Page 40 - S Jaishankar

India to introduce UPI payment service in Maldives: EAM Jaishankar

India and Maldives have signed an agreement to introduce the Unified Payments Interface in the archipelago nation, which will have a "very positive" impact on its tourism sector, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on Friday during Jaishankar's three-day official visit to the Maldives. "Witnessed signing of MoU between (the) National Payments Corporation of India and (the) Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Maldives on (the) introduction of (a) digital payment system in the Maldives," he said in a post on X. Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), Unified Payment Interface (UPI) is an instant real-time payment system to facilitate inter-bank transactions through mobile phones. Addressing a press conference with his Maldivian counterpart Moosa Zameer after their "productive discussions", Jaishankar said that India, through its UPI, has "revolutionised digital transactions". Stressing that it

EAM Jaishankar inaugurates community development projects in Maldives

Jaishankar is in Maldives for an official three-day visit from August 9 to 11

Foreign minister S Jaishankar reaches Maldives to reset bilateral ties

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived here on a three-day official visit to reset the bilateral relationship with the Maldives, the first high-level trip from India after the archipelago nation's pro-China president Mohamed Muizzu assumed office last year. Jaishankar's trip to the Maldives comes weeks after President Muizzu's visit to India in June to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. The ties between India and the Maldives came under severe strain since Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge of the top office in November 2023. Within hours of his oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from his country. Subsequently, the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians by May 10, the mutually agreed date. This is the first official visit of Jaishankar to the Maldives since assuming office for a second term in June 2024. His previous visit was in January 2023. Jaishankar's three-day v

Awaiting release of 69 Indians from Russian army, says Jaishankar in LS

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said the government is awaiting the release of 69 Indians recruited into the Russian army and that in many cases there are indications that the Indian nationals were misled. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, the minister also said the government has taken up seriously the issues of recruitment of Indian nationals into the Russian army and cyber crime trafficking of nationals to South East Asian countries. There are a total of 91 cases so far of Indian nationals being recruited in the Russian army. Out of them, eight have passed away, 14 have been discharged or sent back, and the release of 69 nationals is awaited, Jaishankar said during the Question Hour. "We take this issue very very seriously... I have myself raised it many times with the Russian foreign minister," he said and added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took up the issue during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month. The minister said the problem is

Bangladesh crisis: Pak expresses solidarity, hopes for return to normalcy

In a statement, Pakistan's Foreign Office said, 'We are confident that the resilient spirit and unity of the Bangladeshi people will lead them towards a harmonious future'

India evacuates non-essential staff from Bangladesh, releases helpline nos

Bangladesh political turmoil: All Indian diplomats have remained in Bangladesh, and the missions are continuing to operate in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, and Sylhet

Concerned about atrocities against Hindus in B'desh: Israeli envoy

Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar chaired an all-party meeting in Parliament and briefed the leaders about the ongoing developments in Bangladesh

Bangladesh dissolves national parliament, paving way for new government

Thousands of jailed protesters were freed, as well as Hasina's rival and opposition leader Khaleda Zia - a former prime minister herself

Bangladesh crisis: In talks with Dhaka amid attacks on Hindus, says govt

In reply to questions by political leaders, including Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Jaishankar did not rule out the role of foreign countries in the unrest in Bangladesh

Approx 19,000 Indian nationals in B'desh, of which 9,000 students, says EAM

The External Affairs Minister also mentioned that the government is monitoring the situation with regard to the minorities living in Bangladesh

Monitoring situation with regard to minorities in Bangladesh: EAM in RS

India is monitoring the situation with regard to minorities in Bangladesh and is in "close and continuous" touch with the Indian community there through its diplomatic missions, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. In a statement to the Upper House, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also briefed the MPs on former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's "very short notice" request to come to India "for the moment". He said India has instructed its border guarding forces to be exceptionally alert in view of this complex and still evolving situation in the neighbouring country. "There are an estimated 19,000 Indian nationals there, of which about 9,000 are students. The bulk of the students, however, have already returned to India in the month of July," Jaishankar told the Upper House. "On August 5, demonstrators converged in Dhaka despite curfew. Our understanding is that after a meeting with leaders of the security establishment, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina apparently ma

Assured Hasina of all help, focus on minorities protection in B'desh: EAM

Stating that the embattled former prime minister of Bangladesh Shiekh Hasina is in India and the Indian government wants to give her time to let the Indian government know about her future action

EAM Jaishankar to address Parliament on situation in Bangladesh today

Birla informed the House after Question Hour concluded that Jaishankar will make a suo moto statement at 3.30 pm in Lok Sabha

'Bangladesh situation not serious enough to evacuate Indians': Jaishankar

Bangladesh crisis: During an all-party meeting in Parliament on Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said there is no cause of concern about the India-Bangladesh border

Jaishankar chairs all-party meeting, briefs about developments in B'desh

Jaishankar briefed the leaders on how the issue had panned out in Bangladesh and the prevailing situation in the country

EAM Jaishankar assures to facilitate Indian, Sri Lankan fishermen meet

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday assured a delegation of Tamil Nadu fishermen that a meeting between the fishing communities of India and Sri Lanka will be facilitated to discuss the issues affecting them. He also informed that the recent apprehension of Indian fishermen by the Lankan authorities would be taken up at a meeting of the Indo-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group to work out a solution to the problems, Tamil Nadu BJP state chief K Annamalai said. At the meeting in which the government secretaries too participated, Jaishankar mentioned that the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India was summoned over the death of the Rameswaram fisherman, and a strong protest was registered. "The representatives of the fishing community requested that a joint meeting between the representatives of the fishing community of the two countries be facilitated. Our EAM assured that the same would be considered," Annamalai said in a release here. Jaishankar had reaffirmed that the ...

Bangladesh unrest: Cabinet Committee on Security meets to assess situation

The meeting came as Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled her country and landed in India on her way to London

Rahul meets EAM Jaishankar in Parliament, discusses Bangladesh situation

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Parliament House on Monday and discussed the development in Bangladesh, Congress sources said. Sheikh Hasina has resigned as Bangladesh prime minister and an interim government is taking over, Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman announced in Dhaka on Monday, in a dramatic development amid massive anti-government protests that claimed more than 100 lives in the last two days. Hasina landed at the Hindon airbase near Ghaziabad on her way to London, diplomatic sources said. "Gandhi met Jaishankar on the sidelines in the Lok Sabha, Parliament House complex, and discussed the recent developments in Bangladesh," a Congress source said.

India, Japan have set $42 billion investment target by 2027: S Jaishankar

'There are currently 1,400 Japanese companies operating in India, and we aim to increase this number,' External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in a Quad press briefing

Only Quad can ensure freedom, stability in Indo-Pacific region: Jaishankar

It is only Quad nations' collaboration that can ensure that the Indo-Pacific remains free, open, stable and secure as the world grapples with the key question of upholding a rules-based order, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday, amidst growing concerns about China's maritime coercion. In his opening statement at the Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting here, Jaishankar said Quad members have significant additional responsibilities. "As political democracies, pluralistic societies and market economies, there is the key question of upholding a rules-based order," he said. Australia, India, Japan, and the United States are members of the Quad grouping. "It is only our collaboration that can ensure that the Indo-Pacific remains free, remains open, stable, secure and prosperous. The commitment to doing global good that we have all undertaken has a resonance far beyond this region. "It is only our collaboration that can ensure that the Indo-Pacific remains free, remains ope