The Philippines has praised India’s handling of the 2026 BRICS Summit and highlighted the importance of the BrahMos missile system in its defence relationship with New Delhi. Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro described BrahMos as an important element of bilateral defence ties. The comments followed the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, where Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr attended as the current chair of ASEAN. Manila had identified the summit as an opportunity to present ASEAN priorities and strengthen engagement with major emerging economies. The Philippine governm
Sri Lanka has assured India that it will never allow its territory to be used for activities that threaten Indian security interests. The two countries signed three defence agreements during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Colombo. The assurance was given by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who also serves as the country’s Defence Minister. He reiterated the position during talks with Singh, referring to his earlier discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The statement came against the backdrop of China’s expanding presence in the Indian Ocean region
Germany and the United Arab Emirates are set to sign several agreements worth billions of dollars as they look to deepen cooperation in investment, artificial intelligence and energy. The agreements are expected to be signed during UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to Berlin. UAE Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh said the deals would open a new stage in relations between the two countries. Germany and the UAE already have longstanding partnerships in several sectors. Their non-oil trade is worth about $15.5 billion a year. Both countries are now looking to bro
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold bilateral talks in New Delhi on September 11, ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit. Putin is visiting India for the summit, which will take place in New Delhi on September 12 and 13 under India’s BRICS chairmanship. Leaders of BRICS member and partner countries, along with outreach invitees, are expected to attend. The two leaders are expected to discuss bilateral relations, global developments and the war in Ukraine. The meeting will also give Putin an opportunity to brief Modi on the latest situation on the fronts
India and the United Arab Emirates are taking their defence partnership to a new level as closer strategic cooperation creates fresh opportunities for both countries and strengthens security ties across West Asia. The two countries signed a Letter of Intent for a bilateral Strategic Defence Partnership in January 2026, followed by a Strategic Framework for Defence Industrial Collaboration in May. While their relationship has traditionally been anchored by trade, investment, energy and the strong Indian community in the UAE, defence cooperation is now emerging as an important pillar of the
Singapore and Luxembourg are looking to use their close partnership to strengthen ties between ASEAN and the European Union as Singapore prepares to take over the ASEAN chairmanship in 2027. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden agreed on the importance of closer ASEAN-EU relations during Frieden’s official visit to Singapore. Wong said Luxembourg’s long-standing support for European integration and Singapore’s backing of a stronger ASEAN could help bring the two regions closer. Economic ties already form an important part of the relationship
Indonesia has pledged to work with other ASEAN countries to tackle widespread fires and transboundary haze. The government says it has remained in regular contact with neighboring countries through the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution. The framework supports regional efforts to manage fires and deal with the haze they cause. The ASEAN Secretariat declared a level-three haze alert on August 26. It is the highest level under the regional monitoring system. The alert signals extreme fires and unhealthy air. It also highlights the risks that worsening conditions pose to pu
The European Union and ASEAN have discussed closer coordination on preparing for future health emergencies and responding to emerging threats. The talks were held at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta on September 4. Dr Florika Fink-Hooijer represented the European Union, while ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn attended for the regional bloc. Fink-Hooijer heads the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, or HERA. Both regions face similar risks from emerging infectious diseases. Climate change could increase those risks, while growing intern
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever focused on trade, diamonds and logistics during a series of business engagements in Mumbai on September 4. One of his main stops was HRD Antwerp’s renovated and expanded diamond grading laboratory at the Bandra Kurla Complex. The expansion has increased capacity by 30%, allowing the facility to examine and grade up to 2,000 diamonds a day. The visit also highlighted the close links between India’s diamond industry and Antwerp, one of the world’s major diamond trading centres. HRD Antwerp said its Indian operations now account for 59% of the org
Russia and Indonesia are looking to expand their cooperation after talks between President Vladimir Putin and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at the 11th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. Putin invited Prabowo as the forum’s main guest of honour. It was their sixth meeting. Putin described Indonesia as one of Russia’s key partners in Southeast Asia. He said bilateral trade grew by more than 12% last year. The two countries already trade in areas such as agriculture and energy. Bilateral trade was worth around $5 billion in 2025, according to Prabowo. That was a 21.7% rise