News Analysis India

Tag: Russia

  • Modi to attend regional summit with Russia, China, Pakistan

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: India said Sunday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part in a regional summit in Uzbekistan that according to Russia will see face-to-face talks between Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

    The gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) comprising China, Russia, four Central Asian countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan — India and Pakistan is due to take place in Samarkand on September 15 and 16.

    On Wednesday Russia’s ambassador to China said that Putin and Xi would meet at the summit, in what will be the Chinese leader’s first trip abroad since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Beijing’s foreign ministry did not immediately confirm the meeting, with a spokesperson saying at a regular press briefing that “there is no information to provide” on the matter.

    The Indian government statement on Sunday did not say whether Modi would hold bilateral talks with Putin, Xi or — for the first time since he became Pakistani prime minister in April — Shehbaz Sharif.

    Sourcing most of its arms from Russia, India like China has refused to condemn Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and has ramped up purchases of Russian oil.

    India’s relations with China have been frosty since fighting in 2020 on their disputed Himalayan border left at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead. Modi and Xi have not held bilateral talks since 2019.

    India is also part of the so-called Quad together with the United States, Japan and Australia, a grouping seen as a bulwark against China.

    NEW DELHI: India said Sunday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part in a regional summit in Uzbekistan that according to Russia will see face-to-face talks between Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

    The gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) comprising China, Russia, four Central Asian countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan — India and Pakistan is due to take place in Samarkand on September 15 and 16.

    On Wednesday Russia’s ambassador to China said that Putin and Xi would meet at the summit, in what will be the Chinese leader’s first trip abroad since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Beijing’s foreign ministry did not immediately confirm the meeting, with a spokesperson saying at a regular press briefing that “there is no information to provide” on the matter.

    The Indian government statement on Sunday did not say whether Modi would hold bilateral talks with Putin, Xi or — for the first time since he became Pakistani prime minister in April — Shehbaz Sharif.

    Sourcing most of its arms from Russia, India like China has refused to condemn Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and has ramped up purchases of Russian oil.

    India’s relations with China have been frosty since fighting in 2020 on their disputed Himalayan border left at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead. Modi and Xi have not held bilateral talks since 2019.

    India is also part of the so-called Quad together with the United States, Japan and Australia, a grouping seen as a bulwark against China.

  • Each SCO country should decide on its own whether to use dollar: Lavrov

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: During the course of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers meeting in Tashkent on Friday, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested that each SCO member decide whether they want to use the dollar for transactions.

    Each member-state of the SCO should decide on its own whether to use the dollar or not, but facts are enough that this currency is unreliable, Lavrov is reported to have said while speaking with the media on the sidelines of the SCO. He suggested further that there should be a roadmap of transitions to broader use of national currencies in mutual settlements.

    Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, said that Iran’s entry into the SCO will strengthen the forum’s influence in the world market. “The SCO members will have the opportunity to use the facilities of the Chabahar port in Iran,” he added.

    Jaishankar also spoke about the crisis that Afghanistan is facing and said that the SCO must combat the hunger crisis there. He also highlighted the fact that India extended humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan to help it fight hunger.

    “Began my SCO visit with a bilateral meeting with DPM and FM Mukhtar Tileuberdi of Kazakhstan. We recognised the progress made out since the last meeting in Delhi in December last year. The current situation calls for stronger Indo-Kazakh cooperation across all domains,” he said.

    China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto were among other members who attended the meeting.

    Meanwhile, the SCO is expanding its network and is set to sign pacts to include Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Maldives band Saudi Arabia as dialogue partners. The process has also started for granting Belarus as a full member. Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia and Nepal are set to get observer status.

    The Foreign Ministers meeting is the final stage in preparation for the SCO Summit set for September 15-16 in Samarkand in southern Uzbekistan. This is likely to be attended by Prime Minister Modi, who will meet his counterparts from China, Pakistan, Iran and Russia.

    NEW DELHI: During the course of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers meeting in Tashkent on Friday, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested that each SCO member decide whether they want to use the dollar for transactions.

    Each member-state of the SCO should decide on its own whether to use the dollar or not, but facts are enough that this currency is unreliable, Lavrov is reported to have said while speaking with the media on the sidelines of the SCO. He suggested further that there should be a roadmap of transitions to broader use of national currencies in mutual settlements.

    Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, said that Iran’s entry into the SCO will strengthen the forum’s influence in the world market. “The SCO members will have the opportunity to use the facilities of the Chabahar port in Iran,” he added.

    Jaishankar also spoke about the crisis that Afghanistan is facing and said that the SCO must combat the hunger crisis there. He also highlighted the fact that India extended humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan to help it fight hunger.

    “Began my SCO visit with a bilateral meeting with DPM and FM Mukhtar Tileuberdi of Kazakhstan. We recognised the progress made out since the last meeting in Delhi in December last year. The current situation calls for stronger Indo-Kazakh cooperation across all domains,” he said.

    China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto were among other members who attended the meeting.

    Meanwhile, the SCO is expanding its network and is set to sign pacts to include Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Maldives band Saudi Arabia as dialogue partners. The process has also started for granting Belarus as a full member. Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia and Nepal are set to get observer status.

    The Foreign Ministers meeting is the final stage in preparation for the SCO Summit set for September 15-16 in Samarkand in southern Uzbekistan. This is likely to be attended by Prime Minister Modi, who will meet his counterparts from China, Pakistan, Iran and Russia.

  • Zero tolerance for terrorism in all its manifestations ‘must’: India at SCO meet

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: There is an urgent need to address the global energy and food crisis triggered by disruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine conflict, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said at a meeting of the SCO in Tashkent on Friday.

    With Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto listening, Jaishankar said “zero tolerance” for terrorism in all its manifestations is a “must”.

    In his address at the foreign ministerial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), he also underlined the potential of the Chabahar port in Iran for the economic future of the grouping.

    Talking about the current global challenges, Jaishankar said the response required includes resilient and diversified supply chains as well as reformed multilateralism.

    The external affairs minister reiterated India’s position on Afghanistan and highlighted its humanitarian support to the war-torn country including the supply of wheat, medicines, vaccines and clothing.

    The major highlights of the deliberations included a decision to grant permanent membership of the bloc to Iran and make Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia its dialogue partners.

    The ministers also supported the applications of Bahrain and the Maldives for the status of SCO dialogue partners.

    The meeting also reviewed preparations for the upcoming summit of the grouping in Samarkand which is expected to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders of the eight-nation grouping.

    “Participated in the SCO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at Tashkent. Highlighted that world faces an energy and food crisis due to disruptions from the Covid pandemic and Ukraine conflict. This needs to be urgently addressed,” Jaishankar tweeted.

    “Response required includes resilient and diversified supply chains as well as reformed multilateralism. Zero tolerance for terrorism in all its manifestations is a must,” he said. He said India will give the “fullest support” for the success of the Samarkand summit.

    “Reiterated India’s position on Afghanistan and highlighted our humanitarian support: wheat, medicines, vaccines and clothing. Underlined the potential of Chabahar port for SCO’s economic future,” Jaishankar said in another tweet.

    Jaishankar said the meeting was “very useful” in preparing for the Samarkand summit. “Spoke of the economic progress in India, stressing the relevance of startups and innovation. Cooperation in traditional medicine is in the common interest of SCO members,” he added.

    Earlier, all the foreign ministers of the SCO nations called on Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

    Jaishankar said he conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal greetings to the Uzbek President. “Appreciated the momentum generated by Uzbek Presidency in fields of security, economy, trade, connectivity and culture,” he said.

    Uzbek news agency Dunyo reported that the ministers also supported the applications of Bahrain and the Maldives for the status of SCO dialogue partners. It said the SCO was also actively studying the application for full membership in the bloc by Belarus.

    “There is a common understanding that the replenishment of the ‘SCO family’ will give a significant impetus to multifaceted interaction in the field of regional security, trade, investment and industrial cooperation,” acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Vladimir Norov said.

    He said it will contribute to the further development of the huge transport and transit potential in the space of the organisation.

    The SCO, seen as a counterweight to NATO, is a key economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations. India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.

    SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

    India has shown keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.

    India was made an observer at the SCO in 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.

    NEW DELHI: There is an urgent need to address the global energy and food crisis triggered by disruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine conflict, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said at a meeting of the SCO in Tashkent on Friday.

    With Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto listening, Jaishankar said “zero tolerance” for terrorism in all its manifestations is a “must”.

    In his address at the foreign ministerial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), he also underlined the potential of the Chabahar port in Iran for the economic future of the grouping.

    Talking about the current global challenges, Jaishankar said the response required includes resilient and diversified supply chains as well as reformed multilateralism.

    The external affairs minister reiterated India’s position on Afghanistan and highlighted its humanitarian support to the war-torn country including the supply of wheat, medicines, vaccines and clothing.

    The major highlights of the deliberations included a decision to grant permanent membership of the bloc to Iran and make Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia its dialogue partners.

    The ministers also supported the applications of Bahrain and the Maldives for the status of SCO dialogue partners.

    The meeting also reviewed preparations for the upcoming summit of the grouping in Samarkand which is expected to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders of the eight-nation grouping.

    “Participated in the SCO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at Tashkent. Highlighted that world faces an energy and food crisis due to disruptions from the Covid pandemic and Ukraine conflict. This needs to be urgently addressed,” Jaishankar tweeted.

    “Response required includes resilient and diversified supply chains as well as reformed multilateralism. Zero tolerance for terrorism in all its manifestations is a must,” he said. He said India will give the “fullest support” for the success of the Samarkand summit.

    “Reiterated India’s position on Afghanistan and highlighted our humanitarian support: wheat, medicines, vaccines and clothing. Underlined the potential of Chabahar port for SCO’s economic future,” Jaishankar said in another tweet.

    Jaishankar said the meeting was “very useful” in preparing for the Samarkand summit. “Spoke of the economic progress in India, stressing the relevance of startups and innovation. Cooperation in traditional medicine is in the common interest of SCO members,” he added.

    Earlier, all the foreign ministers of the SCO nations called on Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

    Jaishankar said he conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal greetings to the Uzbek President. “Appreciated the momentum generated by Uzbek Presidency in fields of security, economy, trade, connectivity and culture,” he said.

    Uzbek news agency Dunyo reported that the ministers also supported the applications of Bahrain and the Maldives for the status of SCO dialogue partners. It said the SCO was also actively studying the application for full membership in the bloc by Belarus.

    “There is a common understanding that the replenishment of the ‘SCO family’ will give a significant impetus to multifaceted interaction in the field of regional security, trade, investment and industrial cooperation,” acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Vladimir Norov said.

    He said it will contribute to the further development of the huge transport and transit potential in the space of the organisation.

    The SCO, seen as a counterweight to NATO, is a key economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations. India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.

    SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

    India has shown keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.

    India was made an observer at the SCO in 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.

  • All countries including India need to hold Russia to terms of grain deal: USAID chief 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: All countries including India need to hold Russia to the terms of the grain exports deal, a senior US official said on Wednesday, days after Moscow agreed to allow the shipping of vital grains from the Ukrainian Black Sea ports.

    The grain agreement, brokered by the UN and Turkey and aimed at averting a global food crisis, was inked on Friday to primarily facilitate the export of around 20 million tonnes of wheat, maize and other grains from Ukraine.

    Visiting US Agency for International Development (USAID) administrator Samantha Power said Russia has to respect the terms of the deal and it is important that “all countries, not only the US, but India” hold Russia to the terms of the deal.

    “So far, what we have seen from the Russian Federation is a string of lies and broken promises, and above all, a string of months and months of devastating attacks on civilian infrastructure. Ukrainians are determined to operationalise this deal,” she said.

    Following its invasion of Ukraine, Russia blocked maritime access to the Ukrainian ports, which resulted in a total halt in the export of millions of tonnes of grains from that country, triggering a global food crisis.

    The US official said this while interacting with the media on the third and final day of her visit to Delhi.

    “The stakes are extremely high. Twenty million tonnes of grains on which the global food supply is going to be influenced remain trapped (in Ukraine),” she said.

    Power said the USAID, the US and European partners have been working side by side with Ukrainian farmers and officials to try to figure out how to get grains and cooking oils out by rail, road or rivers.

    “Around the world, inflation is one of the top topics of conversation. It is absolutely critical that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and his forces let the grains go. Those are the stakes and they are life and death stakes,” she said.

    Referring to the global food and energy crisis, Power, in an address at an event at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) here, said Sri Lanka’s government was the first to fall but there have already been protests related to food and fuel prices in at least 17 countries because of inflationary pressures. “If history is any guide, we know that Sri Lanka’s government will likely not be the last to fall,” she said.

    Power said like India, Ukraine is a global breadbasket, exporting nearly 50 million tonnes of wheat every year.

    “Therefore, it was no surprise that the invasion and the blockade of 20 million tonnes of food trapped still in Ukraine’s ports coincided with the highest prices ever seen on the UN’s Global Food Price Index,” she said.

    Power said the US has just increased its annual USD 1 billion dollar investment in the global food security programme by an additional USD 760 million for this year.

    “Faced with such an extraordinary global food crisis, every country must examine its budgets and policies so that even as we each address domestic needs and contingencies — and we know how significant those needs are in many parts of the world including here. We work together to stave off a much wider catastrophe,” she said.

    NEW DELHI: All countries including India need to hold Russia to the terms of the grain exports deal, a senior US official said on Wednesday, days after Moscow agreed to allow the shipping of vital grains from the Ukrainian Black Sea ports.

    The grain agreement, brokered by the UN and Turkey and aimed at averting a global food crisis, was inked on Friday to primarily facilitate the export of around 20 million tonnes of wheat, maize and other grains from Ukraine.

    Visiting US Agency for International Development (USAID) administrator Samantha Power said Russia has to respect the terms of the deal and it is important that “all countries, not only the US, but India” hold Russia to the terms of the deal.

    “So far, what we have seen from the Russian Federation is a string of lies and broken promises, and above all, a string of months and months of devastating attacks on civilian infrastructure. Ukrainians are determined to operationalise this deal,” she said.

    Following its invasion of Ukraine, Russia blocked maritime access to the Ukrainian ports, which resulted in a total halt in the export of millions of tonnes of grains from that country, triggering a global food crisis.

    The US official said this while interacting with the media on the third and final day of her visit to Delhi.

    “The stakes are extremely high. Twenty million tonnes of grains on which the global food supply is going to be influenced remain trapped (in Ukraine),” she said.

    Power said the USAID, the US and European partners have been working side by side with Ukrainian farmers and officials to try to figure out how to get grains and cooking oils out by rail, road or rivers.

    “Around the world, inflation is one of the top topics of conversation. It is absolutely critical that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and his forces let the grains go. Those are the stakes and they are life and death stakes,” she said.

    Referring to the global food and energy crisis, Power, in an address at an event at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) here, said Sri Lanka’s government was the first to fall but there have already been protests related to food and fuel prices in at least 17 countries because of inflationary pressures. “If history is any guide, we know that Sri Lanka’s government will likely not be the last to fall,” she said.

    Power said like India, Ukraine is a global breadbasket, exporting nearly 50 million tonnes of wheat every year.

    “Therefore, it was no surprise that the invasion and the blockade of 20 million tonnes of food trapped still in Ukraine’s ports coincided with the highest prices ever seen on the UN’s Global Food Price Index,” she said.

    Power said the US has just increased its annual USD 1 billion dollar investment in the global food security programme by an additional USD 760 million for this year.

    “Faced with such an extraordinary global food crisis, every country must examine its budgets and policies so that even as we each address domestic needs and contingencies — and we know how significant those needs are in many parts of the world including here. We work together to stave off a much wider catastrophe,” she said.

  • PM speaks with Putin; reiterates India’s position on Ukraine, favouring dialogue, diplomacy

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday during which he reiterated India’s longstanding position on the Ukraine situation, favouring dialogue and diplomacy.

    During their telephonic conversation, the two leaders also discussed global issues, including the state of the international energy and food markets, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.

    The two leaders reviewed the implementation of the decisions taken during President Putin’s visit to India in December 2021, In particular, they exchanged ideas on how bilateral trade in agricultural goods, fertilizers and pharma products could be encouraged further, it said.

    The two leaders also discussed global issues, including the state of the international energy and food markets.

    “In the context of the ongoing situation in Ukraine, Prime Minister reiterated India’s long-standing position in favour of dialogue and diplomacy,” the PMO said.

    The leaders agreed to maintain regular consultations on global and bilateral issues, it said.

    Russia’s TASS new agency quoted Kremlin press as saying that the two leaders discussed pressing issues pertaining to Russian-India ties, while focusing on steps to develop further mutually advantageous economic cooperation.

    They expressed mutual willingness to enhance the privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India, the Kremlin press service was quoted as saying in a statement.

    It also said that Putin discussed with Modi the progress of the “special military operation” in Ukraine and, in particular, drew attention to the “escalation of the crisis by Kiev and its Western patrons”.

    Putin briefed Modi on key aspects of Russia’s military operation, “stressing the dangerous and provocative nature of the line of the Kiev regime and its Western patrons to escalate the crisis and derail efforts to resolve it politically and diplomatically”, the Russian statement said.

    “Putin drew attention to the systemic mistakes made by a number of countries, which led to the disruption of free trade in food products and provoked a significant increase in their price. Illegitimate sanctions against Russia have exacerbated an already difficult situation,” the Kremlin press service was quoted as saying.

    It also said that Putin stressed that Russia has been and remains a reliable producer and supplier of grain, fertilizers, and energy carriers, including to Indian partners.

    The conversation with Putin come days after Modi, in an apparent reference to the Ukraine crisis, had noted that the G7 and those invited at its summit in Germany were meeting amid an atmosphere of global tension and asserted that India has always been in favour of peace.

    “Even in the present situation, we have constantly urged for the path of dialogue and diplomacy. The impact of this geopolitical tension is not just limited to Europe. The rising prices of energy and food grains are affecting all the countries,” he had said in his remarks at a G7 summit session.

    He had also said the energy and security of developing countries is particularly at risk. Modi has also raised concerns over food security amid the conflict in Ukraine.

  • Top US official on India trip over oil import from Russia

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  The US has commenced its efforts to try to wean India off its oil imports from Russia. Elizabeth Rosenberg, Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes at the US Department of Treasury, will travel to Delhi and Mumbai following President Biden’s call for all-encompassing sanctions on Russia. 

    “Assistant Secretary Rosenberg is travelling to New Delhi and Mumbai as a part of a continued Treasury effort to engage with partners and allies around the implementation and enforcement of the unprecedented multilateral sanctions and export controls on Russia for its war on Ukraine,’’ a US Embassy spokesperson told this newspaper.

    India imports less than 1 per cent of its crude from Russia, contrary to some countries in the European Union, which have upped imports. “Amid the continuing conflict in Ukraine, India is trying to secure its own interests as all European nations are,’’ said Union Minister of Commerce, Piyush Goyal at Davos recently.

    EU countries are importing larger quantities of petroleum products from Russia. Italy, for instance, has increased its imports from Russia, which has exported 450,000 barrels of crude per day to Italy this month — more than four times of what they imported in February and the highest ever since 2013. Italy is slated to overtake the Netherlands as the EU’s largest import hub for seaborne Russian crude.

    “In the current situation, when inflation is at an all-time high, causing stress to people all over the world, EU and European countries continue to buy larger quantities than India ever thought of buying,’’ Goyal added. According to sources, Secretary Rosenberg is expected to meet government officials and also members of the petroleum industry in the public and private sector. 

  • Defexpo 2022 to take place in Gujarat

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Defence is likely to hold the biennial defence exhibition DefExpo 2022 at Gandhinagar in October for which invites are likely to be sent out in the first week of June. Though the event was originally planned to be held in March, the Russia-Ukraine war had made it difficult for a large number of foreign participants to arrive with their equipment in India.

    Sources said with reopening of flight routes and resumption of normal traffic, the Ministry is likely to announce new dates and send out invites for the five-day exhibition. They added close to a thousand companies, including the world’s biggest defence manufacturers, are likely to take part in the event. 

    The expo will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is likely to spend a couple of days in the capital city of his home state Gujarat and meet the chiefs of top defence companies. If the plan falls in place this time, Gujarat sky will be buzzing with choppers and transport planes on the eve of the state assembly elections with hundreds of foreign participants bringing in their wares including helicopters, missiles, radars, tanks, armoured vehicles, heavy artillery for display at the marquee event.

    The Ministry has had a fixed format for the event. Apart from the global and local defence companies hawking their wares, seminars are held through the day on technology transfer and indigenisation, business and investment meetings are facilitated, and Indian states vie with each other to attract investments that the big sellers are required to make under the offset policy.

    The Ministry, meanwhile, has decided to launch a new initiative at DefExpo 2022 called Invest4iDex to promote innovations for defence excellence. This programme will be managed by an MoD wing called the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO). The Invest4iDex initiative will provide a platform to startups to pitch their ideas to venture capitalists and other investors and get their feedback. The idea is to help startups leverage DefExpo 2022 to generate investments and leads for future operations.

    The growing hostility between the United States and Russia may cause friction over participation of Russian defence companies. India has so far managed to walk the middle path. DefExpo 2022 would test South Block’s diplomatic skills as it would have to balance the demands of the two big global players.  

  • Ukraine, wheat ban to be discussed at Biden-Modi meet: US NSA

    By IANS

    WASHINGTON:  The Russian invasion of Ukraine and Indian restrictions on wheat exports will be among a range of issues that will figure at the upcoming meeting of the Quad in Tokyo next week and the bilateral between American President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the US has said.

    Modi and Biden will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australia’s newly elected Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, for the second in-person summit of the Quad, short for Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, on Tuesday in Tokyo.The two leaders will also meet bilaterally, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed in a gaggle with reporters travelling with Biden from South Korea to Japan, the second leg of his first trip to Asia as President.India and the US have not been on the same page on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. New Delhi has not condemned the invasion withstanding unrelenting pressure from the US and others such as the UK, who had, together with their other allies, have come to Ukraine’s aid with money and materiel with the stated intention of driving back the army of Russian President Vladimir Putin.The issue was discussed at the highest level between President Biden and Prime Minister Modi when they met virtually in March for a Quad meeting. They discussed it again in a short video conversation that kicked off the 2+2 ministerial dialogue in April. And they will discuss it again.”It won’t be a new conversation. It will be a continuation of the conversation they’ve already had about how we see the picture in Ukraine and the impacts of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine on a wider set of concerns in the world, including this food security concern,” Sullivan said in response to a question if Ukraine will come up at the meeting of the two leaders.Asked if the US would push India on wheat exports, the National Security Adviser said “food security will be a topic of conversation at the Quad”.India’s ban on export of wheat has raised international concerns with western leaders calling for New Delhi to behave more responsibly as the world grapples with shortages caused by the war � Russia and Ukraine together account for about 29 per cent of global wheat exports, and India is the world’s fourth largest producer of wheat after China, the US, and Russia.Sullivan was also asked a general question about how the Biden administration balanced the priority it accords to democratic and human rights in its foreign policy with the accusations of “human rights abuses and maligning Muslim minorities” in India.”President Biden has been clear from the beginning of this administration that we’ll speak out when we see any form of departure from or deviation from basic principles, fundamental freedoms, human rights, the values of democratic institutions, and the rule of law. That’s true for a range of countries. And, you know, we don’t single India out,” he said.He added: “We have found a way both to pursue practical cooperation with countries that are democratic and non-democratic, while, at the same time, being clear and consistent of where our values lie.”Human rights have become a new source of friction in India-US ties. From ignoring them as in the past, the Modi government has been increasingly more confrontational.External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, during his last visit to the US for 2+2 ministerial dialogue, said: “People are entitled to have views about us. We also are entitled to have views about their lobbies and vote banks. We will not be reticent. We also have views on other people’s human rights, particularly when it pertains to our community.” He had meant the US, though he was not that specific in this instance.

  • Russia-Ukraine crisis hits Gujarat diamond industry, here’s why

    By ANI

    SURAT: India’s diamond polishing hub Surat has lost its glamour in the wake of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War which has affected the supply chain of rough diamonds.

    Dinesh Navadia, Regional Chairman, Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council said, “Surat’s diamond industry witnesses an impact amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Every month raw material of around 1.75 lakh carat was imported into Surat via Russia. No raw material availability now. Over 30 to 35 per cent of rough diamonds imported from Alrosa directly come to the Indian market at Surat and Mumbai for cutting and polishing.”

    Major diamond factories in Surat have reduced the working week from three to four days. Several small factories in Surat have been closed for the time being.

    “Russian rough diamonds are generally smaller, making up 40 per cent of India’s diamond trade by volume and about 30 per cent in value. The war with Ukraine has now affected this 18 billion dollar trade. The stock of Russian raw materials sent to India before the US sanctions are also about to run out,” added Navadia.

    The Diamond Workers Union Gujarat’s Surat unit on May 4 sent a memorandum addressed to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel seeking financial aid to be given to the diamond workers.

    The Russian invasion of Ukraine started on February 24, 2022, and the US imposed sanctions on several items exported from Russia around mid-April.

  • Indian nuclear scientists visit plant in Russia

    By Express News Service

    CHENNAI:  Representatives of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and JSC “TENEX”, an exporter of initial nuclear fuel cycle products, recently visited the Kalinin nuclear power plant in Russia to learn about the process management of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) after its removal from a reactor core.

    The visit could help nuclear scientists at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant (KKNPP) in dealing with the transport of spent fuel assemblies to a processing plant. “The visit is part of the JSC “TENEX” project on cooperation in the sphere of safe management of spent nuclear fuel at KKNPP,” said Artemov Elena, Deputy Director General of TENEX.

    The scientists were given a demonstration starting from the receipt of an empty container, placing it in the pool soaking the reactor building, and the fuel loading using a console machine overload till the final stage of loading onto the transport platform. “For us, it is very important because in the future, we will conduct similar operations at Kudankulam nuclear power plant. 

    “We were impressed by the high level of skill and speed of the work of specialists of Kalinin nuclear power plant. I got a lot of new information that will provide the safe management of spent nuclear fuel at the initial stage of back-end,” said a release quoting senior executive engineer of the NPCIL Vinod Tiwari.