Ministry Of External Affairs

Reports claiming ammunition from India entering Ukraine speculative: MEA

India on Thursday described as "inaccurate" a media report that said artillery shells sold by Indian arms manufacturers have been diverted by European customers to Ukraine and New Delhi has not intervened to stop it. "We have seen the Reuters report. It is speculative and misleading. It implies violations by India, where none exist and hence, is inaccurate and mischievous," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. He said India has an "impeccable" track record of compliance with international obligations on the export of military and dual-use items. "India has been carrying out its defence exports taking into account its international obligations on non-proliferation and based on its own robust legal and regulatory framework, which includes a holistic assessment of relevant criteria, including end-user obligations and certifications," Jaiswal said. Artillery shells sold by Indian arms makers have been diverted by European customers to Ukraine and New De

India engaged with partners on Russia-Ukraine peace, no proposal yet: MEA

India has expressed that it is ready to support peace initiative in Russia-Ukraine crisis, Putin also said that Brics nations, which include India, could act as mediators in potential peace talks

Tharoor to lead external affairs committee; Digvijaya to chair edu panel

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor will head the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs and veteran leader Digvijaya Singh will head the panel on education, party sources said on Thursday. Former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi will lead the parliamentary standing committee on agriculture and Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka will head the panel on rural development. Channi, who is a Dalit, and Ulaka, who hails from a tribal community, were chosen by the party with social justice being the centrepiece of all recent appointments. The leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has been stressing the participation of the deprived sections in governance and calling for the party organisation to be more inclusive. The sources said the Congress has forwarded the names of the four leaders to head the four department-related parliamentary standing committees it has been assigned to lead. While there has been no official notification on the chairship of the .

India sends 32 tonnes of relief supplies to Myanmar under 'Sadbhav'

India on Tuesday sent 32 tonnes of relief supplies to Myanmar in a military transport aircraft under its operation 'Sadbhav' launched two days ago to assist Southeast Asian nations hit by a major typhoon. Various parts of Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam have been reeling under massive floods after Typhoon Yagi, said to be Asia's most powerful storm this year, hit the three countries. India has already sent relief supplies to Vietnam and Laos. On Sunday, India sent 10 tonnes of aid, including dry ration, clothing and medicines to Myanmar onboard the Indian naval ship INS Satpura. "#OperationSadbhav continues: India dispatches a second tranche of aid to Myanmar," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on 'X'. "@IAF_mcc aircraft is carrying 32 tons of relief material including genset, hygiene kits, temporary shelter, water purification supplies and medicines for the people of Myanmar," he said. "Indian Navy is bringing additional 10 tons of ration for Myanmar," Jaiswa

PM Modi to visit US from Sept 21-23 for Quad, UN 'Summit of the Future'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a three-day visit to the US beginning September 21 to attend the annual Quad Summit and address the 'Summit of the Future' at the UN General Assembly. Modi will attend the fourth Quad leaders' Summit at Wilmington in Delaware on September 21 that is being hosted by US President Joe Biden, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said announcing the prime minister's trip. It was India's turn to host the Quad Summit this year. "Following the request of the US side to host the Quad Summit this year, India has agreed to host the next Quad Summit in 2025," the MEA said. "At the Quad Summit, the leaders will review the progress achieved by the Quad over the last one year and set the agenda for the year ahead to assist the countries of the Indo-Pacific region in meeting their development goals and aspirations," it said. On September 23, Modi will address the 'Summit of the Future' at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the MEA said. In Ne

EAM Jaishankar discusses trade, global issues with Swiss counterpart

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held wide-ranging discussions with his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Daniele Giovanni Cassis on bilateral ties, with a focus on leveraging the trade agreement between India and four-nation European bloc EFTA, which includes Switzerland, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday. Jaishankar was here on a two-day visit which concluded on Friday. In a special gesture, Cassis hosted Jaishankar in Geneva, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. "The two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on bilateral ties, with a special focus on leveraging the Free Trade Agreement between India and EFTA States (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Principality of Liechtenstein) to boost trade and investments," the statement said. India in March signed a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) under which New Delhi received a USD 100 billion investment commitment from these four Europea

35 Indians discharged from Russian army since PM raised issue in July: MEA

Forty-five Indians have been discharged from the Russian military and efforts are on to secure release of around 50 more soon, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. Out of 45 Indian nationals, 35 were discharged after Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin in July, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing. The issue of Indians recruited in the Russian Army has emerged as an irritant in India-Russia ties. Modi had strongly raised the issue of early discharge of Indian nationals working in the Russian Army during his talks with Putin in Moscow in July. Jaiswal said six Indians returned two days ago and several others would be coming back home shortly. "In July when the prime minister travelled to Russia, he took up the matter with President Putin and since the prime minister's visit, 35 Indian nationals have been discharged," Jaiswal said. "Prior to his visit, 10 Indian nationals had been discharged. .

We made some progress: EAM on India-China talks on eastern Ladakh row

Roughly 75 per cent of the "disengagement problems" with China are sorted out but the bigger issue has been the increasing militarisation of the frontier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday on the lingering border row in eastern Ladakh. In an interactive session at a think-tank in this Swiss city, Jaishankar said the Galwan Valley clashes of June 2020 affected the "entirety" of India-China ties, asserting that one cannot have violence at the border and then say the rest of the relationship is insulated from it. The external affairs minister said negotiations between the two sides to find a solution to the problem are underway. "Now those negotiations are going on. We made some progress. I would say roughly you can say about 75 per cent of the disengagement problems are sorted out," he said at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. "We still have some things to do," Jaishankar said, responding to a question. But there is a bigger issue that both of us have brou

India supports Israel-Palestine ceasefire as soon as possible: Jaishankar

Describing the current situation in Gaza as India's "foremost concern", External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said that New Delhi supports a ceasefire "as soon as possible" in the region, where Israel and Hamas are engaged in conflict since last 11 months. Jaishankar made the remarks while speaking at the first India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue in the Saudi capital. "The current situation in Gaza is now understandably our foremost concern. India's position in this regard has been principled and consistent. While we condemn acts of terrorism and hostage taking, we are deeply pained by the continuing death of innocent civilians," he said. Jaishankar said that any response must take into account the principles of humanitarian law. "We support a ceasefire as soon as possible," he added. On the larger issue, India has consistently stood for a resolution of the Palestinian issue through a two-state solution, he said. He added that

Four agreements signed between Indian, UAE entities in energy sector

India and the United Arab Emirates on Monday inked four agreements to expand energy cooperation as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, focusing on boosting overall strategic ties. An Agreement for long-term LNG supply between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd and another between ADNOC and India Strategic Petroleum Reserve Ltd (ISPRL) are among the four pacts. Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC) and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) also inked an MoU for the operation and maintenance of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The fourth pact is a production concession agreement for Abu Dhabi onshore block-one between Urja Bharat and ADNOC. A separate pact was inked between the Gujarat government and Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company PJSC on setting up food parks in India. MEA spokesperson .

EAM S Jaishankar meets Russian counterpart Lavrov in Saudi Arabia

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Monday met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov here in the Saudi capital, days after President Vladimir Putin named India among the three countries he is constantly in touch over the Ukraine conflict. Their interaction took place on the sidelines of the India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers' meeting. Both the ministers are in the Saudi capital to attend ministerial meetings of the Gulf Cooperation Council. "Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a meeting with Foreign Minister of India @DrSJaishankar," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a post on X. On Thursday, President Putin named India among the three countries he is constantly in touch over the Ukraine conflict and said they are sincerely making efforts to resolve it. Speaking at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, Putin said, "If there is a desire of Ukraine to carry on with the negotiations, I can do that." His remarks came

Maybe by year end: Ukraine envoy on President Zelenskyy's visit to India

The Ukrainian envoy mentioned that Prime Minister Modi's visit to Ukraine was relatively short due to security concerns, however, in India, both leaders would have more time for discussions

EAM Jaishankar, Qatar PM Al Thani discuss advancing bilateral relations

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Saudi Arabia on Monday. The two leaders discussed taking forward bilateral ties.Sharing details regarding his meeting with Qatar PM, Jaishankar stated, "Began the day with a good meeting with PM & FM of Qatar @MBA_AlThani_. Discussed taking India-Qatar bilateral ties forward. Appreciated his insights and assessments on regional developments."The two leaders had earlier held a meeting in Doha in June. The two leaders had held talks on strengthening bilateral ties across various sectors and addressing key regional challenges.Jaishankar conveyed warm greetings and wishes from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Qatar Amir Amir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Qatar PM.He underscored the robust nature of the India-Qatar relationship, emphasising cooperation in political, trade, investment, energy, technology, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.Notably, S Jaishankar ..

Tamil Nadu CM writes to EAM to secure release of 14 fishermen held by Lanka

He further urged EAM S Jaishankar to take immediate and concrete diplomatic efforts to ensure the release of all the fishermen and boats in Sri Lankan custody

Quad summit to take place in Delaware this month, India may host next year

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to join the leaders of the US, Japan and Australia at the Quad summit in the US later this month as the influential grouping is likely to deliberate on pressing global challenges including the situation in Ukraine. The summit is likely to take place on September 21 in US President Joe Biden's hometown of Wilmington in Delaware, people familiar with the matter said. There is no official announcement yet on the date and venue of the high-profile summit. It was India's turn to host the Quad summit this year. However, the leaders of the grouping decided to hold the summit at a venue convenient to all in view of constraints of a tight calendar. As per the new plan, India is expected to host the Quad summit next year. Modi, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida are among the world leaders who are travelling to the US to attend the UN's Summit of the Future in New York on September 22 and 23. The Quad su

India, Maldives hold fresh defence dialogue focusing on Indian Ocean

India and the Maldives on Friday held a fresh round of "productive" defence dialogue with a focus on the situation in the Indian Ocean and ways to expedite implementation of ongoing defence projects. The defence dialogue in Delhi took place nearly a month after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar paid a three-day visit to the Maldives, in the first high-level trip from New Delhi after the island nation's pro-China president Mohamed Muizzu assumed office. "The entire range of talks were productive which will advance shared interests of both the nations in near future and bring stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean Region," the defence ministry said on the defence dialogue. The ties between India and the Maldives came under severe strain since Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge of the top office last November. Within hours of his oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from his country. Subsequently, the Indian military personnel

PM Modi hails nation, says India wants to make its own 'Singapores'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday touted Singapore as a model for developing nations and said India wanted to create "several Singapores" of its own. During his talks with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Modi expressed confidence in the city-state's fourth generation leadership. He said Singapore is not merely a partner country, it serves as an inspiration for every developing nation. We also aim to create several Singapores within India. I am pleased that we are collaborating towards this goal. The ministerial roundtable we have established is a path-breaking mechanism, the prime minister said. Congratulating the prosperous nation's premier, Modi said, This is our first meeting since you assumed the office as prime minister. My heartiest congratulations and best wishes to you. I am confident that under the leadership of 4G, Singapore will achieve progress even more rapidly. Wong was sworn in as the new prime minister of Singapore in May. The 51-year-old ...

India-Singapore relations poised for bigger take-off: MEA on PM's visit

Building on "new anchors" of partnership identified under the India-Singapore ministerial roundtable framework, the relations between the two countries is poised for an even bigger take-off, the MEA said on Monday ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Singapore. Prime Minister Modi is slated to visit Singapore on September 4-5 at the invitation of his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong. Prior to that he is scheduled to visit Brunei on September 3-4 which seeks to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in all existing sectors. Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, Jaideep Mazumdar, at a media briefing here said India and Brunei are working towards setting up a "joint working group in defence". He said Prime Minister Modi is visiting Singapore after nearly six years. His last visit to Singapore was in his first term. And an early visit on his third term is something that has been "welcomed by the Singaporean side". "Also, this comes at a time when a new le

PM Modi's Singapore visit important for trade deals, says MEA Secy

Mazumdar said that PM Modi is also likely to exchange MoUs in Singapore

India to support mutually acceptable solution: MEA on Russia-Ukraine war

Randhir Jaiswal said, The decision as to when and how to commence peace talks is the prerogative of the two parties to the conflict