On Monday, Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal said that the UK and India have decided to resume negotiations on a long-standing trade pact. The two nations intend to expedite negotiations and finalise important trade measures. Goyal made the announcement during a joint press briefing with UK Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds. Reynolds is in India to restart conversations that were stopped last year owing to general elections in both nations. With global trade facing increasing uncertainty, including potential retaliatory tariffs from the US, the resumption of discussions is
With several cultural and commercial events aimed at enhancing bilateral ties, Thailand and Singapore commemorated 60 years of diplomatic relations. The collaboration has expanded to include technology development, travel, and cultural exchange in addition to conventional diplomacy. The PromptPay-PayNow cross-border payment system, which has transformed financial transactions between the two countries, is one of the major advancements. In addition to improving ease, this smooth integration establishes a standard for digital financial cooperation throughout Southeast Asia. Another highli
India and Malaysia have agreed to improve their defence ties by increasing cooperation in critical sectors such as maritime security, defence production, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. The decision was made during the 13th meeting of the Malaysia-India Defence Cooperation Committee, which was held in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. Rajesh Kumar Singh, India's defence secretary, and Lokman Hakim Bin Ali, Malaysia's defence secretary-general, co-chaired the meeting. Both parties engaged in comprehensive discussions about practical steps to strengthen bilateral defence engagements, as
Qatar pledged to spend USD 10 billion in India, ushering in a new chapter in the two countries' economic partnership. This statement followed Qatar's Amir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani's visit to India, during which both countries took important steps to strengthen bilateral ties. The investment will largely target infrastructure, technology, manufacturing, food security, logistics, and hospitality. Furthermore, India and Qatar have set an ambitious goal of doubling bilateral trade by 2030, with talks on a potential Free Trade Agreement (FTA) ongoing. To boost financial cooperation,
Brazil is strengthening its agricultural connections with the UAE through a high-profile trade delegation organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. The visit is intended to strengthen trade connections and reinforce Brazil's position as a major food supplier to the UAE. Vice-Minister Iraja Rezende de Lacerda leads the mission, which includes top officials with expertise in trade, agricultural defence, and policy planning. This project emphasises the importance of Brazil's agribusiness sector in ensuring food security in the UAE. Trade between Brazil and the UAE has increas
In a strategic move to strengthen academic and research connections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited American universities and educational institutions to build offshore campuses in India. He emphasised the need to improve people-to-people relations between the two countries and announced plans to establish new Indian consulates in Los Angeles and Boston. Speaking at a joint press conference, PM Modi emphasised the importance of the Indian diaspora in the US, which continues to create stronger ties. He argued that bringing American universities to India would improve knowledge sha
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level bilateral meeting with Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. The discussions centred on boosting diplomatic ties and expanding cooperation across sectors. The meeting comprised delegation-level talks during which both presidents reaffirmed their commitment to developing India-Qatar relations. When the Emir arrived, Prime Minister Modi greeted him with a handshake and exchanged pleasantries before the discussion began. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sithara
On February 14, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually addressed the fourth edition of SAMVAD (the Global Hindu-Buddhist Initiative for Conflict Avoidance and Environmental Consciousness). He attended the event from the United States, where he was on an official visit from February 12 to 13 (February 14 in India). The SAMVAD conference will be held from February 14 to 17 in Bangkok and Ayutthaya, Thailand. Ayutthaya, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has strong cultural ties with India, as its name is derived from Ayodhya. It was established in 1350 CE by King Uthong, who eventually took
The Assam government plans to sign two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Japan and Singapore at the Advantage Assam 2.0 investors' meeting, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Saturday. Speaking at a news conference in Guwahati, CM Sarma said that Japan is interested in hiring over 50,000 qualified professionals from Assam. Meanwhile, Singapore is eager to attract nurses from the state, expanding its employment chances abroad. Reflecting on Advantage Assam 1.0's achievements, he highlighted two key infrastructure projects: the Paradeep to Numaligarh crude pipeline and th
Malaysia and Indonesia have reaffirmed their commitment to increasing bilateral and regional cooperation in agricultural and food security. In a statement issued today, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security emphasised the importance of bilateral collaboration. The debate occurred during a courtesy visit by Indonesia's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Arif Havas Oegroseno, to Malaysia's Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister, Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup. Both sides looked into methods to improve food security efforts and agricultural alliances to ensure long-term viability.