Page 18 - External Affairs Ministry

Climate change India's prominent concern, says Jaishankar at SCO summit

Climate change is a prominent concern before the world today and India is working towards achieving committed reduction in emissions and building climate-resilient infrastructure, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday. Jaishankar was delivering Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit here in the Kazakh capital. Delivered India's statement at the Summit of SCO Council of Heads of States on behalf of PM Shri @narendramodi ji. Thank the leaders present for conveying their best wishes to Prime Minister @narendramodi on his re-election for a third successive term, Jaishankar posted on X along with photos. We are working towards achieving a committed reduction in emissions, including transition to alternate fuels, adoption of electric vehicles, and building climate-resilient infrastructure, he said. In this context, during India's SCO presidency, a Joint Statement on emerging fuels, and a Concept Paper on ...

Pak PM raises terrorism concern, urges global engagement with Taliban

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday raised the issue of terrorism as a major concern for member states at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and called for meaningful engagement with the Afghan Taliban government. Shahbaz, who arrived in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana on Wednesday for a two-day official visit, represented Pakistan at the SCO meeting where leaders and diplomats from countries including China, India, Turkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan have gathered to discuss economic and security cooperation. The prime minister, during his address, emphasised the importance of maintaining peace in the region as a precondition for economic development, Dawn News reported. Achieving lasting peace in Afghanistan is a lynchpin to this common objective, he said, adding that the international community "meaningfully engage with the Afghan government to meet their genuine economic and development needs. Sharif also said the Afghan Taliban must also take concrete measures to

EAM Jaishankar meets Belarusian counterpart, welcomes Belarus to SCO bloc

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday met his Belarusian counterpart Maksim Ryzhenkov here and discussed the bilateral relationship and its future growth potential. Jaishankar, who is here to represent India at the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and carrying out various bilateral meetings on the sidelines, also welcomed the eastern European country as the newest member to the SCO bloc. Pleased to meet FM Maksim Ryzhenkov of Belarus today. Welcome Belarus to the SCO as its newest member. Discussed our bilateral relationship and its future growth potential, Jaishankar posted on the social media platform X along with the photos of the meeting. The meeting of the two Foreign Ministers came days after the first-ever India-Belarus Consular Dialogue that was held on June 28 in Minsk. The Indian delegation was led by Dr Aman Puri, JS (CPV), while the Belarusian delegation was led by Andrei Kozhan, Head of General Directorate for Consular Affairs, Minis

S Jaishankar raises safety of Indians in meeting with Russian counterpart

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday raised the issue of Indian nationals in the war zone and pressed for their safe return during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov here. Jaishankar arrived here on Tuesday to represent India at the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Good to meet Russian FM Sergey Lavrov in Astana today. Wide ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership and contemporary issues. Noted the progress in many areas since our last meeting in December 2023, Jaishankar posted on X. The meeting between the two foreign ministers happened days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's planned visit to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. Raised our strong concern on Indian nationals who are currently in the war zone. Pressed for their safe and expeditious return, he added in his post, which also had photos from the meeting. The External Affairs Minister also discussed the global strategic landscape and

Pakistan holds 'good' meeting with Afghan Taliban amid strained ties

Pakistani diplomats held a "good" meeting with the representatives of Afghanistan's Taliban-led interim government in Qatar this week during which they discussed bilateral and regional issues, in what was seen as an effort to ease tension and mend strained ties between the two neighbours. The Afghan Taliban delegation, which was in Qatar's capital of Doha to attend a UN-sponsored meeting on Afghanistan this week, was hosted over a dinner by the Pakistani mission in Qatar on the sidelines of the conference, the Dawn newspaper reported Tuesday. Zabihullah Mujahid, chief Taliban government spokesman who headed the delegation to Doha, described his meeting with Pakistani diplomats as "good" and expressed the hope for developing "positive relations with Pakistan, the paper said. "We had a good meeting with the special representative of Pakistan, Asif Durrani, and the ambassador and consuls of the country in Qatar, Mujahid wrote on X on Tuesday. I am grateful for their hospitality and hop

US deepening relationship with India in several key areas: Official

The US is deepening its relationship with India in several key areas, including economic and security cooperation, a senior official has said, emphasising that Washington will continue to cultivate this relationship. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel made the remarks on Monday at his daily news conference in response to a question on US-India relations and the recent conversation between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the recent G7 Summit in Italy. "India is a country in which we are deepening our relations within a number of key spaces, especially as it relates to deepening our economic ties, deepening our security cooperation," Patel told reporters. President Biden "had the opportunity to briefly see Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi in the margins of the G7 a couple of weeks ago," he added. So this is an area where we will continue to cultivate this relationship," he said. Noting that the US hosted Prime Minister Modi for a

EAM Jaishankar to visit Qatar on Jun 30, review aspects of bilateral ties

During the visit, S Jaishankar will meet the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani

India presents action plan for regional cooperation under Colombo Process

India has presented an action plan focusing on several of its priority areas for regional cooperation under the Colombo Process, a regional consultative forum comprising 12 Asian nations. India rolled out the plan while chairing a meeting of the grouping in Geneva on Friday. In the meeting, India listed a range of its priorities that included reviewing the financial sustainability of the Colombo Process and broadening the grouping's membership by including new nations as members and observers. Muktesh Pardeshi, Secretary (consular-passport-visa division) in the Ministry of External Affairs, delivered the special address at the meeting. "He emphasised India's commitment to advancing the objectives of the Colombo Process and enhancing collaboration among member states," the ministry said. "India presented an outline of an action plan for the next two years, focusing on key priorities and initiatives to further strengthen the Colombo Process," it said. In May, India assumed the cha

Deeply Biased, driven by votebank: India on US' religious freedom report

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the report selectively picked incidents to advance a preconceived narrative against India

India sees Africa as natural partner; will be at top of our priorities: EAM

Describing India-Africa ties as "deep-rooted", External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said Africa will be at the "top of our priorities", and New Delhi looks forward to a mutually beneficial and respectful relationship in the true spirit of being a 'Vishwa Bandhu'. In his address at an event held here to celebrate Africa Day, he also said India has expanded its diplomatic footprint in Africa with the total number of Indian missions in that continent now standing at 45. The Union minister shared some data and information related to India-Africa ties in multiple sectors, from education to infrastructure, and said for all these reasons and more, "India and Africa must engage and must work together very closely". He recalled the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018 when he said -- 'India's priority is not just Africa; India's priority is Africans -- every man, woman and child in Africa. Our partnership with Africa is beyond strategic concerns and economic benefits. I

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.

EAM Jaishankar reviews 'multi-faceted' strategic ties with UAE counterpart

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has reviewed with his United Arab Emirates counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan the multi-faceted India-UAE comprehensive strategic partnership and discussed new areas with "untapped potential" to enhance collaboration, an official statement said on Monday. Jaishankar, who was in the UAE on Sunday, also exchanged views with Al Nahyan on regional and global issues. He visited the iconic BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi and participated in the 10th International Yoga Day celebrations before meeting Al Nahyan. The two foreign ministers "reviewed the multi-faceted India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi said on Monday. They expressed "happiness at the substantive progress in diverse areas of bilateral cooperation, including commercial and economic collaboration, fintech, education, culture, and people-to-people connect," it said in a statement. The ministry said the two ministers ...

Jaishankar visiting UAE today, to hold talks with his counterpart Al Nahyan

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is travelling to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday to hold wide-ranging talks with his counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Besides bilateral issues, Jaishankar and Al Nahyan are expected to deliberate on the overall situation in Gaza. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Jaishankar's visit will provide an opportunity to review the entire spectrum of comprehensive strategic partnership between India and the UAE as well as regional and global developments. "External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will pay an official visit to the UAE today," it said in a brief statement. "During the visit, the external affairs minister will have meeting with his UAE counterpart on wide-ranging issues of the partnership," it said. The ties between India and the UAE are on an upswing in the last few years. Following the landmark visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UAE in August 2015, bilateral relations between the two countries were

Kuwait fire: EAM did good job to help injured Indians, says Suresh Gopi

Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi on Friday said that the External Affairs Ministry did a "wonderful" job in coordinating the efforts to ensure treatment of the Indians injured in the Kuwait fire tragedy which claimed atleast 49 lives. The Minister of State for Tourism and Petroleum also said that he has cancelled his other programmes for the day and would be going to the international airport here to receive the bodies of the Malayalees who died in the Kuwait fire tragedy. Meanwhile, Kerala Revenue Minister K Rajan told reporters here that the bodies of 23 Malayalees, 7 Tamilians and one person from Karnataka would be received here, before the flight carrying the mortal remains of the other Indians who died in the fire goes to Delhi. Rajan said that arrangements have been made for public display of the mortal remains at the airport and thereafter, they would be sent to the families by ambulances that have been arranged by the Department of Non-Resident Keralites' Affairs ...

G7 Summit: Hopeful of productive discussions with world leaders, says PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he was looking forward to engaging in productive discussions with world leaders at the G7 Summit on Friday to address global challenges and foster international cooperation for a brighter future. The Prime Minister's comments came as he arrived in Apulia, southern Italy, to attend the Outreach session of the G7 Summit. Tomorrow (Friday) is a packed day for him. We have several bilateral meetings with world leaders lined up. He will also be addressing the Outreach session of the G7 Summit, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a video message from the Brindisi Airport. During his day-long visit, Modi will be participating in a summit session entitled Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa-Mediterranean to be hosted by Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and joined by Pope Francis. The Pope is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Modi, who has a series of meetings scheduled with the world leaders on the sidelin

Kuwait fire tragedy: 22 from Kerala dead; 6 hospitalised with injuries

The NORKA official said that they have unofficial reports that 22 people from Kerala have been confirmed dead and that the identities of 15 of them have been confirmed

Kuwait fire: Jaishankar discusses early repatriation of bodies of Indians

Jaishankar said that he was assured that the incident would be fully investigated

Focus will be to resolve remaining issues along border: EAM on China ties

India will focus on resolving the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday, amid the over four-year border row in eastern Ladakh that significantly strained ties between the two Asian giants. Shortly after taking charge of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for the second term, Jaishankar, referring to cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan, said the efforts will be to address the challenge and that it (support to terrorism) "cannot be the policy of a good neighbour." Jaishankar, 69, was among the senior BJP leaders including Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari and Nirmala Sitharaman who retained the ministries that they handled in the previous government. He said "Bharat First" (India First) and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family) will be the two guiding axioms of Indian foreign policy of the new government. "As for Pakistan and China, they are different countries and our

EAM Jaishankar reaffirms Quad's commitment towards ensuring peace, security

Quad is a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States committed to supporting an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific

Capacity building important facet of India's engagement with Maldives: MEA

Capacity building is an "important component" in India's defence and security engagement with the Maldives and "we will be happy to take it forward" if New Delhi receives a request from Male for training their pilots, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday. Randhir Jaiswal, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, made the comment during his weekly briefing in response to a query over reports on issues related to operation of an aviation platform in the Maldives. Indian military personnel were stationed in the Maldives to operate two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft, used primarily for medical evacuations. The last batch of Indian military personnel were repatriated by May 10, according to the deadline set following an agreement between the two countries in February. The MEA spokesperson said, "Yes, capacity building is an important component in our defence and security engagement with the Maldives. We have in the past trained their personnel on the defence si