Tag: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

  • WHO’s approval to Covaxin: External Affairs Minister Jaishankar says it facilitates travel for Indians

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, said the WHO’s decision to grant emergency use approval to Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin facilitates travel for many Indian citizens and contributes to vaccine equity.

    He said it was also a global recognition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.

    ALSO READ: Finally, WHO includes Covaxin in its emergency use list of COVID-19 vaccines

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday granted emergency use approval for Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin, in a move that the pharma major said is a “significant” step towards ensuring wider global access to the indigenously developed jab.

    “Welcome @WHO’s decision to grant Emergency Use Listing to #COVAXIN. It facilitates travel for many Indian citizens and contributes to vaccine equity. Also a global recognition to PM @narendramodi’s vision of an #AtmanirbharBharat. A Happier Diwali,” Jaishankar tweeted.

  • PM Modi holds extensive deliberations on bilateral relations with German Chancellor Merkel

    By PTI

    ROME: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, October 31, 2021, met German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of the G20 Summit and the two leaders held extensive deliberations on the strong bilateral relations and reaffirmed commitment to maintain the close strategic partnership.

    Modi, who is here at the invitation of his Italian counterpart Mario Draghi to attend the G20 summit, was accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and other officials during his meeting with Merkel.

    “PM @narendramodi and Chancellor Merkel met on the sidelines of the Rome @g20org Summit. There were extensive deliberations on India-Germany relations. The strong friendship between the two nations augurs well for the well-being of our planet,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a tweet.

    “Reaffirmed our commitment to maintain the close Strategic Partnership with Germany,” it said in another tweet.

    On the sidelines of the G20 summit, Prime Minister Modi interacted with several world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and South Korean President Moon Jae-in among others.

    Italy has been holding the presidency of the G20 since December last year.

  • EAM Jaishankar holds talks with Saudi Foreign Minister

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday held wide-ranging talks with his Saudi counterpart Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud covering a range of bilateral and regional issues including developments in Afghanistan.

    Al Saud arrived here on Saturday evening on a three-day visit.

    “Delighted to welcome FM of Saudi Arabia HH Prince @Faisalbinfarhan for his first ever visit to India,” Jaishankar tweeted.

    The Saudi foreign minister is scheduled to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.

    The visit by the Saudi foreign minister comes at a time when India has been engaged with all leading powers on the developments in Afghanistan following its takeover by the Taliban.

    It is learnt that the situation in Afghanistan was a major area of focus of the talks between Jaishankar and Al Saud.

    Being a major regional player, Saudi Arabia’s position on the developments in Kabul assumes significance as several countries in the Gulf region including Qatar and Iran were playing a role in the Afghan peace process before the Taliban’s capture of power.

    In the Gulf region, India has been in touch with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iran over the unfolding developments in Afghanistan.

    In a reflection of India’s views on the matter, Prime Minister Modi on Friday said the global community should decide “collectively” and “thoughtfully” on according recognition to the new set-up in Afghanistan in view of questions over its acceptability as the change of power was not “inclusive”.

    He made the remarks during a virtual address at a meeting on Afghanistan of the heads of state of the SCO and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation.

    The defence and security ties between India and Saudi Arabia are witnessing a gradual expansion.

    Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane visited Saudi Arabia in December last in the first-ever visit by a head of the 1.3 million-strong Army to the strategically important Gulf nation.

    Gen Naravane held extensive talks with senior military officials of that country with an aim to enhance bilateral defence cooperation.

     

  • EAM Jaishankar, his Saudi counterpart discuss developments in Afghanistan

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Saudi counterpart Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud on Sunday deliberated on the developments in Afghanistan and explored ways to further expand bilateral ties in areas of defence and security, trade, investment and energy.

    In wide-ranging talks with the visiting Saudi leader, Jaishankar called for further relaxing restrictions on travel from India to the Gulf nation while appreciating the country for the support provided to the Indian community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Al Saud arrived here on Saturday evening on a three-day visit.

    It is the first ministerial visit from Saudi Arabia to India since the outbreak of the pandemic.

    “Both ministers exchanged views on the developments in Afghanistan and other regional issues,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

    “Delighted to welcome FM of Saudi Arabia HH Prince @Faisalbinfarhan for his first ever visit to India,” Jaishankar tweeted.

    The MEA said both ministers discussed all issues related to their bilateral relationship and regional and international issues of mutual interest.

    “The two ministers reviewed the implementation of the ‘Strategic Partnership Council Agreement’ signed between the two sides during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Saudi Arabia in October 2019,” the MEA said.

    It said the two sides expressed satisfaction at the meetings held under the agreement and the progress achieved.

    “Both sides discussed further steps to strengthen their partnership in trade, investment, energy, defence, security, culture, consular issues, healthcare and human resources,” the MEA said.

    The MEA said the two sides also discussed bilateral cooperation in multilateral forums such as the United Nations, G-20 and Gulf Cooperation Council.

    “The external affairs minister congratulated Saudi Arabia on its successful presidency of G-20 last year despite the Covid-19 pandemic,” it said.

    The Saudi foreign minister is scheduled to call on Prime Minister Modi on Monday.

    The visit by the Saudi foreign minister came at a time India has been engaged with all leading powers on the developments in Afghanistan following its takeover by the Taliban.

    It is learnt that the situation in Afghanistan was a major area of focus of the talks between Jaishankar and Al Saud.

    Being a major regional player, Saudi Arabia’s position on the developments in Kabul assumes significance as several countries in the Gulf region, including Qatar and Iran, were playing a role in the Afghan peace process before the Taliban’s capture of power.

    In the Gulf region, India has been in touch with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iran over the unfolding developments in Afghanistan.

    In reflection of India’s views on the matter, Prime Minister Modi on Friday said the global community should decide “collectively” and “thoughtfully” on according recognition to the new set-up in Afghanistan in view of questions over its acceptability as the change of power was not “inclusive”.

    He made the remarks during a virtual address at a meeting on Afghanistan of the heads of state of the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation.

    The defence and security ties between India and Saudi Arabia are witnessing gradual expansion.

    Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane visited Saudi Arabia in December last in the first-ever visit by a head of the 1.3 million-strong Army to the strategically important Gulf nation.

    Gen Naravane held extensive talks with senior military officials of that country with an aim to enhance bilateral defence cooperation.

  • Congress leader demands evacuation of Hindus, Sikhs from war-torn Afghanistan

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill on Monday wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar demanding the immediate evacuation of Hindus and Sikhs from war-torn Afghanistan.

    In his letter, Shergill said his love for his own people of Indian origin has compelled him to take up the matter with Jaishankar.

    “As you are more than aware, the Taliban offensive has escalated in Afghanistan, post-US withdrawal of troops, and they are fighting at gun point to turn the country, once again into a hub for transnational terrorism,” he said in his letter.

    “The current catastrophic trajectory of violence has caused a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, thus, risking the lives of the people, including those from India,” he also said.

    According to the information available in public domain, around 650 Sikhs and 50 Hindus are stuck in Afghanistan and have become sitting targets for the Taliban adamant to kill minorities belonging to Indian origin, he said.

    The Congress leader cited cited several instances of attacks on minorities of Indian origin, including the recent act of the Taliban removing Nishan Sahib from a gurudwara located in Chamkani Area of ??Paktia, killing of 25 Sikhs during an attack on Gurudwara Har Rai Sahib in Kabul, the suicide attack in Jalalabad in July, 2018 in which 19 Sikhs and Hindus were killed.

    “These people, fearing for their lives, have appealed to the Government of India for their immediate evacuation,” he said.

    The Taliban has been making rapid advances across Afghanistan by resorting to widespread violence since the United States began withdrawing its troops from the country on May 1.

    The US has already pulled back the majority of its forces and is looking to complete the drawdown by August 31.

    India has been supporting a national peace and reconciliation process that is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled.