News Analysis India

Tag: Harsh Vardhan Shringla

  • Onus on China to address unresolved issues: Foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Ladakh row

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: India on Friday said the onus is on China to address the remaining unresolved issues relating to the eastern Ladakh row and that peace and tranquillity along the frontier were key for the restoration of normal relations between the two sides.

    In an interactive session at a virtual conference, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said the entire basis of the relationship was predicated on having peace and tranquillity along the border.

    “Today, that is not the case,” he said, referring to “multiple provocations” along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh by China last year.

    “We have obviously seen this as a unilateral provocation, we have tried to deal with it through negotiations and through talks, and to some extent, we have addressed some of the issues that had arisen out of this situation that was created by China,” he said.

    The foreign secretary said there are still issues that needed to be addressed.

    “But there are still friction points and there are still issues that we need to and we are very clear that until these issues are addressed and our border areas are peaceful and tranquil, we will not be able to go into what is known as a normal relationship as we go forward,” he said.

    “How do you see that situation evolving and I think we will have to be guided by the progress and the level of cooperation, the willingness that you see on the part of China in how we take the issues forward,” Shringla added.

    He was replying to a question on India’s ties with China at the conference organised by the Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI).

    The foreign secretary said the onus is on China to ensure that the remaining issues are addressed.

    “Obviously the fact is that we need to work on it, we have to see how to; we are obviously looking at resolving the issues. The onus is on China to ensure that the issues that remain are addressed,” he said.

    In his address on India’s foreign policy in the post-Covid world, Shringla also said “the rise of China has also placed us in a central role at the geopolitical stage.”

    “It is our largest neighbour and one with which we share more than just a border and proximity. We have also had to confront a specific strategic challenge posed by China and its tactics on our shared border,” he said.

    India and China were locked in a military standoff at multiple friction points in eastern Ladakh since early May last year.

    However, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the North and South banks of Pangong lake in February following a series of military and diplomatic talks.

    The two sides are now engaged in talks to extend the disengagement process to the remaining friction points.

    India has been particularly pressing for disengagement of troops in Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang.

    Shringla said India has a fair amount of trade and economic linkages with China and mentioned supply chains and raw materials for Indian industry, saying a part it comes from the neighbouring country.

    “Obviously, as with any other country, there are economic and other factors which form part of that relation, an inter-dependent relation.

    But I think the entire basis of that relationship has been predicated on having peace and tranquillity on our borders.

    “After all, in 1988, when we decided to open a dialogue and normalise relations with China, it was based on the borders remaining settled,” he said.

    Shringla said it was decided to isolate the border-related issues until both sides could sit down and try and address them without impacting the relationship.

    He said both sides have been fairly clear that a normal relationship is based on the borders being peaceful and tranquil.

    On Thursday, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said early completion of the disengagement process in the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh could pave the way for both Indian and Chinese troops to consider de-escalation and ensure full restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

    There was no visible forward movement in disengagement of troops in the remaining friction points as the Chinese side did not show flexibility in their approach on it at the 11th round of military talks.

    Last month, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane said that there can be no de-escalation without complete disengagement at all friction points in eastern Ladakh and that the Indian Army is prepared for all contingencies in the region.

    Gen Naravane also said that India is dealing with China in a “firm” and “non-escalatory” manner to ensure the sanctity of its claims in eastern Ladakh, and that it was even open to initiating confidence-building measures.

    In his address, Shringla also said that completely new threats and security challenges such as terrorism, climate change and biological and other non-traditional threats have emerged and continue to emerge.

    “New technologies have created both new industries and new political currents.

    Non-traditional threats and new technologies have combined to form a whole new spectrum of sub-conventional security challenges,” he added.

  • India in talks with manufacturers abroad for local production of COVID vaccines: Foreign Secretary

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that India was in talks with manufacturers abroad for local manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines and that the Ministry of External Affairs is making all efforts to increase supplies, especially from the US.

    “We are also part of the discussions with major vaccine manufacturers like Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna about sourcing and possible local manufacturing of their vaccines in India. We have also helped expedite the introduction of Sputnik V vaccines,” Shringla said during an address at the WHO’s South-East Asia Regional Health Partners’ Forum.

    Saying that India was fighting an exceptional second wave of the pandemic, the foreign secretary said that MEA has been working to ease regulatory disruptions to the supply chains. India’s vaccine manufacturing hit a hurdle after the US in February last year invoked the Defence Production Act for vaccine ingredients.

    According to the act, all the resources in the US must be prioritised for Americans first. India has been demanding easier access to raw materials necessary for vaccine production.

    Shringla also said India would create global scale capacities needed to tackle the pandemic. “A number of serious global conversations are underway on this in platforms such as the G7, G20, Quad, BRICS, the UN and the WTO itself,” he said.

    Meanwhile, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India is engaged with the US administration to ensure that necessary components and raw materials for vaccine production in the country are readily available.

    “This was taken up recently during the External Affairs Minister’s US visit,” he said. India was also awaiting US allocations from its surplus stockpile of 80 million Astra Zeneca vaccines, he added.

  • Massive additional capacities to ramp up coronavirus vaccine production: Shringla

    His comments came as India looks at significantly expanding the vaccination programme across the country amid a devastating wave of coronavirus pandemic.

  • Over 40 countries offered assistance to India to fight COVID-19: Foreign Secretary Shringla

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Over 40 countries have committed to provide India urgently-required medical supplies like oxygen-related equipment and critical medicines to help it deal with an unprecedented second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Thursday.

    At a media briefing, he said India is looking at getting in the immediate future around 550 oxygen-generating plants, 4,000 oxygen concentrators, over 10,000 oxygen cylinders and 17 cryogenic oxygen tanks, some of which have already arrived.

    “We are facing an unprecedented second wave of the pandemic. As of now, we have over three million active cases. This has obviously put considerable pressure on our healthcare system; on the capacities and resources that we have,” he said.

    Shringla said the government, in many senses, has been very quick to try and make an assessment of where it has capacity shortfall and based on some of these considerations, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has been trying to find the most effective means of addressing the resource constraints.

    Late last night, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had a video conference with the Indian heads of missions all over the world to apprise them about the domestic requirements in view of the situation, he said.

    Shringla said certain areas were prioritised which included procurement of liquid oxygen as well as equipment that produces oxygen, oxygen generators, oxygen concentrators, transportation equipment for oxygen.

    He said there has been an outpouring of solidarity and assistance to India.

    “Over 40 countries have actually committed to provide us with many of the items that we need urgently,” he said.

    The foreign secretary also said that India is looking at procuring 400,000 units of antiviral medication Remdesivir from Egypt besides attempting to get it from countries like the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan.

    “International cooperation is a very vital part of our meeting and bridging the immediate requirements that we have. Obviously we are making every effort to step up our own capacities,” he added.

    Pharma major Gilead Sciences has already offered India 450,000 doses of Remdesivir while the government is looking at getting around 300,000 doses of Favipiravir from Russia and the UAE.

    Shringla said Indian missions abroad, particularly those in the countries that have the capacity to meet India’s requirement, have been told to work towards sourcing the supplies.

    He mentioned that India has been manufacturing 67,000 units of Remdesivir per day against a daily requirement of 200,000 to 300,000 doses a day, adding efforts are on to ramp up the production to 300,000 to 400,000 doses a day.

    India has been given assurance of required supply of raw materials for ramping up production of Remdesivir by Gilead Sciences.

    Shringla said three special flights from the US are expected to bring large medical supplies including oxygen generating equipment and oxygen concentrators.

    Two flights are expected to arrive on Friday while the third one is set to come on May 3.

    The US supplies will include 2,000 oxygen concentrators, 500 oxygen cylinders and equipment for providing 28 million litres of oxygen, he said.

    The MEA has been coordinating with various other concerned ministries and agencies to expedite clearances and to ensure the medical supplies are delivered to those who needed them the most.

    “We want to make the process smooth right from the point we identify the sources of supply to the point that it actually reaches those who want them,” Shringla said, adding the MEA has attached “greatest importance” to this effort.

    “We are working extensively to ensure that the entire cooperation and coordination that we need with all our international partners and interlocutors all over the world is smoothly interfaced with our domestic requirement,” he said.

    Asked about assistance from China, Shringla said some of the procurement is coming from China.

    Sources said India is making only commercial procurement from that country.

  • Indo-Bangla tie example for others: Foreign secretary

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Wednesday said India-Bangladesh relations have been on a high despite the pandemic and other countries would want to emulate this relationship.   “PM Narendra Modi will be on a visit to Bangladesh for the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from Thursday, where he will participate in the celebrations and meet top leadership of the country,” he said.

    Modi will meet his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid and Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Memon. According to Shringla, the PM is also expected to meet a diverse group of people including coalition leaders, opposition leaders and Mukti Jodha members. “He will also visit the home of Bangabandhu in Gopalganj district,” Shringla said.

    On the Rohingya issue, Shringla said India has a distinction of having land borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh. “India has recognised Bangladesh’s contribution in giving refuge to Rohingya refugees and provided aid to Bangladesh. We have also built houses for them under the Rakhine development plan in Myanmar,” he said.

  • Tour of Russia in Covid times shows special ties: Harsh Vardhan Shringla

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Wednesday reached Moscow on a two-day visit where he discussed with the Russian leadership all aspects of the strategic bilateral partnership.“Strengthening the #IndiaRussia Special & Privileged Strategic Partnership, Foreign Secretary @harshvshringla arrives in #Moscow on a 2-day official visit to hold Foreign Office Consultations,” the Indian Embassy in Moscow tweeted.

    Shringla noted that the tour during the Covid times is an indication of the importance that India attaches to relations with Russia.The foreign secretary also met Russian Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. “Discussions were held on various regional and international issues including cooperation in multilateral fora like the United Nations and the UN Security Council,”  he said. Shringla  extended an invitation to Lavrov to visit India on behalf of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

    Later in the day, he addressed an event at the Russian diplomatic academy where he emphasised on the need to keep the momentum of India-Russia relations going despite any impediment. On Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said this year’s first visit abroad by the Foreign Secretary to Moscow. “The two sides will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including the forthcoming high-level exchanges,” it had said.

  • Foreign secretary Shringla to pay 2-day visit Russia from Wednesday

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla will pay a two-day visit to Russia beginning Wednesday during which both sides will deliberate on bilateral as well as topical issues of regional and global importance, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday.

    It said this year’s first visit abroad by the foreign secretary to Moscow signifies the importance India attaches to its close and friendly relations with Russia.

    The MEA said the two sides will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including the forthcoming high level exchanges, during Shringla’s visit.

    “Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla will pay an official visit to Moscow on February 17-18 at the invitation of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov,” the MEA said in a statement.

    “The foreign secretary will hold the next round of India-Russia foreign office consultations with Deputy Foreign Minister Morgulov, during which the two sides will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including the forthcoming high-level exchanges,” it said.

    The MEA said both sides will also exchange views on topical issues of regional and international importance.

    The foreign secretary will also deliver a speech on ‘India-Russia relations’ at the prestigious Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it said.

    “Despite the COVID-19 pandemic situation, India and Russia have sustained the momentum of the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two countries,” the MEA said.

  • India and Bangladesh charted unique model for cooperation: Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The relationship between India and Bangladesh has withstood the test of time and both countries have charted a unique model for regional cooperation that is quite unparalleled in South Asia, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Friday.

    He said that both the countries have been blessed with history, culture, language and above all an ardent belief in freedom, justice and pluralism, and described the commonalities as the “bridge” to a future of peace and prosperity.

    Shringla was speaking at the inaugural function of the third Bangladesh film festival in Kolkata. “India and Bangladesh have together charted a unique model for regional cooperation, quite unparalleled in South Asia,” he said.

    “The India-Bangladesh bilateral relationship has withstood the test of time, and even as the world undergoes great upheaval in the post-pandemic era, our relationship grows from strength to strength,” Shringla said.

    The foreign secretary also mentioned the robust exchanges that both sides had in recent months including his two visits to Dhaka, notwithstanding the coronavirus pandemic. “Cooperation is moving forward inexorably. Our prime minister is looking forward to his visit to Dhaka,” he said.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to travel to Dhaka in March. Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen visited India last month to prepare ground for Modi’s visit to that country. In his address, the foreign secretary referred to the historical bond between the two nations while delving into the Bangladesh liberation war.

    “I say it with great pride that the deep historical bond between our two nations has been etched in golden letters with the blood of our soldiers. It was protected and preserved by the sheer determination of our peoples,” he said.

    “It was the spirit of 1971 that helped free Bangladesh, it was the spirit of 1971 that spurred the India-Bangladesh relationship and it is this same spirit of 1971 that we recognise today as the foundation of the relationship for the years to come,” Shringla added.

    Around 93,000 Pakistani troops had surrendered before the joint forces of the Indian Army and the “Mukti Bahini” on December 16, 1971 that led to the birth of Bangladesh. The year 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Bangladesh, the 50th year of bilateral diplomatic ties as well as the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

    Shringla said the shooting of the biopic on ‘Bangabandhu’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman began last month in Mumbai. “This year would see a plethora of events in both our countries as well as in third countries, and at the UN headquarters in New York, through which India and Bangladesh will jointly celebrate Mujib Barsho, celebrate the people of Bangladesh and their tireless struggle for ‘Swadhinota’ (freedom) and the golden anniversary of the India-Bangladesh relationship,” he said.

  • Foreign Secretary Shringla meets EU envoys; trade, climate change, Indo-Pacific discussed

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla met Ambassadors of European Union countries on Wednesday and discussed strategic cooperation with a focus on trade, climate change and the Indo-Pacific.

    European Union’s Ambassador to India Ugo Astuto said the priority areas discussed at the meeting included global health, climate action, digitalisation, connectivity, defence of multilateralism, trade and investments.

    Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava tweeted, “Natural partners for greener, prosperous world: Foreign Secretary @harshvshringla met Ambassadors of EU countries today & discussed India-EU strategic cooperation in context of India-EU+27 Leaders’ Summit in May; focus on Trade, Investments, Climate Change & Indo-Pacific.”

    Astuto hailed the interaction with Shringla as wonderful.

    “Among priority areas discussed: global health, Climate Action, digitalisation, connectivity, defence of multilateralism, trade and investments,” he tweeted calling EU-India “natural partners”.

    Srivastava also posted a picture of Shringla along with envoys of EU states attending the meeting.