Page 39 - Ministry Of External Affairs

Introspect on deserved global reputation as terrorism factory: India to Pak

India has slammed Pakistan as it raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at the UN Human Rights Council, saying it should introspect on its own appalling human rights record and deserved global reputation as the "world's terrorism factory". Under Secretary in India's Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva Jagpreet Kaur exercised the country's Right of Reply at the General debate at the 55th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council Monday after Pakistan, speaking on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), raked the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in its statement. We have taken the floor previously during this Session and conveyed our disinclination to waste the Council's time in responding to fallacious comments about India, by one particular delegation, which does so as they do not have anything constructive to contribute, Kaur said on Monday. Without naming Pakistan, Kaur said it is unfortunate that this country continues with its diatribe against India, including b

'Big bullies don't give $4.5 billion': Jaishankar's sharp reply to Maldives President Muizzu

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar responded sharply to a question about whether 'India was being a bully in the region' (sub-continent and the Indian Ocean region). He stated that 'big bullies' d

EAM S Jaishankar's Japan, Korea visits to focus on semiconductor push

South Korea has the 2nd-largest share of the global chip market and manufactures 60% of global memory chips

Deeply shocked, says India on killing of over 100 in northern Gaza

India on Friday said it is "deeply shocked" at the loss of lives in northern Gaza during the delivery of humanitarian aid, a day after more than 100 people were killed and over 700 injured in an incident. In a strongly-worded statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said such loss of civilian lives and the larger humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to be a cause for "extreme concern". "We are deeply shocked at the loss of lives in northern Gaza yesterday during delivery of humanitarian assistance," the MEA said. "Such loss of civilian lives and the larger humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to be a cause for extreme concern," it added. India also called for safe and timely delivery of humanitarian aid and assistance to the people of Gaza. "We reiterate our call for safe and timely delivery of humanitarian aid and assistance," the MEA said. There was no reference to Israel in the statement. More than 100 people were killed and over 700 injured when Israeli troo

Qatar case: MEA says 8th Indian will return once requirements fulfilled

The lone Indian national who could not return to India from Qatar along with seven of his colleagues around two-and-a-half weeks ago will return home once certain requirements are fulfilled, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. Seven of the eight former Indian Navy personnel returned to India on February 12 after Qatar freed them. The Navy veterans were given death sentences by Qatar's Court of First Instance on October 26 last year. The Court of Appeal in the Gulf country commuted the capital punishment on December 28 and sentenced them to jail terms for varying durations. The former Indian Navy personnel apparently faced charges of espionage, but neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against them public. "As you know, all eight Indian nationals who were involved in the Al-Dahra Global case have been released. Seven of them have returned to India," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing here. "The eighth Indi

EAM calls for reforms of 'outdated' global structures to tackle challenges

The conflict in Gaza is of "great concern" and the humanitarian crises arising out of it require a sustainable solution that gives immediate relief to those most affected, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday while calling for reforms of "outdated" global structures to effectively address geopolitical challenges. In a virtual statement at the 55th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Jaishankar pitched for urgently making multilateral frameworks fit to respond to current global realities by fixing systemic flaws in the current institutions. He said it would be in collective interest and responsibility to work together in the UN and outside to find lasting solutions to geopolitical challenges. "For this to happen, it is vital that we first recognise that for multilateralism to be credible, effective and responsive, it is now high time to reform outdated structures and fix systemic flaws, and urgently make multilateral frameworks fit for the

Several Indians discharged from Russian army following govt's demand: MEA

Several Indians who worked as support staff to the Russian army were discharged following India's demand, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Monday. It said India remains committed, as a matter of "top priority", to actively pursuing with the Russian authorities all the relevant cases of Indian nationals for an early discharge from the Russian army. According to media reports, several Indians have been working as security helpers in the Russian military and they were forced to even fight with Russian soldiers in certain areas along Russia's border with Ukraine. "We have seen some inaccurate reports in the media regarding Indians with the Russian army seeking help for discharge," the MEA said in a statement. "Each and every such case brought to the attention of the Indian embassy in Moscow has been strongly taken up with the Russian authorities and those brought to the attention of the Ministry have been taken up with the Russian embassy in New Delhi," it said. The MEA

'We are aware': Govt on Indian youths wrongly drafted into Russian army

MEA said that the Indian Embassy has regularly taken up the issue with the Russian authorities and is seeking the earliest possible discharge of those trapped

Mind games would be played: Jaishankar on India-China bilateral ties

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said arriving at an equilibrium and maintaining it is going to be one of the "biggest challenges" for India-China ties even as he asserted that the immediate issue at hand was Beijing's departure from laid down norms triggering the border row in eastern Ladakh. In an interactive session at the Raisina Dialogue, he cautioned against China's "mind game" to restrict the issues under the bilateral framework and said India must not forgo its rights to harness other factors in the world to get better terms on an equilibrium. On the economic front, the external affairs minister said there would be a period when the Chinese economy will be flattening out and India will be growing and referred to projections by Goldman Sachs that suggested that by 2075, both countries could end up as USD 50 trillion plus economies. Jaishankar said India should be confident enough to "leverage" the international system to create the "best possible outcome". Hi

The global multilateral system is facing a 'logjam': EAM S Jaishankar

A lot of our challenges today emanate today from how countries have used that for their benefit at the expense of the international system, EAM S Jaishankar said

Highlights: 4th round of talks between ministers, farmer leaders concludes

Catch all the latest updates from across the globe here

Overseas visits: Narendra Modi or Manmohan Singh, who travelled the most?

Data suggests that while Modi has spent fewer days abroad than his predecessor - 275 days versus Singh's 306 - he has travelled more widely and strenuously than any other Indian PM

EAM Jaishankar discusses Gaza situation with Palestinian counterpart

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday met his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki during which they exchanged views on the current situation in war-torn Gaza. Jaishankar is in Germany to attend the prestigious Munich Security Conference, the world's leading forum for debate on international security. "Nice to see Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki. Exchanged views on the current situation in Gaza," the minister posted on X, sharing a photograph of the meeting. India has been pushing for a two-state solution to the Palestine issue for many decades. During an interactive session at a security conference here on Saturday, Jaishankar underlined that an increasing number of countries are now not only supporting the two-state solution to the Palestine issue but seeing it as "more urgent" than before. The minister described the October 7 attacks on Israeli cities by Hamas as "terrorism". At the same time, he said Israel has an international obligation to observe

EAM Jaishankar, Canadian counterpart Joly hold talks on bilateral ties

He also held a meeting with Argentina's counterpart, Diana Mondino and discussed economic and political cooperation between the two nations

PM Modi ensured safety of Indian nationals abroad: FS Vinay Kwatra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always taken the initiative and spoken to leaders of other countries to ensure the safety of Indian nationals abroad, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said here on Wednesday. Responding to questions on the release of eight Indian Navy veterans, facing death row in Qatar, Kwatra said whenever the Indian community had faced problems, the Prime Minister, his leadership and his personal initiatives ensured that they were brought back to India. This is direct evidence of the sensitive approach the Prime Minister adopts to address the problems faced by the Indian community, Kwatra said during a briefing on the Prime Minister's visit to the UAE. The foreign secretary said that over the past 10 years, whenever Indian nationals have faced problems, it was not just a question of the Ministry of External Affairs but the whole of government approach has been adopted to ensure their safety. If you look at the past 10 years, Indian nationals, wherever they are, ..

Relevance of Quad set to grow: EAM Jaishankar at Indian Ocean Conference

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said he is confident that the relevance of the Quad grouping would grow and it would become a bigger factor in the larger regional, and beyond the region, politics and policy. Jaishankar's remarks came during a fireside chat with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong at the Indian Ocean Conference. Jaishankar is here to attend the two-day conference. Speaking about the Quad or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue comprising India, the US, Japan and Australia, Jaishankar said the grouping is the outcome of the changing capabilities of the major powers and the implications that it has for all of the world. The Quad was set up in 2017 to counter China's aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region. "It also reflects three very important relationships for us with Australia, the US and Japan, which had transformed after the end of the Cold War," Jaishankar said. These four countries are located at four corners of this maritime space and

EAM Jaishankar & Sri Lankan Prez Wickremesinghe discuss cooperation

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe have reviewed the progress in bilateral cooperation and agreed to continue deepening them. Jaishankar, who is in the Australian city of Perth to attend the two-day-long Indian Ocean Conference, met President Wickremesinghe on Friday evening. "Pleased to call on Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Conference in Perth. Recognised the progress in our bilateral cooperation and resolved to continue deepening them," Jaishankar said in a post on X. The office of President Wickremesinghe also said that the discussion between the two leaders focused on the progress of bilateral projects. "India's Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar called on President Ranil Wickremesinghe last evening in Perth. The discussion focused on the progress of the bilateral projects which are being undertaken," said the President's Media Division of Sri Lanka in a post on X.

EAM Jaishankar to address inaugural session of 7th Indian Ocean Conference

According to Ministry of External Affairs press release, "The theme of this edition of the conference is Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean."

Jaishankar to attend two-day summit of 7th Indian Ocean Conference in Perth

"The theme of this edition of the conference is Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement

Government as job contractor

The govt's plan to send Indians abroad as labourers is seen as a practical acknowledgment of the constraints in the domestic economy. However, the larger issue here is an ethical one