Page 2 - Mea

India, US 'actively involved' in trade talks: Govt a day after MEA rebuke

This follows a scathing response from the MEA a day earlier to US President Donald Trump's threat of higher tariffs on Indian goods for importing Russian oil

'India's position on the South China Sea is clear and consistent': MEA

India's position on the South China Sea is "clear and consistent," and it considers it as part of the global commons, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday. In response to a query raised during a special briefing here on the ongoing visit of Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr, MEA Secretary (East) P Kumaran said India has an "abiding interest" in peace and stability in the region. He was asked about the just-held India-Philippines bilateral naval exercise off the Philippines. According to reports, the exercise also took place in parts of the South China Sea.

India granted over 9.6 million e-visas since 2020: Govt tells Parliament

India has granted over 96 lakh e-visas to foreigners from 2020 till July 20 this year, the government informed Parliament on Thursday. In a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh also said the number of countries eligible for the e-visa facility has increased from 171 in 2020 to 181 in 2025. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) was asked for the total number of e-visas granted and the increase in the number of countries eligible for the facility since 2020. "Total number of e-visas granted from 2020 to 20.07.2025 is 96,44,567," Singh said. The MEA was also asked about its role in assisting international pilgrims, including details related to Hajj and Sikh pilgrims. "Each year, the Saudi authorities announce a Hajj quota for India. In recent years, this quota has, on average, been set at 1,75,025 Indian pilgrims," Singh said. Regarding the Kartarpur Corridor, the Minister of State said, "Since its inauguration,

India criticises EU sanctions on Russia, including Gujarat refinery

The "Government of India considers the provision of energy security a responsibility of paramount importance to meet the basic needs of its citizens," said MEA

Committing assault, theft in US may lead to visa revocation: US embassy

Committing assault, theft or burglary in the United States won't just cause legal issues but could also lead to a visa being revoked and make that person "ineligible" for future US visas, the country's embassy in India has said. The stern warning comes in the backdrop of a viral video purportedly showing an Indian woman being held by police authorities after she allegedly tried to shoplift several items at a high-end store in the US. However, the veracity of the video, widely shared on various social media platforms, could not be independently verified. In a brief statement on Wednesday, the embassy also said America values law and order and expects foreign visitors to follow all US laws. The statement was shared on the X handle of the embassy. "Committing assault, theft, or burglary in the United States won't just cause you legal issues - it could lead to your visa being revoked and make you ineligible for future U.S. visas. The United States values law and order and expects fore

India engages Yemen, allies to aid Nimisha Priya in death row case: MEA

India on Thursday said it is in touch with local authorities in Yemen as well as with certain friendly nations in finding a solution to the case of Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse on death row. Priya's execution was scheduled for July 16 but it was postponed. The nurse, hailing from Kollengode in Kerala's Palakkad district, has been found guilty of murdering a Yemeni citizen in July, 2017. "This is a sensitive matter and the government of India has been offering all possible assistance in the case," external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing. "We have provided legal assistance and appointed a lawyer to assist the family. We have also arranged regular consular visits and been in constant touch with the local authorities and the family members to resolve the issue," he said. This included concerted efforts in recent days to seek more time for the family of Priya to reach a mutually agreeable solution with the other party, he said. "We continue to

'Argentina's lithium reserves of great interest to India', says MEA

Indian public sector companies are 'working out the implementation of the investments' in the Latin Amercian country to produce, refine, and export minerals, the MEA said

Ghana shows 'clear interest' in defence support from India: MEA secretary

'There is clear interest in having India's support in terms of equipment, training of the personnel, and being able to source equipment from India, which has now become a leader in defence exports.'

We're 'very close' with India: US Treasury Secretary on trade deal

Jaishankar says he's hopeful but can't guarantee pact

PM Modi to address Parliaments of Ghana, Namibia, Trinidad & Tobago: MEA

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 5-nation visit, senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs informed that the Prime Minister will address the parliaments of Ghana, Namibia and Trinidad & Tobago.In a special briefing on Monday, Dammu Ravi, Secretary (ER) said that in Ghana, the visit is taking place after 30 years.The visit will see delegation-level talks during which the bilateral relations will be reviewed, and also discuss various ways to strengthen and deepen bilateral relations."The next day, Prime Minister will be addressing the parliament and he also will be interacting with the Indian community there, which is about 15,000 in number", Secretary Ravi said in his remarks.Speaking about PM Modi's visit to Namibia, Secretary Ravi said, "Prime Minister will visit Namibia on 9th July, and this visit is also important. It's coming after 27 years."He added, "There will be delegation-level talks, one-on-one discussions, and he will also address the Parliament. ..

Rajnath meets Chinese counterpart; calls for solving complex issues

The Indian defence minister emphasised the need to create good neighbourly conditions to achieve the best mutual benefits

India in touch with China over rare earth supply chain issues: MEA

The new Chinese restrictions, effective from April 4, require special export licenses for certain specific rare earth elements and their related magnetic products

NSA Doval, senior Russian security official emphasise bilateral cooperation

NSA Doval and Veneiktov discussed issues of bilateral, regional and international significance, according to the statement shared by the Indian Embassy in Beijing

India in touch with students in Iran to ensure their safety, says MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs' statement read, "The Indian Embassy in Tehran is continuously monitoring the security situation and engaging Indian students in Iran to ensure their safety"

India, EU aim to finalise FTA by end of this year, says Jaishankar

Jaishankar, who is in France as part of his three-nation visit, said India also seeks to conclude a defence and security partnership with the European Union

India, China to fast-track process for resuming direct air services

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held talks with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong during which the two sides reviewed the developments in India-China bilateral relations and agreed to continue to "stabilise and rebuild ties" with priority on people-centric engagements, the MEA said on Friday. The meeting took place on Thursday and the two sides also agreed to expedite steps involved in resuming direct air services between the two countries. Misri had held talks with Sun earlier on January 27 in Beijing. Sun is on a visit to India from June 12-13, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. During the meeting on Thursday, "the two sides reviewed the developments in India-China bilateral relations since their last meeting in Beijing on January 27, 2025 and agreed to continue to stabilise and rebuild ties with priority on people-centric engagements", the MEA said. The foreign secretary appreciated the Chinese side's cooperation for the resumption of the Kailash ...

Looking at G7 meet as chance to reset ties: MEA on India-Canada relations

Describing Indian and Canada as "vibrant democracies", the external affairs ministry on Thursday said New Delhi believes the forthcoming meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries on the sidelines of the G7 Summit will offer an important opportunity to exchange views and explore pathways to reset bilateral ties. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said this in response to a query during his weekly media briefing. "Our Prime Minister had received a call from the Canadian Prime Minister last week. During the call, Prime Minister Mark Carney invited Prime Minister (Modi) to attend G7 (meeting), and as you are aware the invitation has been accepted," he said. The call was also an occasion for the two prime ministers to reflect or talk about India-Canada relations, and how it can be taken forward, the MEA spokesperson said. Canada will be hosting the crucial G7 meeting later this month. "India and Canada are vibrant democracies, which are bound by sh

Jaishankar visit boost India-Germany ties, marks 25 yrs of partnership: MEA

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held extensive discussions with his German counterpart Johann Wadephul in Berlin covering the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and the two sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to further expand collaboration in key strategic areas, including defence and AI. The Ministry of External Affairs in a statement here said the external affairs minister visited Germany from May 22-24. His visit within a month of the new government formation in Germany is reflective of the high priority both sides attach to bilateral ties, it said. The ministry said Jaishankar's visit to Germany at the time when both countries are celebrating the milestone of completion of 25 years of Strategic Partnership is significant. It led to renewed engagement with the newly-constituted German government, injecting fresh momentum into the India-Germany Strategic Partnership and reaffirming commitment of both sides to further strengthening political, economic, technologica

'Relationship built on sensitivities': India warns Turkey over Pak ties

India asked Turkey to press Pakistan on terrorism and warned that bilateral ties must be built on mutual sensitivities amid tensions after the Pahalgam terror attack

'Jaishankar's remarks misrepresented': MEA rejects claims of alerting Pak

The Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday described as "utter misrepresentation" claims that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar acknowledged that India alerted Pakistan before the launch of Operation Sindoor on May 7. The clarification came after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's criticism of the government suggesting that the Indian side informed Pakistan ahead of the military strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). "The external affairs minister had stated that we had warned Pakistan at the start, which is clearly the early phase after Operation Sindoor's commencement," the external publicity (XP) division of the ministry said. "This is being falsely represented as being before the commencement. This utter misrepresentation of facts is being called out," it said in a brief statement. Gandhi, in a social media post, asked who had authorised the decision to inform Pakistan. "Informing Pakistan at the start of our attack was a crime.