India and the United Arab Emirates strengthened their economic partnership during the third Joint Committee meeting under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in New Delhi. Ajay Bhadoo, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce, and Juma Al Kait, the UAE's Assistant Undersecretary for International Trade Affairs, co-chaired the session. According to officials, bilateral commerce increased by 19.6% to USD 100.06 billion in FY 2024-25, maintaining the UAE's status as India's key trading partner. The review covered several trade-related topics, including market acc
India will host its first UNESCO meeting on safeguarding intangible cultural assets at Delhi's Red Fort from December 8-13, prompting the monument's closure from December 5-14. The Archaeological Survey of India declared that the global event will take place at Emperor Shah Jahan's 17th-century Mughal landmark, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The session, chaired by Vishal V Sharma, India's Ambassador to UNESCO, will be the 20th of its type since the 2003 UN Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage was adopted. It will assess international nominations, debate preservation strategies, and e
India has acquired the hosting rights for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, with Ahmedabad as the venue. The news was made at the Commonwealth Games Federation's General Assembly in Glasgow. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the nation on X Day, expressing pleasure in India's expanding worldwide sporting influence and invited the world to join the celebrations in 2030. His message emphasised India's dedication to sportsmanship and the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. This marks India's return as host after two decades, prompting celebrations at New Delhi's Major Dhyan Chand National S
The 13th India-Oman Joint Military Cooperation Committee meeting was held in New Delhi. It was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh and Oman's Secretary General of Defence, Dr Mohammed Bin Naseer Bin Ali Al Zaabi. The officials reviewed the two countries' strong defence collaboration and discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation across multiple areas. Both sides expressed their views on regional and global security trends, particularly in the Indian Ocean Region. They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening defence industrial collaboration, which includes join
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the end of his three-day visit and conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's greetings. He shared updates on delegation-level discussions, including conversations with Israel's Economy Minister, Nir Barkat. Goyal stated that the India-Israel Business Forum and CEOs Forum received significant participation from Indian industry leaders who accompanied him. He informed Netanyahu that both sides had signed the Terms of Reference to formally commence Free Trade Agreement negotiations, paving th
On the opening day of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced six global initiatives that represent India's vision for inclusive growth. He advocated establishing a Global Traditional Knowledge Repository to preserve and share humanity's collective wisdom, an Africa Skills Multiplier Programme to train one million certified instructors for youth skilling, and a Global Healthcare Response Team to be deployed during health crises. He also called for joint action against the drug-terror network through a dedicated G20 initiative to disrupt trafficking and
South Korea and the UAE expanded their partnership by signing a number of new agreements covering artificial intelligence, aerospace, nuclear energy, and economic cooperation. The deals were finalized during President Lee Jae Myung's visit to Abu Dhabi, where he was welcomed by UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. According to Seoul's presidential office, the two countries signed seven memorandums of understanding to expand cooperation in advanced technology, defence, and intellectual property. Both presidents discussed strengthening their strategic connections and identifying long-
India and Australia have agreed to expand their research partnership in agricultural and water sustainability, with both focusing on increasing scientific cooperation and academic exchanges. The renewed momentum followed the Australia-India Water Centre's fifth anniversary celebrations, which took place from November 17 to 19 at Western Sydney University. The event brought together experts, institutions, and policymakers to discuss climate-resilient agriculture and mounting water-related concerns in both countries. Senior officials stated that discussions focused on extending cooperative r
Ahmed Salim, Maldives Minister for Cities, Local Government, and Public Works, met with Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh in New Delhi to learn about India's emerging governance practices. The seminar discussed India's approach to public administration, policy delivery, and institutional coordination. The discussions took place while a 30-member Maldivian team visited India for a Capacity Building Training Programme conducted by the National Centre for Good Governance. The programme was organised in response to a request from the Maldives government and aims to familiarise officials with India
Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Finance Minister, met with Saudi Arabia's Investment Minister, Khalid Al Falih, in New Delhi. The summit aimed to accelerate economic cooperation and improve existing ties between the two countries. Both leaders discussed the status of the Bilateral Investment Treaty, which has been in negotiations for some time. They agreed that completing the pact as soon as possible would assist in improving two-way investment flows and create greater opportunities for long-term collaboration. The Ministry of Finance revealed the specifics of the discussions in a post on X.