Category: Politics

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Lula da Silva engaged in bilateral discussions on May 21 during the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan.

In a tweet, the Indian premier said, “The talks with President Lula da Silva were productive and wide-ranging. India and Brazil will keep working together to deepen trade ties. We also discussed diversifying cooperation in sectors like agriculture, defence and more.”

Prime Minister Modi, along with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and other leaders, paid homage to the victims of Hiroshima at Peace Memorial Park in Japan. PM Modi, on the third day of his visit to Japan, went to the Peace Memorial Museum and viewed the documented exhibits and signed the visitor’s book. PM Modi is the first Indian leader to visit Hiroshima, the first city to experience a nuclear bomb.

In addition to meeting the Brazilian leader, PM Modi had a meeting with the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during the G7 summit. On May 20, he engaged in bilateral meetings with several world leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his wife, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka bestowed Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Fiji’s highest honour on the sidelines of the 3rd India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit in Papua New Guinea on May 21.

The Companion of the Order of Fiji is a significant honour to be received by only a handful of non-Fijians to date. It is awarded to people for their eminent achievement and merit of the highest degree in service to Fiji or to humanity at large.

On behalf of Fijian President Ratu Wiliame M. Katonivere, PM Rabuka bestowed PM Narendra Modi with the honour. The Prime Minister of India later dedicated the honour to the people of India and to the generations of the Fiji-Indian community, who have played a key role in building the special and lasting bond between the two countries, informed India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

The Prime Ministers also held a comprehensive discussion on a wide range of matters, with a special emphasis being put on strengthening bilateral relationship between the countries.

PM Narendra Modi co-hosted the FIPIC III Summit in Port Moresby along with his Papua New Guinean counterpart, James Marape. Prime Minister Modi announced a 12-step action plan to propel India’s partnership with Pacific Island countries.

The world community should focus on building inclusive food systems that protect the most vulnerable, such as marginal farmers, to tackle the challenge of food security, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 20 at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan.

Speaking in Hindi, PM Modi made the remarks while unveiling a 10-point call to action at an outreach session of the G7 Summit that focused on pressing global challenges such as food and health security, developmental issues and gender equality. India was among the eight guest countries participating in three outreach sessions of the summit hosted by Japan.

“Global fertiliser supply chains have to be strengthened. Political obstacles in these have to be removed. And the expansionist mentality that is occupying fertiliser resources has to be stopped. This should be the purpose of our cooperation,” he said. The leader said that the global community can create a new model of natural farming as an alternative to using fertilisers, and the benefits of digital technology should be provided to every farmer in the world. “It should be our endeavour to separate organic food from fashion statement and commerce, and connect it with nutrition and health,” he added.

At least 40 countries have signed the Register of Damage, an instrument approved by the 46-nation Council of Europe to document the damage in Ukraine so that Russia can be held liable for compensation.

The instrument, signed on May 17 at the Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavik, Iceland, set up an evidentiary record ahead of possible future prosecution of Russian leaders. The document is a “necessary” step ensuring “justice that is centred on the victims” of the war, said Marija Pejčinović Burić, the council’s head.

European leaders hailed the new instrument for Ukraine they signed on to as “historic” and a first step to making Russia pay for its war. The instrument sets up an evidentiary record ahead of a possible future prosecution of Russian leaders, thus laying the groundwork for compensation, said Buric.

The countries that signed the document include the United States and all other G7 nations. Other countries were finalising internal procedures to do so. Marija Pejcinovic Buric and other leaders at the summit emphasised that countries outside the Council of Europe, which is a pan-continental rights body separate from the European Union but incorporating all 27 EU member states, could support the register. Russia was removed from the council last year after invading Ukraine.

The register of damage will also be lodged in The Hague, with a satellite office in Ukraine. It will detail war-time claims of harm and destruction wrought by Russia.

A US court has given its consent to the Indian request for the extradition of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

On June 10, 2020, India filed a complaint seeking the provisional arrest of 62-year-old Rana with a view towards extradition. Rana was arrested in the US for his role in these attacks. The Biden Administration had supported and approved the extradition of Rana to India.

“The Court has reviewed and considered all of the documents submitted in support of and in opposition to the Request, and has considered the arguments presented at the hearing,” said Judge Jacqueline Chooljian, US Magistrate Judge of the US District Court Central District of California, in a 48-page court order released on May 17.

“Based on such review and consideration and for the reasons discussed herein, the Court makes the findings set forth below, and CERTIFIES to the Secretary of State of the United States the extraditability of Rana on the charged offences that are the subject of the Request,” the judge wrote.

India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing into Rana’s role in the 26/11 attacks carried out by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists in 2008. The NIA has said that it is ready to initiate proceedings to bring him to India through diplomatic channels.

During court hearings, US Government attorneys argued that Rana was aware that his childhood friend, Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley was involved with LeT, and by assisting him, he was supporting the terrorist organisation and its associates.

In a Union Cabinet reshuffle on May 17, Arjun Ram Meghwal became the new Union Law Minister of India, while Kiren Rijiju was moved to the Earth Sciences Ministry. Meghwal will now have the charge of Culture, Parliamentary Affairs as Minister of State, and Independent Charge of the Law Ministry.

The new law minister, Meghwal hails from a middle-class family in Rajasthan’s Bikaner. The 65-year-old politician received his primary education at a government school in his village and completed his secondary education at Jawahar Jain Secondary School in Bheenasar. He completed his graduation in law in 1977, after which he did his post-graduation. He began his professional career in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and served as a District Magistrate in the Rajasthan government. However, he later decided to shift his focus to social service and entered politics. The BJP leader was elected to the 15th Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament, for the first time in 2009 from Bikaner. He was re-elected in 2014 and made the political party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha.

The senior politician has held various positions and responsibilities throughout his political career. Meghwal has been a member of several parliamentary consultative and advisory committees, including the Consultative Committee on External Affairs, Standing Committee on Defence, Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forest, Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, to name a few.

Israel and India on May 9 inked an agreement that will allow 42,000 Indian workers to work in the Jewish state in the sectors of construction and nursing, in a move expected to help deal with the rising cost of living and assist thousands of families waiting for nursing care. Of the 42,000 Indian workers, 34,000 workers will be engaged in the construction field and the rest 8,000 will serve the country’s nursing needs.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who reached New Delhi on May 9, held talks with his Indian counterpart Dr S Jaishankar. The ministers discussed ways to strengthen India-Israel ties by adding direct flights, continuing cooperation in agriculture and water management, and expanding cooperation in the fields of artificial intelligence and cyber defence.

In reference to the proposed rail and port link, the Israeli foreign minister said that it would decrease the route between Asia and Europe, and make Israel a commercial, technological and transportation hub in the changing trade routes in the Middle East.

Officials from the United States, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and India met early May in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and discussed a rail and port network linking the Gulf states and India. It is believed that the same may be extended on the other side to include connectivity with Israel.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United States of America on a state visit from June 21 to 24, following an invitation from President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, the US government said in a statement on May 10. The US President and the First Lady will also host PM Modi for a state dinner on June 22.

“The upcoming visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the United States and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement while announcing the visit.

She said that Prime Minister Modi’s visit will strengthen two countries’ shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and their shared resolve to elevate strategic technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy, and space.

“The leaders will discuss ways to further expand our educational exchanges and people-to-people ties, as well as our work together to confront common challenges from climate change to workforce development and health security,” she added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited US President Joe Biden at the White House in 2021 as part of the Quad summit bringing together the US, Australia, Japan and India. The forthcoming visit is his full state visit.

In nearly a fortnight, India’s Operation Kaveri brought back stranded citizens from conflict-ridden Sudan, informed the Indian government on May 5 as it wrapped up the evacuation programme.

The Indian Air Force C130 flight brought the final batch of 47 passengers home. The highly laborious and dangerous operation rescued 3,862 people from Sudan, informed External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Twitter. He also appreciated the countries that helped India evacuate its citizens safely.

“From Jeddah, airforce and commercial flights have brought people home. We are grateful to Saudi Arabia for hosting them and facilitating this process. Also appreciate the support of Chad, Egypt, France, South Sudan, UAE, UK, USA and UN,” he added.

The Indian Air Force chauffeured 17 flights from Sudan, while five Indian Navy ships were involved in the operation.  The evacuation programme – named after the South India river – was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 24. To facilitate the evacuation of passengers smoothly, New Delhi set up separate control rooms in Jeddah and Port Sudan, while the Indian embassy in Khartoum remained in close contact with the Ministry of External Affairs.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted French President Emmanuel Macron’s invitation to be the guest of honour at France’s traditional military parade held during Bastille Day on 14 July. An Indian armed forces contingent will also take part in the parade alongside French forces, said the French presidency in a statement.

 The Indian Prime Minister’s visit will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the “strategic partnership” between France and India. The visit will also allow joint initiatives to address challenges such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and achieving sustainable development targets, said the French presidency.

India and France entered into a Strategic Partnership in 1998. The primary pillars of this partnership are defence and security cooperation, space collaboration and civil nuclear cooperation. Both countries are expanding their collaboration in sectors such as maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region, counter-terrorism, climate change, renewable energy and sustainable growth and development.

July 14 is marked as France’s National Day. Every Bastille Day, Paris’ famous avenue des Champs-Elysées hosts a military parade, which is similar to India’s Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path. Since 1951, French heads of state have been the Republic Day guests of honour five times. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the 2nd Indian PM to be the guest of honour at Bastille Day, after Manmohan Singh in 2009.