Category: Politics

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has requested India for additional medicines and medical equipment.

The letter came during the three-day visit to India by Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister Emine Dzhaparova, when she met Union Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi, a statement from the foreign ministry said on April 12. Both the ministers exchanged views on bilateral and global issues of mutual interest. Cultural ties and women empowerment also figured in the discussion.

“The Ukrainian Deputy FM also proposed that rebuilding infrastructure in Ukraine could be an opportunity for Indian companies,” the statement added. It added that the next Inter-Governmental Commission between New Delhi and Kyiv would be held in India on a mutually convenient date.

India has assured of providing enhanced humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

During her visit, Emine Dzhaparova held bilateral talks with Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West), MEA. The bilateral agenda included spheres such as economic, defence, humanitarian assistance, and global issues of mutual interest. The Ukraine deputy foreign minister briefed the Secretary (West) about the prevailing situation in Ukraine. The two sides agreed to hold the next round of Foreign Office Consultations in Kyiv on a mutually convenient date, according to a statement released by the MEA.

External Affairs Minister of India, S. Jaishankar on April 11 met his Ugandan counterpart General Odongo Jeje in Kampala and took stock of the “close and historical ties” between the two nations, and explored the possibilities of partnerships in trade, investments, energy, defence and air connectivity.

Jaishankar is on a two-nation visit to Uganda and Mozambique from April 10-15 to strengthen India’s robust bilateral relations with the two African countries. He affirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Kampala principles will be further implemented with a focus on digital, green and health projects. The minister, who arrived in Uganda on April 10, met President Yoweri Museveni at his farm in Rwakitura and conveyed to him the personal greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and reiterated India’s full support to Uganda for a very successful chairship of the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM).

In 2018, Prime Minister Modi unveiled a set of 10 guiding principles that would dictate India’s engagement with Africa. In his speech at the Ugandan parliament, he outlined a vision for not only a bilateral relationship with Africa, but also a partnership at the global level.

The External Affairs Minister also participated in the virtual groundbreaking ceremony of solar-powered piped drinking water supply systems funded by the Exim Bank in Uganda. He said India would like to use the G20 presidency to get the forum focussed on its mandate which is global growth and development and issues important for Uganda.

The Philippines on April 3 announced the locations of four new military bases the US will gain access to, under an expanded defense agreement. The bases include three on the main island of Luzon, close to Taiwan, and one in Palawan province in the South China Sea (SCS).

The four new sites are Balabac Island in Palawan; Naval Base Camilo Osias in Santa Ana, Cagayan province; Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan; and Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela. In a press release, Philippine Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. called the four bases “very strategic,” especially the naval base in Cagayan and the one on Balabac Island.

The new locations, opened up under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Arrangement (EDCA), will allow the US to rotate troops to a total of nine bases throughout the Philippines, including on the strategically important Balabac Island close to Chinese installations in the SCS.

“These new locations will strengthen the interoperability of the United States and Philippine Armed Forces and allow us to respond more seamlessly together to address a range of shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, including natural and humanitarian disasters,” said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh during a briefing.

The announcement follows a spate of high-profile US military agreements throughout the region, including plans to share defense technologies with India and deploy new US Marine units to Japanese islands.

Calling India, Russia and China to be emerging “major powers” with notable influence, Beijing has said that it is ready to boost ties with Moscow and New Delhi.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning on April 5 said this while responding to TASS Agency’s question about Russia’s new foreign policy concept. “As the international and regional landscape is facing profound and complex changes, we are ready to strengthen communication with the international community, including Russia and India, and send a positive signal to the world about defending true multilateralism and jointly responding to global challenges,” she added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 31 signed the new Foreign Policy Concept, which said strengthening and deepening relations with China and India is a diplomatic priority for Russia. The 42-page document predominantly recognised ties with China and India, stressing the importance of “the deepening of ties and coordination with friendly sovereign global centres of power and development located on the Eurasian continent.”

According to the document, Russia will continue to build a particularly privileged strategic partnership with India with a view to enhancing and expanding cooperation in all areas on a mutually beneficial basis and place special emphasis on increasing the volume of bilateral trade, strengthening investment and technological ties, and ensuring their resistance to destructive actions of unfriendly states and their alliances.

The Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers have met for the first time in seven years, weeks after the two countries came to an agreement to restore diplomatic relations.

Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Iran’s Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met in Beijing to discuss the reopening of embassies, the appointment of ambassadors and a planned visit to Saudi Arabia by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. The ministers also discussed resuming flights between the two countries and issuing travel visas for each others’ citizens.

Meanwhile, Iran on April 4 appointed an ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the first time since 2016. The decision came amid a realignment of relations between Gulf states and Iran.

The newly appointed ambassador of Iran, Reza Ameri had served as the Director General of the Iranian expatriates’ office in the Foreign Ministry. The appointment comes after the UAE last August moved to upgrade ties and said it was returning its ambassador to Tehran.

The UAE downgraded relations with Iran after Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran in January 2016 after Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran following Riyadh’s execution of a prominent Shiite cleric. The UAE, which has business and trade ties with Iran stretching back more than a century, started re-engaging with Tehran in 2019 after attacks in Gulf waters and on Saudi energy sites.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s approval ratings remain to be the highest among 22 world leaders at 76%, as per the latest rankings by approval tracker Morning Consult. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Australian PM Anthony Albanese were in the second and third spots. Swiss Confederation President Alain Berset and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva are among the top five of the ratings by the global decision intelligence firm that tracks the major decisions of global leaders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has surpassed his US and UK counterparts, Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak to become the world’s ‘most popular’ leader. The list of top 10 most popular world leaders include Giorgia Meloni (Italy), Joe Biden (United States), Alexander De Croo (Belgium), Justin Trudeau (Canada), and Pedro Sánchez (Spain). Out of the 22 countries, Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala, France’s Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Yoon Seok-youl ranked among the last three.

“The latest approval ratings are based on data collected from March 22-28, 2023. Approval ratings are based on a seven-day moving average of adult residents in each country, with sample sizes varying by country,” the website said.

Morning Consult said all interviews it conducted were online among nationally representative samples of adults.

India has been elected to the United Nations Statistical Commission for a four-year term. The country received 46 out of 53 votes, ahead of South Korea (23), China (19), and the UAE (15).

“India elected to the highest UN statistical body for a 4-year term beginning on 1 January 2024! Congrats Team @IndiaUNNewYork for coming through so strongly in a competitive election,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted on April 5. The union minister added that India’s “expertise in the field of statistics, diversity & demography has earned it a seat on the UN Statistical Commission.”

India was elected to the statistical body by secret ballot, while Argentina, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Ukraine, the United Republic of Tanzania, and the United States of America were elected by acclamation for a four-year term of office beginning January 1, 2024.

Established in 1947, the United Nations Statistical Commission is the highest body of the global statistical system bringing together the Chief Statisticians from member states from around the world. It is the highest decision-making body for international statistical activities, responsible for setting of statistical standards and the development of concepts and methods, including their implementation at the national and international level. The Commission has 24 UN member countries that are elected by the United Nations Economic and Social Council based on an equitable geographical distribution.

On a three-day visit to India, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan, called on President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

President Droupadi Murmu said that India is proud to support projects in Bhutan in sectors such as health, education, agriculture, infrastructure, digitization and skill development. She assured that India’s development partnership would continue to be guided by the priorities and aspirations of Bhutan. She noted that this year Bhutan is set to graduate from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category and embark on the path towards becoming a high income economy. She said that India would remain a reliable partner of Bhutan on this journey.

The conversation between the Bhutanese monarch and Prime Minister Modi covered the entire gamut of issues, said Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra at a special media briefing.

Bhutan appreciated India extending the Standby Credit Facility at a reduced interest rate and extended settlement period, and for providing an additional currency swap support of $200 million. Bhutan also looked at expanding partnerships for frontiers of space, startups and STEM education. India has promised to step up assistance for the 13th five year plan for Bhutan. On the cards is also an integrated check post, as well as cooperation on an energy engagement, said sources.

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has distributed food baskets in countries around the world as part of Ramadan aid efforts.

KSrelief distributed 108 tonnes of food baskets to disadvantaged communities in Lebanon and Bangladesh. In Lebanon, Syrian and Palestinian refugees as well as the host community in Arsal town of Beqaa governorate received about 84 tonnes of food baskets. The center also distributed 24 tonnes of food baskets in Nuwabara, Islampur and Jamalpur of Bangladesh, benefitting 1,000 families.

This initiative is part of the relief and humanitarian projects that the Kingdom provides through KSrelief to the needy and friendly people and countries around the world during the holy month of Ramadan.

Earlier, KSRelief had distributed 9 tonnes of food baskets in Kouffo department of Benin, where 900 individuals were benefitted. In Elbasan, Albania, the center distributed 4 tonnes of food baskets, benefiting 300 individuals. Under the aid, shelter materials, such as 200 sleeping mattresses, 200 blankets, and 100 tents, have been distributed to the earthquake-affected victims in many countryside of Idlib, northern Syria, benefiting 536 individuals of 100 families; 1,500 food baskets were distributed in Central Darfur State, Sudan, benefiting 11,340 individuals. Eight tonnes of food baskets have benefited 600 people of the neediest groups in Chad’s capital N’Djamena, among other places.

US NATO Ambassador Julianne Smith, while speaking on North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and strengthening relationships with South Asia and the Indo-Pacific, virtually said the organisation is ready to engage more with India if the country is interested. The Ambassador stressed that currently there are no plans by the alliance to expand this to a broader global military alliance.

Appreciating India’s role in the Russia-Ukraine war, the US envoy said that she is grateful for the humanitarian assistance that the country has been able to provide.

“The NATO alliance is open to more engagement should India seek that. NATO currently has 40 different partners around the World and each individual partnership is different. Various countries come to the door seeking different levels of political engagement, sometimes countries are much more interested in working on interoperability, and standardization questions. So, they vary. But, the message that has already been sent back to India is that the NATO alliance is certainly open to more engagement with India, should that country take interest in pursuing that,” Smith said in a virtual press briefing.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization currently has 30 members.