Category: Politics

To mark the 60 years of Friendship between India and Europe, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen arrived in New Delhi. The nations have maintained a robust strategic relationship and looking forward to enhancing cooperation.

In 1962, Ambassador K.B. Lall presented his credentials to Mr. Walter Hallstein, the first President of the European Economic Community (EEC), authorizing diplomatic relations with India as one of the first countries in Asia to do so. Since then, India-EU relations have become progressively closer, evolving into a strategic partnership in the 21st century.

Taking to Twitter Ursula tweeted before meeting Prime Minister Modi for discussions, “I’m off to New Delhi as we celebrate 60 years of relations. 60 years during which we built a solid friendship and cooperation that we now both want to take to the next level. Looking forward to my discussions with @narendramodi”. In another tweet, she said, “Let us take the European Union-India partnership forward. This would mean negotiating ambitious trade and investment agreements, connecting the world with the global gateway, driving the digital revolution, fighting climate change and achieving a just energy transition”. She was invited as the Chief Guest for this year’s edition of Raisina Dialogue and address the inaugural session.

On Tuesday, India’s Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia met his Canadian counterpart Omar Alghabra to discuss the open sky policy. Scindia was on a three-day visit to Canada which was the first bilateral visit by an Indian Cabinet Minister to Canada in two years.

The open skies policy involves direct and indirect flights between countries.

Scindia said in an interview that the policy will be pursued “to promote greater facilitation from both countries in terms of connectivity. We outlined the next steps on our engagement with Canada”. According to him, he had “a very fruitful exchange” with Alghabra.

The next step as per the aviation minister involves and memorandum of understanding (MoU) “to be signed on civil aviation cooperation, which will give details of MRO (maintenance, overhaul and repair), helicopter emergency medical services, aircraft manufacturing, pretty much across the board”.

However, the MoU expired in 2019 which was signed in 2016. It needs to be revalidated and Scidia promised it will be possible in two weeks span. The new agreement will aim to deepen technical cooperation in the aviation sector. The Air Transport Agreement (ATA) was also on the agenda between the two countries.

India and France issued a joint statement of France’s commitment to supporting India’s bid for permanent membership in a reformed UN Security Council along with New Delhi’s entry into the Nuclear Supplier’s Group.

According to a joint statement issued on Wednesday, both nations agreed to maintain strong coordination within the framework of the G20 and France reiterated its support for India’s efforts to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

In its latest media statement, India said it continues to engage with NSG members in order to gain early support for India’s membership bid.

The Indian government has been leading efforts at the UN to address long-pending reforms of the Security Council, pressing that India deserves a permanent seat at the UN high table as a permanent member.

Currency there are five permanent members and 10 non-permanent member countries at the UN Security Council. The non-permanent member is elected for a two-year term by the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Russia, the U.K., China, France, and the U.S. are the five permanent members of the Security Council, and they can veto any substantive resolution. To reflect global realities today, there is an increasing demand for more permanent members.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi participated in the second India-Nordic Summit in Denmark’s capital Copenhagen and invited Nordic companies to invest in India’s Sagarmala project. He also invited companies to invest in the Blue Economy sector.

The meeting was attended by Denmark’s Prime Minister  Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir of Iceland, Prime minister of Sweden Magdalena Andersson, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store of Norway and Prime Minister Sanna Marin of Finland.

As per the release, discussions were held on multilateral cooperation in post-economic recovery, sustainable development, climate change, digitalisation, innovation, and green and clean growth. Leaders also discussed cooperation in the maritime sector with an aim of sustainable ocean management.

The meeting is held to provide an opportunity to review the progress of the India-Nordic relation. The first summit was held in Stockholm in 2018. During the summit, Mr Modi also invited the sovereign wealth funds of the Nordic countries to invest in India.

India and the Nordic countries also discussed their partnership in the Arctic Region during the summit. According to Prime Minister Modi, India’s Arctic Policy provides a good framework for expanding India-Nordic cooperation in the Arctic region.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss ways to jointly increase the mobility of students professionals and skilled workers. Mr Modi was on a 3-nation tour and visited France to discuss the issues of bilateral and mutual interests along with regional and global development.

Both nations are working together to strengthen their efforts to combat irregular migration between the two nations.

According to the joint statement, “Recognising the benefit of bilateral student mobility France maintains the objective of 20,000 Indian students by 2025 which will create opportunities for new businesses, start-ups and innovation between the two countries”. Additionally, the two sides will work together to expand the mobility of students, graduates, professionals, and skilled workers, while also stepping up efforts to combat irregular migration.

The Partnership Agreement on Migration and Mobility came into force on October 1, 2021, to facilitate temporary circular migration on the basis of mobility and encourage skilled workers to their home country.

Mr Modi concluded his European tour early on Thursday. In Germany and Denmark, he held bilateral meetings to boost ties in areas such as energy, trade, and green technologies.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi called for a rethink of the EU’s mechanisms to address unprecedented challenges such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and soaring energy costs.

Draghi addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg and said,  “The institution set up by our predecessors in previous decades have served well European citizens, but are inadequate to the current reality we are now facing”. He visions the EU in a form of “pragmatic federalism” that will include joint decision-making for sectors including the economy, energy, defence and foreign policy. He said that if this requires changing EU treaties we should embrace it.

He added that closer coordination of defence and foreign policy decisions is needed to address crises facing the EU, Draghi said, calling for an acceleration of the European integration process. This year, France, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU, has prioritized enhancing the EU’s defence coordination.

Since the Russian invasion, the bloc’s unity has been challenged by both Vladimir Putin’s demand that gas is bought in rubles and an EU push to ban Russian oil, with member states divided over how to proceed. It has indicated that Hungary is ready to veto oil sanctions if the measures restrict its ability to import energy too much, while Poland wants to move faster since it had its gas supplies cut by Russia last week.

On Monday, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha announced a new defence agreement along with plans to upgrade their economic relations. Kishida wrapped up the last leg of a three-nation tour of Southeast Asia.

The joint statement by Prayuth said, “This will help improve national defence and support investment from Japan in this activity which is an important goal for Thailand”. He said he discussed betterment in supply chains along with the drafting of a five-year economic partnership with Japan.

As per the agreement, Japan will transfer defence gear and technology to Thailand, which has one of the largest armies in Southeast Asia and a longstanding relationship with the United States military. Further details on the agreement are not disclosed yet.

Southeast Asia, home to some of Japan’s biggest names in the industry, from infrastructure and engineering to transportation and electronics, has been an important region for decades.

As a result, the region remains a battleground between Japan’s close ally, the United States, and the region’s biggest trading partner, China. As part of his three-day visit, Kishida also visited Vietnam and Indonesia, where Japanese firms maintain a large presence

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to meet Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday. President is also scheduled to meet King Salman bin Abdulaziz of which no confirmation was made.

The meeting will mark a turnaround in relations that hit a low following the murder of a prominent Saudi critic at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul in 2018. However, this meeting will be with direct knowledge of the Turkish president’s programme.

Since President Joe Biden took office, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have been working on a rapprochement. The efforts are part of a broader realignment that has seen rivals in the region heal rifts and step back from conflicts.

Erdogan’s office released the statement, “Turkey and Saudi Arabia will seek to develop all aspects of relations between the two countries during the visit and exchange views on regional and international issues”.

Earlier this month, the trial of the Saudi agents who killed Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi on Turkish soil ended in Turkey. As a result of it transferring the case to Saudi Arabia, it removed a major obstacle to improved ties and Erdogan’s visit.

The White House released a statement in which it said, President Joe Biden will officially visit South Korea and Japan next for the Quad Summit where he is also scheduled to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, “This trip will advance the Biden-Harris administration’s rock-solid commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The leader will discuss opportunities to deepen our vital security relationships, enhance economic ties and expand our close cooperation to deliver practical results”.

Psaki further added that in Tokyo, Biden will meet the leaders of the Quad group of Australia, India, and Japan.

Biden’s trip to Japan and South Korea is scheduled from May 20 to 24 where he will be holding bilateral meetings with South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.

With China’s growing military presence in the strategic region, the US, Australia, India and Japan gave shape to the long-pending proposal to create a quad for the purpose of developing a new plan to ensure the sea routes in the Indo-Pacific remain free from influence. Artificial islands and military installations were built in the South China Sea by Beijing.

The World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) twelfth ministerial conference will take place from June 12-15 in Geneva. The Ministerial Conference (MC) is the highest decision-making body of the Geneva-based multilateral organization.

Trade ministers and other senior officials from the member nations will be attending the conference. The MC usually takes place every two years, and it brings together all WTO members, all of which are countries or customs unions.

WTO said in a statement, “In a communication forwarded to WTO members on April 25, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Lweala, Chair of the 12th MC Mr Timur Suleimenov of Kazakhstan and General Council CHair Ambassador Didier Chambovey of Switzerland informed delegations that the WTO’s 12th MC will take place on June 12-15, 2022 at WTO headquarters in Geneva”.

Initially, the meeting was scheduled from November 3- to December 3 in 2021. However, it was postponed due to an outbreak of the Omicron variant which imposed several travel restrictions and quarantine requirements in Switzerland and other European countries.

The WTO formulates rules for global exports and imports and adjudicates disputes regarding trade between two or more countries. The last MC was held on December 10-13, 2017 in Buenos Aires.