Page 2 - Bilateral Ties

Muraleedharan to attend Lanka's Independence Day celebrations on Saturday

State Minister for External Affairs V Muraleedharan will represent India at Sri Lanka's 75th Independence Day celebrations to be held here on Saturday and hold bilateral interactions with President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, officials said on Friday. Along with Muraleedharan, several other foreign dignitaries, including the head of the Commonwealth Patricia Scotland are to attend the main event in the capital, Colombo. The security has been beefed up in the capital with armed troops manning the most popular junctions in and around Colombo's immediate suburbs. The trip by Muraleedharan to Colombo comes nearly two weeks after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Sri Lanka. Muraleedharan will have bilateral meetings with Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe and Foreign Minister Sabry, officials here said. Muraleedharan will also have an interaction with the prominent members of the Indian diaspora. His two-day visit is a reflection of deeper bilate

NSA Doval meets members of USISPF, discusses cooperation in defence, space

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has met the members of a top American India-centric strategic and business advocacy group during which they discussed bilateral ties, particularly in the field of defence, space, and cybersecurity field, a media release said Thursday. Doval is leading a high-powered delegation to the US. The board members of the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) met Doval on Wednesday and they also discussed undersea and innovative intelligence, surveillance, building sophisticated reconnaissance systems, and U.S. restrictions on the export of technology, the USISPF said in a statement. "On a government-to-government level, the recent visit of the NSA and the welcome he has received in the US mark a high point in the defence and strategic relationship between Washington and New Delhi, USISPF president Mukesh Aghi said. It also accentuates the level of trust that the United States has in India, as a key defence partner, despite not being a treaty

S Jaishankar meets Sri Lanka's High Commissioner, bilateral ties discussed

Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to India, Milinda Moragoda, called on External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday. They discussed how to take the relationship forward between the two countries

India committed to working closely with Nepal to further boost ties: Envoy

India's political leadership is committed to working closely with the Prachanda-led government in Nepal for giving further impetus to bilateral ties, India's Ambassador here Naveen Srivastava has said. Hosting an event to celebrate the 74th Republic Day on Thursday, Srivastava said the exchange of high-level visits from both the countries had added a new dimension to Indo-Nepal relations. Vice President of Nepal Nanda Bahadur Pun, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' along with ministers, parliament members, former prime ministers, leaders of various political parties, were among those who attended the reception. India's political leadership was committed to working in close relation with the Prachanda-led government for giving further impetus to the bilateral ties, he underlined. Prachanda, who was sworn in as Prime Minister last month, has said that he will travel to India on his first foreign visit. Earlier in the morning at a special function, Ambassador Srivastava ..

S Jaishankar visits Maldives, to witness impact of developmental assistance

Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to the Maldives and Sri Lanka beginning to further expand bilateral engagement with the two key maritime neighbours of India

India-US Trade Policy Forum to boost bilateral trade and investment

The US is also the biggest FDI investor in India in terms of equity, as per the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) latest FDI data, with Rs 8.1 crore, accounting for 16.9 per cent share in 2022

China's new envoy vows to further enhance bilateral ties with Nepal

China is willing to work with Nepal to stay true to their original aspirations, join forces to seek common development and build a closer community with a shared future in the new era, the new Chinese ambassador here said on Sunday. Ambassador Chen Song, one of the senior diplomats in China, also vowed to work to write a new chapter of the strategic partnership between the two countries. Chen was appointed as ambassador to Nepal in November. However, Chen's arrival in Nepal was delayed after he and his wife got infected with Covid-19. He replaces Hou Yanqi, who returned to China after completing her four-year tenure in October. I stand ready to work closely with Nepali friends from all walks of life, gather wisdom and pool strength to bring more benefits to the two peoples, and jointly write a new chapter of the China-Nepal strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity, Chen was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post ...

Defence chiefs of US, India discuss global security, bilateral cooperation

Seeking to deepen US-India military ties, the defence chiefs of the two countries have shared their assessments of the regional and global security environment and discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation and interoperability. The call between US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Mark A Miley and his Indian counterpart Chief of the Indian Defence Force Gen Anil Chauhan took place amidst increased tension between India and China on the border. The two military leaders shared assessments of the regional and global security environment and discussed ways to deepen bilateral military ties and interoperability, Joint Staff Deputy Spokesperson Joseph R. Holstead said on Wednesday in a readout of the call. The US and India share a strong military-to-military relationship under the US-India Major Defence Partnership," Holstead said, adding that India plays a "key role" in maintaining a free Indo-Pacific. "India is a key regional leader and an important partner in maintaining a free and open

New York visit 'fruitful', chaired UNSC meetings: EAM Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said he had a fruitful travel to New York and detailed that during his visit to the US city he had the UN Security Council Ministerial meetings on Reformed Multilateralism and Counter-Terrorism."A fruitful #NewYork visit. Chaired UNSC Ministerial meetings on Reformed Multilateralism & Counter Terrorism. Joined unveiling of bust of Bapu at UN premises. Launched Group of Friends for UN Peacekeepers. Hosted a 'millet lunch'," the foreign minister tweeted.Jaishankar said he hosted bilaterals with Ireland, Armenia, Japan, Poland, the US, UK and the UAE.Jaishankar on Thursday highlighted that the "contemporary epicentre of terrorism" remains active and raised concerns about how evidence-backed proposals to blacklist terrorists are put on hold without adequate reason.Speaking at the 'UNSC Briefing: Global Counterterrorism Approach: Challenges and Way Forward', Jaishankar took veiled digs at Pakistan for cross-border terrorism against ..

EAM Jaishankar discusses bilateral ties with Iranian counterpart over call

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian held a phone conversation and exchanged views on regional and international issues of bilateral significance

India will not be a US ally, it will be another great power: White House

India, which has a unique strategic character, will not be an ally of the US, but another great power, a top White House official has said, asserting there is no other bilateral relationship that is being "deepened and strengthened" more rapidly than between the two countries over the last 20 years. Responding to a question on India during his appearance at the Aspen Security Forum meeting here on Thursday, Kurt Campbell, the White House Asia Coordinator, said that in his view India is the most important bilateral relationship for the United States in the 21st century. The fact is, I don't know of any bilateral relationship that is being deepened and strengthened more rapidly than the United States and India over the last 20 years, he told a Washington audience. The United States needs to invest even more of its capacity, and build in people-to-people ties, working together on technology and other issues, he said. India has a unique strategic character. It will not be an ally of th

India, France discuss defence cooperation & more under Atmanirbhar Bharat

During the meeting, the two sides discussed ongoing defence cooperation and further opportunities under the Atmanirbhar Bharat policy

India, France hold defence dialogue; discuss ways to bolster cooperation

Defence Minister Rajanth Singh and his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu held the fourth India-France Annual Defence Dialogue here on Monday and the two leaders shared the commitment to work together on enhancing cooperation in bilateral, regional and multilateral fora, with a focus on the Indo-Pacific region. Singh said the discussions were "warm and fruitful". Singh and Lecornu co-chaired the annual defence dialogue. This is Lecornu's first visit to India as Minister of Armed Forces of the French Republic. Singh held the "Fourth India-France Annual Defence Dialogue with Minister of Armed Forces of the French Republic Sebastien Lecornu in New Delhi today. The meeting was held in a very cordial atmosphere. A wide range of bilateral, regional, defence and defence industrial cooperation issues were discussed in the dialogue," the defence ministry here said in a statement. They also discussed means to "strengthen maritime cooperation" and increase the scope and complexity of bilate

India Australia bilateral training exercise 'Austra Hind 22' to start today

A bilateral training exercise between armies of India and Australia will kick-start in Rajasthan on Monday, the defence ministry here said. The 'Austra Hind 22' exercise will be conducted till December 11. The ministry said it will be a yearly event that will be conducted alternatively in India and Australia. "Bilateral training exercise 'AUSTRA HIND 22' between contingents of the Indian Army and the Australian Army is scheduled to take place at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges (Rajasthan) from November 28 to December 11, 2022. This is the first exercise in the series of AUSTRA HIND with participation of all arms and services contingent from both armies," the ministry had said in a statement on Sunday. The Australian Army contingent comprising soldiers from the 13th Brigade of the 2nd Division has arrived at the exercise location. The Indian Army is represented by troops from the Dogra Regiment, it said. The aim of the exercise is to build positive military relations, imbibe each other

French Armed Forces Minister to visit India on Sunday for defence dialogue

Minister Lecornu will also meet National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister, Ajit Doval for discussions on regional security issues and our close cooperation in combating terrorism

India, UAE central banks discuss rupee-dirham trade prospects: Official

The central banks of India and UAE are discussing a concept paper on promoting bilateral trade in rupee and dirham with a view to reduce transaction cost, a top official said on Friday. India's Ambassador to the UAE Sunjay Sudhir said that the concept paper for trade in local currencies was shared by India. The central banks of both the countries will discuss the standard operating procedures and modalities, he told reporters here. The objective of the exercise is to reduce the cost of transactions, he added. India and the UAE had already signed a free trade agreement (FTA) in February to give a fillip to bilateral trade and economic ties. The free trade agreement was aimed at providing significant benefits to Indian as well as UAE businesses, including enhanced market access and reduced tariffs. Following the free trade pact, bilateral trade is expected to increase from the current USD 60 billion to USD 100 billion in the next five years. Bilateral trade between India and the U

INS Trikand, INS Sumitra take part in bilateral exercise with Oman Navy

The Indian Navy's guided missile stealth frigate INS Trikand and offshore patrol vessel INS Sumitra have participated in the 13th edition of bilateral exercise 'Naseem Al Bahr' off the coast of Oman. The exercise, which was conducted from November 19-24, had three phases -- harbour phase, sea phase and debrief, officials said. Activities undertaken during the harbour phase included professional interactions between Indian Navy and Royal Navy of Oman operations teams and friendly sports fixtures between the two navies, they said. "The Indian Navy's guided missile stealth frigate, INS Trikand, offshore patrol vessel, INS Sumitra, and Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA), Dornier, participated in the 13th edition of the Indian Navy (IN)-Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) bilateral exercise 'Naseem Al Bahr' (Sea Breeze)," a Navy official said. Indian Navy ships Trikand and Sumitra, along with RNO ships Al Shinas and Al Seeb, sailed for the sea phase. IN-MPA Dornier, RNO MPA and shore-based RAFO fighte

Australian Parliament clears path for free trade agreement with India

Both nations prepare for New Year roll-out; DTAA with New Delhi amended, too

FATF chief, ministers of Nigeria, Ethiopia hold bilateral meet Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday held a number of bilateral meetings, including with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) chief, and discussed with them various issues of mutual interests such as terrorism. In his meeting with FATF chief T Raja Kumar, Shah emphasised that there is need for the FATF to continuously monitor the tendencies of some countries to sponsor terrorism. "In the bilateral meeting with FATF President, Shri T Raja Kumar, Hon'ble Home Minister Shri @AmitShah while appreciating the role of FATF, emphasised that there is need for FATF to continuously monitor the tendencies of some of the countries to sponsor terrorism," Shah's office tweeted. The FATF president lauded the initiative taken by India for hosting 'No Money For Terror (NMFT)' conference and expressed the willingness of FATF to work closely for working on Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) issues under India's G-20 priorities. At the conference, Kumar also calle

Australian PM Anthony Albanese to visit India next March to lock trade deal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Australia next year for the Quad Leaders' meeting. And then he will return to India later in the year for the G20 Summit, a statement by the Australian PM said.