On Sunday, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed came to India for their first bilateral visit, a watershed moment in developing relations between the two countries. Kiriti Vardhan Singh, Union Minister of State for External Affairs, greeted them when they arrived. The visit aims to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties, which have been strained in recent years. President Muizzu will meet with President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to talk about economic cooperation, maritime security, and regional issues. On Monday, he will attend a ceremoni
India and the United States are negotiating an agreement to boost collaboration in vital minerals. The issue will focus on India's Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal's visit to Washington from September 30 to October 3. The visit is at the invitation of US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. Goyal and Raimondo will address methods for diversifying and expanding vital mineral supply networks between India and the United States. According to the Commerce Ministry, both countries are negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to capitalise on their complementary strengths and i
According to a statement issued by Greece's foreign ministry on Wednesday, Greece and Turkey are considering beginning conversations about demarcating respective maritime zones. Both countries, NATO partners with a long history of friction, have been at odds for decades over problems ranging from airspace conflicts to marine authority in the eastern Mediterranean, as well as Cyprus' unresolved status. The designation of maritime zones is critical in deciding rights to potential natural gas reserves and future power infrastructure developments. While tensions were intense in the past, new e
Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Sri Lanka's freshly elected president, has named Harini Amarasuriya, a college professor and first-time legislator, as the country's prime minister. Amarasuriya, 54, earned a degree in social anthropology from the University of Edinburgh and was elected to parliament in 2020 as part of Dissanayake's National People's Power Coalition. Selects Harini Amarasuriya, Sri Lanka's third woman prime minister, succeeding Sirimavo Bandaranaike and her daughter Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. Dissanayake, a Marxist politician, was elected president on Saturday. He now
The United States has maintained its support for India's permanent membership on the United Nations Security Council. This endorsement was noted in a joint statement issued by the Quad nations—India, Australia, Japan, and the United States—that emphasised the need for UNSC reform to reflect modern geopolitical realities. During a conversation with Prime Minister Modi, President Biden highlighted the United States' support for India's membership in a reformed UN Security Council. The White House highlighted the importance of changing global institutions to include India's voice, signall
In a significant boost to India's semiconductor ambitions, US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have established strategic cooperation to build the country's first national security semiconductor fabrication factory, Bharat Semi Fab. This collaboration between India's Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the United States Space Force is the two countries' first semiconductor cooperation, with the fab focussing on cutting-edge technology for national security and vital sectors. The Bharat Semi Fab, dubbed "Shakti," will manufacture infrared, gallium nitride, and silicon carbide sem
India inked major agreements under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United States. The agreements are aimed at creating a clean and fair economy, supporting India's goal of self-reliance, and strengthening collaboration with other IPEF members. IPEF, a US-led project begun two years ago, has 14 members, including Australia, Japan, Korea, and the United States. India had already approved the supply chain resilience agreement and has recently signed agreements on a clean economy (Pillar III) and fair economy (Pillar IV). The Cle
The Union Cabinet has approved a report by a committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind on the "One Nation, One Election" notion, which is an essential part of the BJP's 2024 manifesto. The research describes a legally sound framework for holding simultaneous polls across India, with the goal of streamlining the process and lowering expenses. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the report was widely supported and unanimously approved by the Cabinet. He stated that an implementation group would be formed to carry out the panel's recommendations and foster talks around the
On Monday, British trade ministers began their first combined travel to the Gulf, to explore a new trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Trade Policy Minister Douglas Alexander are leading conversations with their GCC counterparts. Trade has been a difficult sector for the UK recently, with Brexit frequently identified as a contributing cause. The administration, founded following Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party's majority victory in J
On Monday, the British Foreign Office announced the launch of three strategic assessments aimed at increasing the country's worldwide impact and international position. By the end of the year, the external expert-led reviews should be complete. They are part of the UK's broader efforts to rebalance its foreign policy in response to changing global dynamics. These studies will look at major issues crucial for Britain's future on the global stage. The first priority will be to reinforce Britain's diplomatic partnerships to better adapt to geopolitical shifts. The second assessment will look