Page 11 - International Relations

MoS Muraleedharan underscores policy to deepen engagement with Africa

Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan underscored India's policy to intensify and deepen its engagement with Africa at the Dakar Forum held in Senegal.Muraleedharan paid an official visit to Senegal to participate in the 8th edition of the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa, read the Ministry of External Affairs press release.The Dakar Forum was attended by Presidents of Senegal, Angola and Cabo Verde, along with over 15 Ministers and high-level dignitaries from 29 countries.The Forum has become a key event for policy discussions on Africa. This is the first time that India participated at a Ministerial level.MoS's participation in the Dakar Forum underscored the importance that India attaches to the peace, security and development of Africa."Glad to participate at the opening session of Dakar International Forum on Peace & Security in Africa, inaugurated by President of Senegal, HE Macky Sall in Dakar. Presidents of Angola and Cabo Verde,

Let's not interfere in each other's internal affairs, says China envoy

Outgoing Chinese envoy to India in his farewell address has stressed the need to manage and resolve differences between India and China

World faces prospect of tension with China under Xi Jinping's third term

The world faces the prospect of more tension with China over trade, security and human rights after Xi Jinping, the country's most powerful leader in decades, awarded himself another term as leader of the ruling Communist Party. Xi has tightened control at home and is trying to use China's economic heft to increase its influence abroad. Washington accused Beijing this month of trying to undermine U.S. alliances, global security and economic rules. Activists say Xi's government wants to deflect criticism of abuses by changing the U.N.'s definition of human rights. Xi says the world system is broken and China has answers, said William Callahan of the London School of Economics. More and more, Xi Jinping is talking about the Chinese style as a universal model of the world order, which goes back to a Cold War kind of conflict. At a Communist Party congress that wrapped up Saturday, Xi gave no sign of plans to change the severe zero-COVID strategy that has frustrated China's public and .

Heads of Missions meet to discuss strategies to put states on global map

While the envoys said they were energised by their state visits, there were some glaring gaps. Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu were significant omissions

India, Saudi Arabia explore renewable energy projects via undersea cables

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, who will be visiting India on Friday, will discuss cross-country renewable energy projects

'No good relations with Pak at cost of India's integrity,' says MoS Lekhi

Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi on Thursday ruled out any talks with Pakistan at the cost of India's integrity

India's public goods are available for countries in need: FM Sitharaman

Observing digitalisation has become the biggest advantage in India in the last two years, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said that India's public goods are available for countries that need them. Sitharaman said the open-source network that the government of India has created as a public good is helping small and medium industries to scale up their operations. Standing here I want to reiterate that India's public goods are available for countries which so they need it, Sitharaman told students of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) during an interactive session on India's unique Digital Public Goods. The minister asserted that India has a digital stack that other countries can use. So if India today can talk of a digital stack, it's not talking of just payment where UPI, which is today acceptable in Singapore, UAE, and many other countries, she said. We are not talking of just Rupay cards, we are not talking of credit cards, we'

India-UK trade deal on verge of 'collapse' over visa comments: Report

The India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) is reportedly on the verge of collapse after the Indian government was angered by comments made by UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman questioning action over visa overstayers from the country, a UK media report claimed on Wednesday. The Times' newspaper quoted government sources to say that ministers in New Delhi were shocked and disappointed by the disrespectful remarks made by Braverman, who said she had concerns of an open borders offer to India as part of an FTA. The likelihood of meeting the Diwali deadline for the pact, set by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is now believed to be diminishing. There's still a lot of goodwill but if certain individuals are still embedded in the [UK] government it will paralyse the talks, the newspaper quoted a source as saying. Last week, Braverman, the Indian-origin Home Secretary said in an interview that she feared a trade deal with India would increase migration to the UK when Indians already ...

India-UK free trade deal stuck on free access to skilled workers

Any failure to conclude a trade accord with Britain will be a missed opportunity for India, a nation upon which many economies are pinning their hopes amid intensified geopolitical struggles

UNGA: India votes with West on 3 procedural matters, silent on Ukraine

While External Affairs Minister was quiet on India's vote on the upcoming resolution in UNGA condemning Russia's annexation of parts of Ukraine, India has voted with the West on 3 procedural matters

With 'Soul of India' as key theme; India gets ready for G20 presidency

All government departments are preparing a workforce to host the G20, scheduled to start from December 1, where India's policies and positions on critical issues will be discussed

Indonesia urges G20 parliaments to strengthen ties for economic recovery

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has asked the parliaments of the Group of Twenty countries to strengthen cooperation to overcome the global crisis and promote world economic recovery

MoS V Muraleedharan on two-day visit to Oman for boosting bilateral ties

Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan will kickstart his two-day visit to Oman on Monday to reinforce the shared commitment between both countries

India plays a vital role in the fight against terrorism: President Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said India's leadership in several fields has become unchallenged now and the country plays an important role as a frontline state in the fight against terrorism. Addressing a group of officer trainees of the Indian Foreign Service (2021 batch), who had called on her at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here, she said that India's strong position is based on its economic performance, among other factors. "While leading economies of the world are still trying to overcome the effects of the pandemic, India has stood up again and started to move on," the President said. As a result, India's economy is registering one of the fastest growth rates, Murmu said. "In fact, the global economic recovery, to an extent, rests on India". Murmu said it is going to be all the more exciting for the officer trainees as they are beginning their career in the foreign service at a time when India has emerged on the world stage with new self-confidence. The world, too, is look

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy meets Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa brothers

Senior BJP leader Dr Subramanian Swamy on Thursday met Gotabaya Rajapaksa here, becoming the first foreign visitor to call on the ousted Sri Lankan president, following his return to Colombo after fleeing the country amidst unprecedented protests against his government's mishandling of the island nation's economy. Swamy, a close friend of the Rajapaksa family who is in Sri Lanka to attend a conference of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University on national security, also met with Gotabaya's brother Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday evening and attended the Navratri pooja at his residence, sources said on Thursday. "Swamy, a close friend of the Rajapaksa brothers attended the Navaratri pooja held at Mahinda Rajapaksa's official residence last night before calling on Gotabaya Rajapaksa this morning," sources said. Swamy has become the first foreign visitor to call on Gotabaya since he returned early this month after his self-imposed exile after facing a violent nationwide prote

India deepens strategic autonomy-bonds with SCO, IPEF and Russia

India is the only common member country to be a part of the SCO and the US-driven Indo Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).

Global economic outlook grows murkier after Russian setback

As Ukraine escalation raises the risk to the world economy, it is time to hunker down for the rough ride ahead

Investments to foreign ties: What all does the SCO summit holds for India?

The ancient and historical city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan is all set to host the 22nd summit of the heads of members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

Piyush Goyal pitches for higher engagements with US to create opportunities

Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Wednesday pitched for increasing engagements with the US that will provide new opportunities to India for combating challenges in supply chains

US Assistant Secretary Lu's India visit to deepen strategic ties: Official

The ongoing India visit of Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu is to deepen strategic partnership with India, the State Department said has Wednesday. Lu is leading a US delegation to India from September 5th to 8th. This is to deepen the US-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. This delegation will meet with Indian officials. They will discuss ways in which the US and India can expand our cooperation to support a free, open, connected, prosperous, and resilient Indo-Pacific, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at a news conference. We also understand that Assistant Secretary Lu will engage in roundtable discussions with senior business executives about how India can realize its full economic potential over the next 25 years and became a central hub in global supply chains as well, he said in response to a question.