Page 6 - International Relations

Pakistan's ministry confirms it formally applied for Brics membership

The spokesperson said the decision was taken after having noted the BRICS-related developments at the groupings summit in Johannesburg

Committed to policy of engagement with int'l community: Maldives president

The Maldives is committed to a policy of engagement with the international community, newly sworn-in President Mohamed Muizzu has said, as he thanked representatives from 49 countries, including India, for showing immense support to his new government. Muizzu, 45, an engineer-turned-politician, took oath as the eighth President of the Maldives on Friday at a ceremony attended by a multitude of foreign dignitaries, including India's Union Minister Kiren Rijiju. "My profound appreciation to more than 190 representatives from 49 countries and many international organisations that attended the oath-taking ceremony today. I am heartened by the immense support shown by the international community towards the new government. We are committed to a policy of engagement," he said. Apart from Rijiju, other South Asian neighbours present for the inauguration ceremony included Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Minister for Information of Bangladesh, Hasan Mahmud; Pakistan's Federal ...

APEC worked together to find ways to build resilient economies: Biden

APEC leaders have worked together to find ways to build inclusive, resilient, and sustainable economies for the Asia Pacific, US President Joe Biden said on Friday at the conclusion of the annual leadership summit here. Attended by leaders from the Asia Pacific region, including those from China, Japan, South Korea, Chile, Peru, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Hongkong, the APEC Leadership Summit was hosted by the US president. The next summit will be held in Peru in 2024. Together we laid out the work we'll be undertaking to avert the worst impacts of the climate crisis, Biden said. The US companies have announced more than USD 500 billion in investments into APEC economies to build new subsea cables, decarbonise energy grids, and complete the largest US airline expansion into the South Pacific in history, Biden said. Alongside 13 of APEC partners, we've also made historic progress on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, with a first of its kind agreements to strengthen supply .

We share Global South angst of not having voice at UNSC high table: India

India has said it shares the collective angst of countries of the Global South that they have no voice at the UN Security Council high-table on core issues concerning them, as it joined nations in stressing that a representative UNSC is required to deal with the proliferation of global crises. Several aspects of the United Nations system urgently require reform. Among these, the reform of the UN Security Council was identified as a critical and immediate priority, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said. "In spite of that collective call, we have had no results to show so far. Why? Kamboj asked. Addressing the annual UN General Assembly Plenary Thursday on Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council', Kamboj said "as a member of the Global South, we share its collective angst that on issues of core concern to the South, we have no voice at the high table. She noted that 164 member states have joine

Intent is to responsibly manage relationship with China: US Prez Biden

A day after meeting his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, US President Joe Biden said his intent is to responsibly manage America's relationship with China. I'm also intent on responsibly managing the competition between the United States and the People's Republic of China, as we talked a little bit about yesterday, President Xi and I. That's what the world expects of us and I promise you that's what we're doing, Biden told a gathering of chief executives in his address to APEC CEO Summit on Thursday. A day earlier, Biden had a four-hour-long meeting with Xi. I met with Xi yesterday, leader to leader, to make sure there's no miscommunication between us. As always, I've met with them more than any other world leader because when I was vice president, it was concluded that I should get to know him. It was inappropriate for the president of the United States to be meeting with the vice president, he said. The US president said his discussions with Xi have always been candid and ...

EAM asks Canada to share evidence on India's alleged link in Nijjar killing

During a conversation with journalist Lionel Barber on Wednesday, Jaishankar emphasised the importance of credible evidence

India and US launch 'Innovation Handshake' to deepen bilateral tech ties

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal have led an industry roundtable to officially launch the two ambitious Innovation Handshake agenda, which was previewed by US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June. At the event, co-hosted by the US-India Business Council and the Confederation of Indian Industry on Tuesday, CEOs from major ICT companies, executives from venture capital firms, and founders of startups in the critical and emerging technology space discussed how to enhance US-India technology collaboration. Through the Innovation Handshake, the United States and India are forging a critical tech partnership that will further strengthen our interconnected innovation ecosystems, said Raimondo. This is an important step to bolster the US-India commercial relationship and I look forward to building on this progress with Minister Goyal to help US and Indian workers and businesses succeed, she said. In June, .

Time to tell Xi Jinping to turn back: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi

US lawmaker Raja Krishnamoorthi said the economic decline in China has strengthened America's hand in negotiations ahead of the summit between the two countries, and it is time that US President Joe Biden tells his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to turn back now. The Biden-Xi bilateral will take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which the US is hosting in San Francisco from November 11 to 17. It will be their second face-to-face meeting in a year. Biden and Xi last held an in-person meeting on the margins of the G20 Summit on November 14 in Bali, Indonesia. This is the time we tell Xi Jinping: turn back now. Turn back now from this path that you are on. Keep your promises, compete fairly, stop your genocide, and stop your economic and military aggression, the Indian American Congressman said in his remarks at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. We must be clear-eyed, confident, and leading with strength, he ...

Why Jaishankar and not PM Modi may attend Maldives president's swearing-in

Archipelagic state's new leader is changing his predecessor's 'India First' policy

Islam's struggle with nationalism

By reigniting West Asia just when we had begun to believe it had gone into deep sleep, Hamas has underlined the many contradictions within, and questions about, the Islamic world

US, India forge stronger ties for open, secure Indo-Pacific future

Blinken also reiterated that they are looking forward to continuing their innovations in technology, clean energy, and space for a brighter future

We support India's emergence as global power, vital for stability: US

The country said the US-India relationship is one of the most strategic and consequential of the 21st century, as per a fact sheet released by the US State Department

Canada probe on Nijjar killing tainted, says Indian envoy to Ottawa

India rejected the allegations as "absurd" and "motivated"

There is room for diplomacy: Jaishankar on India-Canada diplomatic row

There is room for diplomacy to address the diplomatic row between India and Canada, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday as the ties between the two sides remained strained following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of a Khalistani separatist. The external affairs minister said both sides have been in touch and hoped that a way would be found to resolve the row. At the same time, he asserted that "sovereignty and sensitivity" cannot be one-way streets. Jaishankar was speaking at an interactive session at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. "I feel that there is room for diplomacy here. I know that my counterpart in Canada has also expressed the same position. So, we have been in touch," he said. "My hope certainly would be that we find a way...Sovereignty, sensitivity -- these cannot be one-way streets. They may have their concerns. I have never ever with any country said that I a

US Assistant Secretary of state to travel to India for ministerial dialogue

US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu is travelling to India next week to participate in the 2+2 ministerial where he will discuss strategic coordination on regional and global issues, clean energy, and security cooperation. Lu's trip from November 4 to 11 starts with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and finally India, according to a State Department statement. In New Delhi, Lu will meet with partners ahead of the US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, to discuss strategic coordination on regional and global issues, clean energy, and security cooperation. During the 2+2 Dialogue, Assistant Secretary Lu will support Secretary of State Antony J Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin in advancing a wide range of issues, including defence and security, regional developments, emerging tech, and cooperation in clean energy and space, the State Department said. Lu will lead a US delegation to Central Asia to build on the success of the inaugural C5+1 Presidential Summit on the margins of

Nations fear becoming collateral in competition between great powers: UN

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said as geopolitical tensions rise, global divisions are becoming deeper and more dangerous, and smaller countries fear becoming collateral damage in competition between great powers. Guterres made these remarks during his address to Nepal's parliament. The United Nations Secretary-General also spoke on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, acknowledging that despite being thousands of miles away, Nepali citizens were among the victims of Hamas' brutal attacks in Israel. He extended his condolences to the families of the 10 Nepalese students who lost their lives during an attack by Hamas militants in Israel and expressed his best wishes for the safe return of Bipin Joshi, a student who is currently missing. As geopolitical tensions rise, global divisions are becoming deeper and more dangerous. Smaller countries fear becoming collateral damage in competition between great powers, Guterres said. Emphasising Nepal's commitment to global peace a

BRI: Ten years after

The world struggles to counter its influence

Best of BS Opinion: Fiscal balance, Clean air, Investing in India & more

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Fiscal balance

Geopolitical tensions have increased risks

Investing in India: View from Taipei

There is opportunity but competition is stiff and India needs to liberalise trade policy