Page 14 - External Affairs Ministry

Peace on border must for progress in India-China ties: EAM Jaishankar

The India-China relationship would influence the future of the entire world, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said while making it clear that peace needed to be restored on the border first for bilateral ties to move forward. Addressing an event hosted by the Asia Society and the Asia Society Policy Institute here on Tuesday, Jaishankar noted India's difficult history with China and said the parallel rise of the two countries presented a very, very unique problem. I think the India-China relationship is key to the future of Asia. In a way, you can say that if the world is to be multi-polar, Asia has to be multi-polar. And therefore this relationship will influence not just the future of Asia, but in that way, perhaps the future of the world as well, Jaishankar said at the event titled India, Asia and the World'. You have two countries who are neighbours, unique in the sense that they are the only two countries with over a billion people, both rising in the global order and who

Modi meets leaders including Nepal PM, Palestine President in New York

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held separate talks with world leaders, including his Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, discussing various facets of bilateral ties and reaffirmed India's support for the Palestinian people. Modi is in New York on the second leg of his three-day US visit and met the leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session. "Had a very good meeting with Prime Minister KP Oli in New York. The India-Nepal friendship is very robust and we look forward to adding even more momentum to our ties. Our talks focused on issues such as energy, technology and trade," Modi said in a post on X. "Deepening the warm and close friendship. PM @narendramodi met PM @kpsharmaoli of Nepal, on the sidelines of the UNGA today," the official account of the Ministry of External Affairs said in a post on X. "The two leaders discussed matters of mutual interest to strengthen cooperation in all areas of age-old, multi-faceted and expandi

Modi, Yunus to not meet at UNGA, Bangladesh foreign adviser will meet EAM

Bangladesh's Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain on Saturday said that Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus will not be meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, according to media reports. Hossain, former foreign secretary of Bangladesh, said he would hold a bilateral meeting with India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to advance the relationship between the two neighbours, The Daily Star newspaper reported. At a press briefing at the foreign ministry in the afternoon, Hossain said, Sorting out all issues, we want to further advance our relationship based on mutual respect and fairness. "Our meeting with Jaishankar is almost certain. We have to acknowledge that there is a certain level of tension in our relations with India. To resolve any issues, we can't simply deny their existence. We will definitely try to move past the tension and establish a working relationship," Hossain said, according to The Dhaka Tribune ...

Reports claiming ammunition from India entering Ukraine speculative: MEA

India on Thursday described as "inaccurate" a media report that said artillery shells sold by Indian arms manufacturers have been diverted by European customers to Ukraine and New Delhi has not intervened to stop it. "We have seen the Reuters report. It is speculative and misleading. It implies violations by India, where none exist and hence, is inaccurate and mischievous," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. He said India has an "impeccable" track record of compliance with international obligations on the export of military and dual-use items. "India has been carrying out its defence exports taking into account its international obligations on non-proliferation and based on its own robust legal and regulatory framework, which includes a holistic assessment of relevant criteria, including end-user obligations and certifications," Jaiswal said. Artillery shells sold by Indian arms makers have been diverted by European customers to Ukraine and New De

India engaged with partners on Russia-Ukraine peace, no proposal yet: MEA

India has expressed that it is ready to support peace initiative in Russia-Ukraine crisis, Putin also said that Brics nations, which include India, could act as mediators in potential peace talks

India sends 32 tonnes of relief supplies to Myanmar under 'Sadbhav'

India on Tuesday sent 32 tonnes of relief supplies to Myanmar in a military transport aircraft under its operation 'Sadbhav' launched two days ago to assist Southeast Asian nations hit by a major typhoon. Various parts of Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam have been reeling under massive floods after Typhoon Yagi, said to be Asia's most powerful storm this year, hit the three countries. India has already sent relief supplies to Vietnam and Laos. On Sunday, India sent 10 tonnes of aid, including dry ration, clothing and medicines to Myanmar onboard the Indian naval ship INS Satpura. "#OperationSadbhav continues: India dispatches a second tranche of aid to Myanmar," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on 'X'. "@IAF_mcc aircraft is carrying 32 tons of relief material including genset, hygiene kits, temporary shelter, water purification supplies and medicines for the people of Myanmar," he said. "Indian Navy is bringing additional 10 tons of ration for Myanmar," Jaiswa

PM Modi to visit US from Sept 21-23 for Quad, UN 'Summit of the Future'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a three-day visit to the US beginning September 21 to attend the annual Quad Summit and address the 'Summit of the Future' at the UN General Assembly. Modi will attend the fourth Quad leaders' Summit at Wilmington in Delaware on September 21 that is being hosted by US President Joe Biden, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said announcing the prime minister's trip. It was India's turn to host the Quad Summit this year. "Following the request of the US side to host the Quad Summit this year, India has agreed to host the next Quad Summit in 2025," the MEA said. "At the Quad Summit, the leaders will review the progress achieved by the Quad over the last one year and set the agenda for the year ahead to assist the countries of the Indo-Pacific region in meeting their development goals and aspirations," it said. On September 23, Modi will address the 'Summit of the Future' at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the MEA said. In Ne

We made some progress: EAM on India-China talks on eastern Ladakh row

Roughly 75 per cent of the "disengagement problems" with China are sorted out but the bigger issue has been the increasing militarisation of the frontier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday on the lingering border row in eastern Ladakh. In an interactive session at a think-tank in this Swiss city, Jaishankar said the Galwan Valley clashes of June 2020 affected the "entirety" of India-China ties, asserting that one cannot have violence at the border and then say the rest of the relationship is insulated from it. The external affairs minister said negotiations between the two sides to find a solution to the problem are underway. "Now those negotiations are going on. We made some progress. I would say roughly you can say about 75 per cent of the disengagement problems are sorted out," he said at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. "We still have some things to do," Jaishankar said, responding to a question. But there is a bigger issue that both of us have brou

EAM Jaishankar, Qatar PM Al Thani discuss advancing bilateral relations

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Saudi Arabia on Monday. The two leaders discussed taking forward bilateral ties.Sharing details regarding his meeting with Qatar PM, Jaishankar stated, "Began the day with a good meeting with PM & FM of Qatar @MBA_AlThani_. Discussed taking India-Qatar bilateral ties forward. Appreciated his insights and assessments on regional developments."The two leaders had earlier held a meeting in Doha in June. The two leaders had held talks on strengthening bilateral ties across various sectors and addressing key regional challenges.Jaishankar conveyed warm greetings and wishes from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Qatar Amir Amir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Qatar PM.He underscored the robust nature of the India-Qatar relationship, emphasising cooperation in political, trade, investment, energy, technology, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.Notably, S Jaishankar ..

Jaishankar to embark on visit to Saudi Arabia, Germany, Switzerland on Sun

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will on Sunday embark on a six-day visit to Saudi Arabia, Germany and Switzerland with a larger aim to boost overall bilateral ties and deliberate on pressing regional and global challenges. He will first travel to the Saudi capital Riyadh on a two-day trip primarily to attend the first India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers' meeting, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The GCC is an influential grouping comprising the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. The total volume of India's trade with GCC countries stood at USD 184.46 billion in the financial year 2022-23. In Riyadh, Jaishankar is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of several GCC member countries. The MEA said India and the GCC enjoy a deep and multifaceted relationship, including in areas of trade and investment, energy, cultural and people-to-people ties. "The GCC region has emerged as a m

India-Singapore relations poised for bigger take-off: MEA on PM's visit

Building on "new anchors" of partnership identified under the India-Singapore ministerial roundtable framework, the relations between the two countries is poised for an even bigger take-off, the MEA said on Monday ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Singapore. Prime Minister Modi is slated to visit Singapore on September 4-5 at the invitation of his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong. Prior to that he is scheduled to visit Brunei on September 3-4 which seeks to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in all existing sectors. Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, Jaideep Mazumdar, at a media briefing here said India and Brunei are working towards setting up a "joint working group in defence". He said Prime Minister Modi is visiting Singapore after nearly six years. His last visit to Singapore was in his first term. And an early visit on his third term is something that has been "welcomed by the Singaporean side". "Also, this comes at a time when a new le

We have to look at mutuality of interests: EAM on India-Bangladesh ties

Since its independence in 1971, India's relationship with Bangladesh has "gone up and down" and it is natural that New Delhi deals with the government of the day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday. In his address at a book launch here, he also emphasised that India will have to look at "mutuality of interests" and said for any country in the world, neighbours are "always a conundrum", and so are "major powers". His comments come in the backdrop of the unprecedented anti-government protests in Bangladesh which eventually led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government and her fleeing to India on August 5. Hasina's presence in India for over three weeks has given rise to speculation in that country. Since August 8, an interim government, led by Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus along with a team of advisers, is in place in Bangladesh. The book 'Stategic Conundrum: Reshaping India's Foreign Policy', written by Rajiv Sikri, former ambassador of India, talks about th

PM Modi to visit Brunei, Singapore in first week of September: MEA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Brunei and Singapore in the first week of September, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday. The prime minister will travel to Brunei on September 3-4, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal announced at his media briefing. This will be the first bilateral visit of an Indian prime minister to Brunei, he said. This visit will also mark 40 years of the establishment of the diplomatic ties between India and Brunei, Jaiswal said. From there, PM Modi is slated to visit Singapore on September 4-5 at the invitation of his Singaporean counterpart, the MEA said.

Era of uninterrupted dialogue with Pakistan over, says Jaishankar

Jaishankar said that there are strong people-to-people ties with Afghanistan

BS@50: How India thrived in adversarial environment in the past 50 years

India at 77 stands as a country that has held its own, showing a remarkable capacity to manage an essentially adversarial external environment

India, Singapore commit to boost cooperation in emerging, futuristic areas

India and Singapore on Monday pledged to further enhance co-operation in the emerging and futuristic areas. The Indian delegation led by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman deliberated upon six pillars identified under India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR). Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong led the delegation of Singapore during the second ISMR. "During the meeting, the leaders emphasised on ways of further enhancing co-operation between India and Singapore in emerging and futuristic areas. Both sides deliberated upon six pillars identified under ISMR, which include Digitalisation, Skill Development, Sustainability, Healthcare & Medicine, and Advanced Manufacturing and Connectivity," the finance ministry said in post on X. The leaders also discussed plans for commemorating the 60th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Singapore, alongside regional and global cooperation, including ASEAN & G20 developments, it said. The leaders noted that the ...

News updates: Cabinet approves Unified Pension Scheme, says will benefit 2.3 mn central employees

Latest news updates: From Dhawan's retirement to PM Modi's Ukraine visit updates, catch all the news developments from around the world here

EU envoy to India hails PM Modi's Ukraine visit on 'landmark date'

European Union's Ambassador to India, Herve Delphin on Friday stated that August 23 marks a landmark date as the official National Flag Day of Ukraine coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the country.Delphin added that the European Union will continue to support Ukraine in defending itself against "Russian aggression".Taking to X, Delphin said, "This August 23 is a landmark date as it is Ukraine National Flag Day & coincides with the historical visit of Indian PM Narendra Modi to Kyiv. European Union will continue to support the Ukrainian country and nation in defending itself against Russian aggression. Ukraine will prevail!"Prime Minister Modi today arrived in war-hit Ukraine after a 10-hour journey from Poland aboard the trail Rail Force One."Reached Kyiv earlier this morning. The Indian community accorded a very warm welcome," PM Modi stated in a post on X.Upon his arrival PM Modi was received at the Kiev Central station and subsequently headed to the Hyatt

PM Narendra Modi arrives in Ukraine on historic visit to war-torn country

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday arrived in Ukraine on a historic visit to the war-torn country during which he is expected to share perspectives on peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict with the Ukrainian leader. Modi is visiting Ukraine at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. His visit to Kyiv comes nearly six weeks after his high-profile trip to Moscow which triggered criticism from the US and some of its Western allies. This is the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Ukraine since the country became independent in 1991. "I look forward to the opportunity to build upon earlier conversations with President Zelenskyy on strengthening bilateral cooperation and share perspectives on peaceful resolution of the ongoing Ukraine conflict," Modi had said before leaving Delhi. "As a friend and partner, we hope for an early return of peace and stability in the region." The prime minister travelled to Kyiv from Poland in a 'Rail Force One' train that took aro

Amid China threat, India and Japan to update 2008 security cooperation pact

India and Japan held a fresh edition of their 2+2 dialogue on Tuesday, amid China's increasing muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region