresses on importance of diaspora as India builds 'global workforce'

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday stressed on the importance of the diaspora as India strives to build a "global workforce". Addressing the Indian diaspora at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention here, Jaishankar said that in times of difficulty abroad, they can be confident that the Narendra Modi government "has got your back". "We are proud of the achievements of our Indian diaspora," he said. "In a globalised era, the diaspora has become more important with each passing year, whether it is technology, best practices or resources, be it tourism, trade or investment, the two-way flow is invaluable as we strive to build a global workforce," Jaishankar said. The minister said the role of the diaspora is immense as they act as the bridge between India and the countries where they live. He said the people-centric changes that the Modi government is promoting are also benefitting the diaspora. "This could enhance the ease of doing business, promote ease of living a

EAM Jaishankar meets Mauritius delegation on PBD sidelines

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said he jointly met the PBD delegation from Mauritius and appreciated their sentiments in celebration of their roots

It will be a great Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: EAM after reaching Bhubaneshwar

Jaishankar was seen arriving at the bedecked airport with his wife Kyoko Jaishankar, and appreciated the arrangements

Jaishankar holds talks with US NSA Sullivan, reviews ties in last 4 years

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday held talks with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, broadly reviewing the trajectory of India-US global strategic partnership in the last four years under the Biden administration. Sullivan is on a visit to India two weeks ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration as the 47th president of the US. In a post on X, Jaishankar complimented Sullivan for his "personal contribution" to forging a "closer and stronger" India-US partnership. One of the most significant measures initiated to expand the bilateral ties was the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology or iCET. The iCET was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden in May 2022 with an aim to forge greater collaboration between India and the US in areas of critical technologies such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotech, and defence innovation. "Delighted to meet US NSA @JakeSullivan46 in New Delhi today morning," Jaishankar

'Foreign policy positioned Bharat as Vishwabandhu,' EAM looks back at 2024

Jaishankar hoped that the new year be a steadfast commitment to 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', or the world is one family

Iran offers help in case of Kerala nurse Nimsha Priya on death row in Yemen

Priya's mother is currently in Yemen, negotiating with Mahdi's family to stop the death penalty by offering 'blood money', a compensation allowed under Yemeni law

What is blood money, key to saving Kerala nurse from death row in Yemen?

The Quran encourages forgiveness and compensation to the victim's family as preferable alternatives to retribution. This system is called 'diyya,' which loosely refers to 'blood money.'

Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya on death sentence in Yemen: All we know

Nimisha Priya's death sentence was approved by the Yemeni President on December 30 and her execution is scheduled to take place within a month

GCC region 2024: India deepens ties with first PM visit to Kuwait in 40 yrs

India has deepened its diplomatic and economic ties with the Gulf Cooperation Council region this year with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting three of the six GCC countries including Kuwait where no Indian PM had been after Indira Gandhi. As 2024 unfolded, a renewed focus on strategic partnerships in the region took centre stage, with Abu Dhabi serving as the pivotal gateway to this robust alliance. From high-profile visits to pivotal agreements, the story of India and the GCC, an influential grouping comprising the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait, is a dynamic one. Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, became Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first GCC destination in 2024. The India-UAE bonhomie has been an ongoing story in recent years, and some layers were added this year. PM Modi's Abu Dhabi visit may have hogged the limelight due to the much-talked-about inauguration of BAPS Hindu Mandir; it also gathered momentum on substantive bilateral ..

EAM Jaishankar to pay 3-day visit to Qatar to review overall bilateral ties

The visit also aims to review various aspects of bilateral relations between India and Qatar with discussion on key areas