Page 8 - International Relations

Global outlook towards India changed after Modi came to power: Rijiju

Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is regarded as a great leader globally, Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday asserted that developed nations' outlook towards India has changed significantly after the BJP-led government came to power in 2014. He was addressing a function here on the occasion of the launch of the PM Vishwakarma scheme, which envisages providing support to traditional artisans and craftspeople. "Earlier, leaders from India were not given importance during their visits to foreign countries. That changed after Modi came to power in 2014, with every foreign leader not only giving respect to Indian ministers but also expressing willingness to conduct bilateral meetings with them and wanting to engage with India on every front," Rijiju, the Minister of Earth Sciences said. Greeting Modi on his 73rd birthday, Rijiju said that the prime minister's style of working is different and he has a very high energy level. "I have worked closely with the prime minister sinc

Tibetans not to protest against Chinese presence at G20 summit: Official

Tibetans in exile will not hold any protest against the Chinese here during a G20 Summit scheduled to be held later this week as Chinese President Xi Jinping will not be attending the meeting, a Tibetan delegate said. "We wanted to do some movement during the G20 meeting if Xi Jinping were to attend the summit. Now we have heard that he is not coming," Dawa Tsering, a member of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, said. Tsering said since Xi Jinping came to power, he has been provoking the Indian government and the Indian people. "He (Xi) is torturing the Tibetan people and he did not allow small children to study their own language. If my son wants to become a monk, he does not allow it. It is a cultural genocide. He is worse than Mao Zedong," he said. Asked if the Tibetans would protest against the presence of a Chinese representative at the summit, Tsering said the protest would have taken place only if Xi Jinping had come to attend the meet. "We expect the Indian government to sta

Brics calls for nations to work together on post pandemic economic recovery

BRICS leaders on Thursday urged the international community to support countries working towards post pandemic economic recovery and address the high debt levels in some nations. At the end of the BRICS Summit in South African capital, the grouping released the Johannesburg II Declaration that stressed on G20 -- a larger grouping of world's biggest economies -- playing the role of the premier multilateral forum to seek solutions to global challenges. The leaders stressed on the importance of encouraging the use of local currencies in international trade and financial transactions, and sought strengthening of correspondent banking networks between the BRICS countries and enabling settlements in the local currencies. They tasked finance ministers and central bank governors to consider the issue of local currencies, payment instruments and platforms. "We recognise the important role of BRICS countries working together to deal with risks and challenges to the world economy in achievin

Chinese Prez Xi calls for Brics expansion speed up, security cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for accelerating the expansion of the BRICS grouping besides efforts to jointly fend off risks by increasing the political and security cooperation among the countries of the five-nation bloc. Xi, who skipped his attendance at the BRICS Business Forum on Tuesday sparking speculation about his absence, attended the Summit here on Wednesday where he pitched for more political and security cooperation among the member countries. He was the only leader absent from the BRICS Business Forum on Tuesday, with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reading a speech in his place that had a hardline message apparently aimed at the US. Asked why Xi had not attended the forum, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin sidestepped the question, telling reporters in Beijing on Wednesday that Xi's speech had been delivered. While his speech at the Business Forum hit out at the US saying that some country, obsessed with maintaining its hegemony,

Nations want to join Brics for unfinished biz of last century: Diplomat

As nations of the world rise to complete the unfinished business of the last century, they aspire to join the five-nation BRICS grouping, a senior Indian diplomat has said. The remarks by Dammu Ravi, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, came as he addressed business leaders and diplomats representing countries across Africa and South America at a gathering hosted by the India Business Forum of South Africa on the periphery of the BRICS Summit starting here on Wednesday. The theme of the seminar was "Harnessing Synergies: India-Africa Cooperation for Prosperity in the BRICS African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat (AfCFTA) Landscape." Ravi described the unfinished business of the 20th century as moving away from the fight for freedom and independence from colonial rule to economic prosperity as the priority in the 21st century. With 22 countries having applied to join BRICS, Ravi said that in this new global drive, partnering with Africa was ..

Will return soon: Afghan envoy to India after 'missing' reports

He further stated that the embassy continues to function its routine work normally and has diligently addressed various matters

Pakistan caretaker PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar's 18-member cabinet takes oath

16 federal ministers took oath while the interim prime minister has also appointed three advisers

India's G20 presidency is proof of its rise as world power: US Congressman

India should be a permanent member of the UN Security Council and its G20 presidency is an appropriate recognition of its rise as a world power, influential US Congressman Ro Khanna said on Monday. In an exclusive interview to PTI, Khanna said India can play a "helpful role" in bringing "just peace" to Ukraine considering its "historical relationship" with Russia. The Indian-American Congressman, currently on a visit to New Delhi, also asserted that China must respect its borders with India and that Washington would strongly support New Delhi if it faces any security challenge. Khanna and Congressman Michael Waltz, the two co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, are leading a Congressional delegation to India. Describing India's G-20 presidency as "very consequential", Khanna said the country should be in the UN Security Council considering its rising global profile. "India should be in the UN Security Council. Let's be very candid about it

China sends ships and fighter jets toward Taiwan in new show of force

China sent navy ships and a large group of fighter jets toward Taiwan, continuing its military pressure on the island, Taiwan's defense ministry said Thursday. China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory and has regularly sent flights toward the island in reaction to the island's political activities. In the past year, it has also sent navy vessels as well as drones to circle the waters near the island. Taiwan's defense ministry said the Chinese People's Liberation Army sent 33 warplanes and 6 navy vessels between 6 a.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday. The J-10 and J-16 fighter jets flew across the midline and to the southwest of Taiwan. The ministry said in an earlier statement Wednesday that Taiwan's military tracked five of the ships as they sailed in coordination with the flights of the fighter jets. The ministry said it used land-based missile systems to track the aircraft, 10 of which crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial boundary that had been conside

Former president of Mongolia meets Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar

Former Mongolian President Enkhbayar Nambar called on Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar here on Saturday. Both the leaders underlined the cherished ideals of democracy and freedom that form the foundation of India-Mongolia relations, the Vice President Secretariat said in a tweet. They also committed to further strengthen the spiritual, cultural and civilisational ties between the two nations.

China lifts tariff on Australian barley in a sign of improved relations

China is lifting a stifling 3-year-old tariff on Australian barley starting Saturday a sign of an improving bilateral trade relationship since Australia's government changed. China effectively closed its door to Australian barley in May 2020 by imposing an 80.5 per cent tariff after the previous Australian government angered Beijing by calling for an independent inquiry into the origins of, and responses to, the COVID-19 pandemic. On Friday, both governments confirmed the resumption of trade in the grain that was worth 916 million Australian dollars (USD 602 million) in the year before China blocked imports. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the breakthrough, which comes as he plans his first visit to Beijing as government leader before the end of the year. This is a very positive decision, Albanese told reporters. When Albanese's government was elected in May 2022, he demanded Beijing drop a series of official and unofficial trade barriers against Australian ..

India supports UN efforts to continue Black Sea Grain Initiative: Kamboj

She also showed appreciation to the United States for its presidency of the Security Council and for bringing to focus the crucial issue of conflict-induced food insecurity

Disturbed by trivialisation of Holocaust in 'Bawaal': Israeli embassy

Israel Ambassador to India Naor Gilon has voiced concern over the "trivialisation" of Holocaust in Hindi movie "Bawaal" released on Prime Video, saying it had "poor choice of terminology and symbolism". The Varun Dhawan-starrer has stirred up a controversy for using the Holocaust to tell a story of marital discord as earlier in the week a prominent Jewish group slammed the movie and called for its removal from the OTT platform. The Israeli embassy in India on Friday issued a statement, saying it was "disturbed by the trivialisation of the significance of the Holocaust" in the movie, directed by Nitesh Tiwari of "Dangal" fame. "I did not and will not watch the film 'Bawaal' but from what I have read, there was a poor choice of terminology and symbolism. Trivialisation of the Holocaust should disturb all," Gilon wrote on Twitter. "I urge those who don't know enough about the horrors of the Holocaust to educate themselves about it, he added. "Bawaal" follows a high school history tea

BRICS came into being to create more just world: S African ambassador

The BRICS bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa was created to address the inequities in the current world order, South African diplomat Anil Sooklal said on Thursday. Sooklal, the Ambassador at Large: Asia and BRICS at the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation, was speaking on radio station 702 after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not personally attend the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg. Russia will be represented by its Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the summit. However, Putin will deliver his speech via video conference at the BRICS Summit that will take place between August 22 and 24. South Africa is the current chair of the BRICS. The ICC has indicted Putin for war crimes over accusations that Russia unlawfully deported Ukrainian children. As a member of the ICC, South Africa is expected to arrest Putin if he sets foot in the country. "President Putin decided n

What is Indus Waters Treaty and why is India opposing Pakistan's move?

Last week, India said that Pakistan's move to reach out to the Hague-based tribunal was illegal as it was already being addressed by neutral expert under the Indus Water Treaty. But what is this treat

EAM to visit Tanzania from July 5-8, will co-chair Joint Commission Meet

"India and Tanzania have traditionally enjoyed close and friendly relations. EAM's visit to Tanzania will further consolidate the bilateral relations between our two countries," the MEA said

India, New Zealand hold meeting, agree to work on areas of mutual interests

India and New Zealand have held first round table joint meeting, where both sides acknowledged huge potential in a mutual partnership and need for bringing in synergy for enhanced economic relations

PM Modi holds talks with Papua New Guinea PM, Governor-General Bob Dadae

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held talks with his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape and the island nation's Governor-General Bob Dadae separately and stressed on strengthening the partnership between the two countries across multiple sectors. Modi, who arrived here on Sunday on his maiden visit to the nation, will host a key summit between India and 14 Pacific island countries to boost bilateral ties. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, in a tweet, said, "PM Narendra Modi arrives at the iconic APEC House located on the shores of Ela Beach in Port Moresby. Warmly welcomed by PM James Marape. The two leaders will co-host the FIPIC III Summit, fostering regional cooperation. According to the MEA spokesperson, discussions between the two prime ministers covered a range of issues, including strengthening partnerships in multiple sectors, climate action as well as promoting people-to-people ties. "Synergising India-Papua New Guinea relations. PM Narend

That Thucydides Trap again

Does China have to inevitably face confrontation from the US and seek domination over India?

Tension on Taiwan Strait: What is the dispute between China and Taiwan?

The tensions between the two states on either side of the Taiwan Strait have remained high since World War II. Here is a look at the brief history of the conflict