Page 8 - External Affairs Ministry

Govt's Africa approach based on mutual benefits, not extractive: Jaishankar

India's approach towards Africa has been guided by a deep-rooted commitment to build mutually-beneficial partnerships, unlike "extractive" models of engagement, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday, amid China's relentless attempts to expand influence in the continent. India and Japan, with their complementary strengths, are well-positioned to support Africa's development in a sustainable and inclusive manner, he said. The external affairs minister was delivering a lecture at the Japan-India-Africa Business Forum. "India's approach to Africa has always been guided by a deep-rooted commitment to building long-term, mutually-beneficial partnerships," he said. "Unlike extractive models of engagement, India believes in capacity-building, skill development and technology transfer, ensuring that African countries not only benefit from investments but also develop self-sustaining growth ecosystems," he added. India is Africa's fourth-largest trading partner, with ...

India defends territorial integrity of any country, says Ukrainian envoy

Speaking to the media, Polishchuk particularly referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Ukraine, calling it a "very historic visit."

India-US tech ties will have long-lasting effect, says Vijay Chauthaiwale

Tariffs are definitely a concern, especially in sectors where our exports are high but we need to remember that it will also impact US consumers, said Vijay Chauthaiwale

G20's ability to harmonise views key to drive global agenda: Jaishankar

Highlighting the complexities of the current geopolitical landscape, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said the G20's ability to harmonise viewpoints is key to advancing the global agenda. Jaishankar is in Johannesburg on a two-day visit to South Africa to participate in the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Addressing the G20 session titled 'Discussion on the Global Geopolitical Situation', Jaishankar said the G20 is an important expression of the world's growing multi-polarity. "The global geopolitical situation remains difficult by any definition. Some of it is the accumulated challenges of the Covid pandemic, conflict situations, financial pressures, food security and climate concerns," he said on Thursday. But there are also the current anxieties about concentrated supply chains, weaponisation of trade and finance, and transparency of data flows, Jaishankar said. "Looking ahead, differential progress on Artificial intelligence and Electric vehicles, space, drones or gr

Jaishankar calls on S African prez, meets counterparts from Russia, China

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday called on South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and conveyed the warm greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Jaishankar, who is in Johannesburg on a two-day visit to South Africa to participate in the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, assured India's support for South Africa's G20 priorities. Honoured to call on President @CyrilRamaphosa of South Africa on the sidelines of the G20 FMM in Johannesburg. Conveyed the warm greetings of Prime Minister @narendramodi. Assured India's support for South Africa's G20 priorities, Jaishankar said in a post on X. South Africa holds the Presidency of the G20 for this year, the first time that it is being hosted on the African continent. On the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Jaishankar interacted with several world leaders, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan. Glad to meet FM Sergey

Foreign secy Misri briefs Parliamentary body following PM Modi's US visit

India-US relations were at the centre of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's briefing to a parliamentary committee here on Wednesday, with members quizzing him on a host of issues, including the deportation of illegal Indian immigrants from the US. Sources said Misri assured members of the Standing Committee on External Affairs about the measures being taken by the Indian government to ensure that deportees are not mistreated. The committee's chairperson Shashi Tharoor said it was a "very thorough briefing", noting that the discussion focused mostly on the US because of Prime Minister Narendra Moi's recent visit to the country. The meeting's agenda was "current foreign policy developments". Tharoor said, "Every question you can imagine to do with the Indo-US relationship in the context of the prime minister's visit was raised, discussed and the foreign secretary gave all necessary answers." Other issues involving current developments, including the visit of the Qatar Amir to India, w

Jaishankar to visit South Africa for G20 foreign ministers' meeting

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be on a two-day visit to South Africa beginning February 20 to participate in the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the MEA announced on Wednesday. The minister is expected to hold a few bilateral meetings on the margins of the meet. South Africa is currently the chair of the influential grouping. "External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar will be visiting Johannesburg, South Africa on 20 & 21 February 2025 to participate in the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting (FMM) at the invitation of the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, Mr. Ronald Lamola," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. The minister's participation in the G20 FMM will "strengthen" India's engagement with G20 countries and "bolster the voice of the Global South" in this important forum.

Jaishankar hold talks with several counterparts at Indian Ocean conference

Jaishankar met foreign ministers from Mauritius, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka

We missed you a lot, says Trump; welcomes PM Modi to White House with hug

US President introduced PM Modi to other officials, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head Elon Musk

Who Is Paul Kapur, Trump's pick for Assistant Secy of State for South Asia?

Indian-origin Paul Kapur is a widely respected scholar, having authored several influential books and academic papers on South Asian security

India to share list of 12 US-based gangsters with Washington on PM's visit

The list includes high-profile criminals such as Anmol Bishnoi and Goldy Brar, both of whom are linked to major organised crime networks operating in India

Digital era calls for 'trust, transparency': EAM at India-France CEO Forum

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said the digital era calls for trust and transparency as he addressed the inaugural session of the 14th India-France CEO Forum on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit here. Talking about the summit, the plenary session of which was co-chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, Jaishankar said, The digital era calls for trust and transparency. These are indeed shared attributes between us. The summit is a reminder in itself of how much we could be doing in AI, software development and cyber security. 2026 has been designated the India-France year of innovation, the external affairs minister said. Jaishankar began his address by saying that India and France are two nations with a tradition of independent mindsets. This has been expressed, at different times, as the third way, as strategic autonomy or as a multi-polar world. But, it is not just that we think similarly. We also actively strive to ...

Iran-India share long-standing friendship, says Ambassador Iraj Elahi

Elahi asserted that Iran remains committed to protecting its national interests, ensuring security, expanding economic diplomacy, and promoting regional peace

Need to convey message delicately: Tharoor on US' treatment of deportees

The way a batch of Indians were deported from the US has naturally caused a great deal of anxiety, resentment and anger in India and New Delhi will have to "delicately" convey a message to Washington behind closed doors on this, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said on Monday. The MP from Thiruvananthapuram made the remarks in response to a question during an interaction at an event here on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a two-nation tour with the US being in the second leg of his visit. The interaction was hosted at the Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC) on the occasion of the launch of the book 'Indian Parliament: Shaping Foreign Policy' by veteran journalist and scholar K V Prasad. PM Modi, during the two-day working visit to the United States from February 12, will hold a bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump and interact with business leaders and members of the Indian community. At the book launch event, after his speech as the chair of the session, Tharo

Parl panel suggests security assessment of all Indian missions, posts

A parliamentary panel has recommended that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) should conduct a "comprehensive security assessment" of all missions and posts of India taking into account the geopolitical situation, potential threats and vulnerabilities in host countries. In its report, the Committee on External Affairs has also noted that India currently lacks resident missions in 42 countries. While acknowledging the challenges involved in establishing new missions, the committee recommended "accelerating efforts to bridge these gaps, particularly in countries where India has significant economic or strategic interests or a large diaspora presence". The 'Fourth Report of the Committee on External Affairs (2024-25) on Demands for Grants (2024-25) of the Ministry of External Affairs' was presented in Parliament last week. The panel is headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. The committee further said in its report that it has also "taken note of the criteria" for establishing new .

News updates: Govt making all efforts to restore peace in Manipur, says CM

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Number of Indian prisoners in foreign jails at present is 10,152: Govt

As per the information available with the Ministry of External Affairs, the number of Indian prisoners, including undertrials, in foreign jails at present is 10,152, the government informed Parliament on Friday. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written response to a query in the Lok Sabha shared country-wise data on such prisoners. The data shared under the head 'total number of Indians under trail and convicted in foreign jails at present' included for 86 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Nepal, Pakistan, the US, Sri Lanka, Spain, Russia, Israel, China, Bangladesh and Argentina. While 2,633 Indian prisoners are in jails in Saudi Arabia and 2,518 such prisoners are in jails in the UAE, as per the data shared in his response. Also, 1,317 Indian prisoners are in jails in Nepal, while the corresponding numbers in Pakistan and Sri Lanka stand at 266 and 98 respectively, according to the data. "As per the information available wit

Staff Talks: India, Israel hold 13th round, focus on improving defence ties

In 2024, the two countries held the 17th India-Israel Foreign Office Consultations, reflecting the strength of the India-Israel Strategic Partnership

IMEC, Mediterranean connect to be key focus in India-Greece ties: EAM

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar met with Greece's Foreign Minister, George Gerapetritis, on Thursday to discuss ways to advance the multifaceted relationship between the two countries.The discussions focused on key areas such as shipping, trade, investment, connectivity, culture, mobility, and artificial intelligence. Jaishankar stressed that the India-Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC) and the India-Mediterranean connect would be the major focus of the next phase of India-Greece relations.Jaishankar also assured India's "fullest support" to Greece during its non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for 2025-26.In a post on X, Jaishankar said, "Delighted to meet my friend FM George Gerapetritis of Greece this evening in Delhi. Held a very productive conversation on advancing our multifaceted relations, focusing on shipping, trade & investment, connectivity, mobility, AI and cultural ties. Also discussed IMEC and India-Mediterranean ...

Jaishankar to address Rajya Sabha on deportation of Indians in 'handcuffs'

Several opposition MPs, including Congress' KC Venugopal, staged a protest outside Parliament, wearing 'handcuffs' to highlight the 'inhumane' treatment of Indian nationals