The four additional Philippine military bases that the United States now has access to under a 2014 defence and security deal will not be used for offensive actions, said Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on April 10. Ferdinand Marcos Jr statement came after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning warned that Manila’s decision to expand the number of military bases under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with Washington may draw the Philippines “into a whirlpool of a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait”. Manila and Washington in February agreed to ex
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met her Saudi Arabia counterpart, Mohammed Aljadaan and discussed the global debt crisis and strengthening of the multilateral development banks – an initiative under India’s G-20 presidency. The finance ministers met on the sidelines of the annual Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington on April 12. In a series of tweets, the ministers shared their experiences. “H.E. Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and I discussed the #G20 agenda, and the progress made,” Aljadaan said in a tweet. Am
After it shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon in February, the US military held a brief conversation with the Indian side and other like-minded countries to update them about the matter, a senior American military commander said on April 10. General Kenneth S Wilsbach, commander of the US Pacific Air Forces, said the country held the interaction behind closed doors with most of the air chiefs of the region. The suspected giant Chinese balloon was supposedly spying on key military sites across America. The US used fighter jets to bring down the balloon off the coast of South C
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 rebu
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
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 Cagaya
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 jo
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
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 an
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