Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India successfully made other countries realize that terrorism can harm them too in the future if not contained now, Jaishankar said.
Tag: S Jaishankar
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Jaishankar, Austin discuss new opportunities for bilateral defence industrial cooperation
By PTI
WASHINGTON: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin have discussed new opportunities for bilateral defence industrial cooperation, a move which Pentagon said would enhance New Delhi’s contribution as a regional security provider.
Jaishankar, who is on a four-day official trip to Washington, drove down to the Pentagon on Monday for a meeting with Austin.
The two leaders reviewed priority lines of effort to deepen bilateral defense cooperation, as the United States and India progress toward a more advanced stage in their partnership, according to a Pentagon readout of the meeting.
Austin and Jaishankar committed to expanding information-sharing and logistics cooperation to drive deeper operational coordination between the US and Indian militaries.
“They also discussed new opportunities for bilateral defense industrial cooperation in support of India’s contributions as a regional security provider, including the launch of a new defence dialogue later this year as the United States and India work more closely together across space, cyber, artificial intelligence, and other technology areas,” the Pentagon said.
During the meeting, the two leaders underscored the value of the deepening collaboration between the US, India, Australia, Japan, and European partners.
In this context, the US looks forward to working with India and like-minded partners to promote security, prosperity, and transparency throughout the region, including through the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, the Pentagon said, amid China flexing muscles in the strategic region.
The United States, India, Japan and Australia have formed the Quad, a four-way grouping.
They have been stepping up cooperation in various fields such as defence and energy amid China’s increasing military and economic clout in the region.
China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it.
Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. China also has territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea.
The relations between India and China have soured over the incursion by Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh in May 2020, leading to a prolonged military standoff that is still unresolved.
On the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly last week, the Quad strongly opposed any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo or increase tensions in the Indo-Pacific, amidst China’s increasingly intimidatory behaviour in the region.
Welcoming Jaishankar to the Pentagon, Austin recollected his recent phone call with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
They exchanged perspectives on a range of issues of shared interest, spanning recent developments in East Asia, the Indian Ocean Region, and the global reverberations of the Ukraine crisis, the readout said.
The Pentagon said Austin and Jaishankar reaffirmed their commitment to working together as steadfast partners to advance the United States and India’s shared vision for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
Meanwhile, after the meeting, Jaishankar tweeted, “Defence and Security cooperation is a key pillar of the contemporary India-US partnership. We noted the steady progress in policy exchange, interoperability, defence trade, service exercises and military-industrial cooperation.”
“Exchanged perspectives on the Ukraine conflict, Indo-Pacific developments, maritime challenges and regional issues,” he added.
WASHINGTON: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin have discussed new opportunities for bilateral defence industrial cooperation, a move which Pentagon said would enhance New Delhi’s contribution as a regional security provider.
Jaishankar, who is on a four-day official trip to Washington, drove down to the Pentagon on Monday for a meeting with Austin.
The two leaders reviewed priority lines of effort to deepen bilateral defense cooperation, as the United States and India progress toward a more advanced stage in their partnership, according to a Pentagon readout of the meeting.
Austin and Jaishankar committed to expanding information-sharing and logistics cooperation to drive deeper operational coordination between the US and Indian militaries.
“They also discussed new opportunities for bilateral defense industrial cooperation in support of India’s contributions as a regional security provider, including the launch of a new defence dialogue later this year as the United States and India work more closely together across space, cyber, artificial intelligence, and other technology areas,” the Pentagon said.
During the meeting, the two leaders underscored the value of the deepening collaboration between the US, India, Australia, Japan, and European partners.
In this context, the US looks forward to working with India and like-minded partners to promote security, prosperity, and transparency throughout the region, including through the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, the Pentagon said, amid China flexing muscles in the strategic region.
The United States, India, Japan and Australia have formed the Quad, a four-way grouping.
They have been stepping up cooperation in various fields such as defence and energy amid China’s increasing military and economic clout in the region.
China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it.
Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. China also has territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea.
The relations between India and China have soured over the incursion by Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh in May 2020, leading to a prolonged military standoff that is still unresolved.
On the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly last week, the Quad strongly opposed any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo or increase tensions in the Indo-Pacific, amidst China’s increasingly intimidatory behaviour in the region.
Welcoming Jaishankar to the Pentagon, Austin recollected his recent phone call with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
They exchanged perspectives on a range of issues of shared interest, spanning recent developments in East Asia, the Indian Ocean Region, and the global reverberations of the Ukraine crisis, the readout said.
The Pentagon said Austin and Jaishankar reaffirmed their commitment to working together as steadfast partners to advance the United States and India’s shared vision for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
Meanwhile, after the meeting, Jaishankar tweeted, “Defence and Security cooperation is a key pillar of the contemporary India-US partnership. We noted the steady progress in policy exchange, interoperability, defence trade, service exercises and military-industrial cooperation.”
“Exchanged perspectives on the Ukraine conflict, Indo-Pacific developments, maritime challenges and regional issues,” he added.
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‘We dream of digitising our most remote villages and landing on moon’: Jaishankar
The event was organised by the Government of India and United Nations to highlight India's partnership with the UN.
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to begin 5-day visit to Mongolia, Japan on Monday
By PTI
NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will embark on a five-day visit to Mongolia and Japan beginning on Monday with an aim to expand India’s defence and security ties with the two countries.
In Japan, Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will join their Japanese counterparts under the framework of ‘2+2’ foreign and defence ministerial dialogue, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.
Singh will visit Mongolia from September 5 to 7 while his tour of Japan will be from September 8-9.
It is learnt that the ‘2+2’ dialogue is planned for September 8.
The dialogue is taking place over five months after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited India for the annual India-Japan summit.
At the summit in New Delhi, Kishida announced an investment target of five trillion Yen (Rs 3,20,000 crore) in India over the next five years.
In the 2+2 dialogue, the two sides are expected to deliberate on ways to further expand bilateral cooperation in the areas of defence and security besides taking stock of the developments in the Indo-Pacific, the people cited above said.
The Japanese delegation will be headed at the talks by Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada.
The dialogue is scheduled around three weeks ahead of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s state funeral on September 27 in Tokyo.
The ‘2+2’ dialogue with Japan was initiated in 2019 to deepen bilateral security and defence cooperation further and bring greater depth to the special strategic and global partnership between the two countries.
India has the ‘2+2’ ministerial format of dialogue with very few countries including the US, Japan, Australia and Russia.
India’s defence and security ties with Mongolia are also on an upswing.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a visit to Mongolia in May 2015, bringing a renewed vigour to the ties in diverse areas including defence and security.
During the visit, India announced a USD 1 billion line of credit to Mongolia for infrastructure development and upgraded their ties to the strategic partnership.
Joint India-Mongolia military exercise ‘Nomadic Elephant’ is held annually.
The last two editions of the exercise were held at Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) in September 2018 and in October 2019 in Himachal Pradesh.
NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will embark on a five-day visit to Mongolia and Japan beginning on Monday with an aim to expand India’s defence and security ties with the two countries.
In Japan, Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will join their Japanese counterparts under the framework of ‘2+2’ foreign and defence ministerial dialogue, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.
Singh will visit Mongolia from September 5 to 7 while his tour of Japan will be from September 8-9.
It is learnt that the ‘2+2’ dialogue is planned for September 8.
The dialogue is taking place over five months after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited India for the annual India-Japan summit.
At the summit in New Delhi, Kishida announced an investment target of five trillion Yen (Rs 3,20,000 crore) in India over the next five years.
In the 2+2 dialogue, the two sides are expected to deliberate on ways to further expand bilateral cooperation in the areas of defence and security besides taking stock of the developments in the Indo-Pacific, the people cited above said.
The Japanese delegation will be headed at the talks by Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada.
The dialogue is scheduled around three weeks ahead of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s state funeral on September 27 in Tokyo.
The ‘2+2’ dialogue with Japan was initiated in 2019 to deepen bilateral security and defence cooperation further and bring greater depth to the special strategic and global partnership between the two countries.
India has the ‘2+2’ ministerial format of dialogue with very few countries including the US, Japan, Australia and Russia.
India’s defence and security ties with Mongolia are also on an upswing.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a visit to Mongolia in May 2015, bringing a renewed vigour to the ties in diverse areas including defence and security.
During the visit, India announced a USD 1 billion line of credit to Mongolia for infrastructure development and upgraded their ties to the strategic partnership.
Joint India-Mongolia military exercise ‘Nomadic Elephant’ is held annually.
The last two editions of the exercise were held at Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) in September 2018 and in October 2019 in Himachal Pradesh.
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India an emerging power on global scale and a regional power in Asia: EAM Jaishankar
By PTI
ASUNCION (Paraguay): India is an emerging power on a global scale and a regional power in Asia in terms of both size and population, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said here on Monday as he held “productive” talks with his Paraguayan counterpart Julio Cesar Arriola and discussed new areas of bilateral cooperation.
Jaishankar, who is on his first-ever official visit to South America aimed at boosting overall bilateral ties with the region, also said that India is one of the world’s most dynamic economies, which has experienced tremendous growth in recent years.
Jaishankar is also the first Indian Foreign Minister to visit Paraguay coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the beginning of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
“Today, we had very productive talks. We discussed our bilateral relations. We discussed the prospects of growth, trade, development partnership and investments,” Jaishankar said during a joint press statement alongside Arriola.
The minister said that beyond economy, there are other areas where the two sides can work together such as culture, civil society, health, education and traditional medicine.
“We had a very good exchange of views on the state of the world. Our shared commitment to international rules-based order, a world which respects international law, which respects agreements, which supports multilateralism,” Jaishankar said, in a veiled reference to China.
In Sao Paulo, Jaishankar on Saturday said that China has disregarded the border pacts with India, casting a shadow on the bilateral ties as he asserted that a lasting relationship cannot be a one-way street and there has to be mutual respect.
He noted that this year is of utmost relevance for India, given that on August 15, it celebrated 75 years of independent existence.
“To understand the significance of these developments, I would like to point out that India is an emerging power on a global scale and a regional power in Asia in terms of both size and population. It is one of the world’s most dynamic economies, which has experienced tremendous growth in recent years,” Jaishankar said.
“We have agreed with the Foreign Minister that this visit reflects the political will of our governments to strengthen the ties that unite our countries and the desire to explore new areas where we can expand cooperation and commercial exchanges, with the aim of taking advantage of all the potential that our economies have to offer,” he said.
He said Paraguay has been a steadfast partner of India at multilateral forums.
“Our shared commitment to a rules based order and to democratic values will continue motivating us to work closely,” he said.
Jaishankar also inaugurated a resident Indian Embassy in Paraguay and said its establishment will take bilateral ties to a higher level.
“I have every confidence that with an embassy in this country, the opportunities for our cooperation will grow,” he said, assuring Arriola that he will find India as a very good partner.
“We wish to continue working on a robust bilateral agenda, which will allow us to deepen and broaden the ties between our countries, and thus bringing our societies closer together,” Jaishankar said.
He said he has expressed to the Foreign Minister that Paraguay has a strong interest in becoming a strategic partner of India in the region.
On his part, Arriola said that Paraguay has a firm interest in becoming a strategic partner of India in the region.
“We aim to continue working to increase investment and support in areas of common interest, such as culture, education, energy, technology transfer and training of human talent, among others,” he said.
Later, Jaishankar called on President Marito Abdo and conveyed the personal greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Thank President of Paraguay @MaritoAbdo for receiving me. Conveyed the personal greetings of PM @narendramodi. Appreciate his guidance on further advancing our bilateral relationship and global partnership,” he tweeted.
Gracias, Presidente de la República del Paraguay @MaritoAbdo por recibirme. Trasmití los saludos personales del Primer Ministro @narendramodi.Agradezco su orientación para seguir avanzando en nuestra relación bilateral y asociación global. https://t.co/ITVvo7Y5AD
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 22, 2022
Earlier, Jaishankar also unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi and visited the historic Casa de la Independencia from where the South American country’s Independence movement started more than two centuries ago.“Honoured to unveil a bust of Mahatma Gandhi ji in Asuncion, Paraguay. Appreciate the Asuncion Municipality’s decision to locate it at the prominent waterfront of the city. This is a statement of solidarity that was so strongly expressed during the Covid pandemic,” he tweeted.
“Paid my homage at the National Pantheon of Heroes in Asuncion this morning. Recognized the sacrifices of those who have served this country,” he said in another tweet.
ASUNCION (Paraguay): India is an emerging power on a global scale and a regional power in Asia in terms of both size and population, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said here on Monday as he held “productive” talks with his Paraguayan counterpart Julio Cesar Arriola and discussed new areas of bilateral cooperation.
Jaishankar, who is on his first-ever official visit to South America aimed at boosting overall bilateral ties with the region, also said that India is one of the world’s most dynamic economies, which has experienced tremendous growth in recent years.
Jaishankar is also the first Indian Foreign Minister to visit Paraguay coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the beginning of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
“Today, we had very productive talks. We discussed our bilateral relations. We discussed the prospects of growth, trade, development partnership and investments,” Jaishankar said during a joint press statement alongside Arriola.
The minister said that beyond economy, there are other areas where the two sides can work together such as culture, civil society, health, education and traditional medicine.
“We had a very good exchange of views on the state of the world. Our shared commitment to international rules-based order, a world which respects international law, which respects agreements, which supports multilateralism,” Jaishankar said, in a veiled reference to China.
In Sao Paulo, Jaishankar on Saturday said that China has disregarded the border pacts with India, casting a shadow on the bilateral ties as he asserted that a lasting relationship cannot be a one-way street and there has to be mutual respect.
He noted that this year is of utmost relevance for India, given that on August 15, it celebrated 75 years of independent existence.
“To understand the significance of these developments, I would like to point out that India is an emerging power on a global scale and a regional power in Asia in terms of both size and population. It is one of the world’s most dynamic economies, which has experienced tremendous growth in recent years,” Jaishankar said.
“We have agreed with the Foreign Minister that this visit reflects the political will of our governments to strengthen the ties that unite our countries and the desire to explore new areas where we can expand cooperation and commercial exchanges, with the aim of taking advantage of all the potential that our economies have to offer,” he said.
He said Paraguay has been a steadfast partner of India at multilateral forums.
“Our shared commitment to a rules based order and to democratic values will continue motivating us to work closely,” he said.
Jaishankar also inaugurated a resident Indian Embassy in Paraguay and said its establishment will take bilateral ties to a higher level.
“I have every confidence that with an embassy in this country, the opportunities for our cooperation will grow,” he said, assuring Arriola that he will find India as a very good partner.
“We wish to continue working on a robust bilateral agenda, which will allow us to deepen and broaden the ties between our countries, and thus bringing our societies closer together,” Jaishankar said.
He said he has expressed to the Foreign Minister that Paraguay has a strong interest in becoming a strategic partner of India in the region.
On his part, Arriola said that Paraguay has a firm interest in becoming a strategic partner of India in the region.
“We aim to continue working to increase investment and support in areas of common interest, such as culture, education, energy, technology transfer and training of human talent, among others,” he said.
Later, Jaishankar called on President Marito Abdo and conveyed the personal greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Thank President of Paraguay @MaritoAbdo for receiving me. Conveyed the personal greetings of PM @narendramodi. Appreciate his guidance on further advancing our bilateral relationship and global partnership,” he tweeted.
Gracias, Presidente de la República del Paraguay @MaritoAbdo por recibirme. Trasmití los saludos personales del Primer Ministro @narendramodi.
Agradezco su orientación para seguir avanzando en nuestra relación bilateral y asociación global. https://t.co/ITVvo7Y5AD
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 22, 2022
Earlier, Jaishankar also unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi and visited the historic Casa de la Independencia from where the South American country’s Independence movement started more than two centuries ago.“Honoured to unveil a bust of Mahatma Gandhi ji in Asuncion, Paraguay. Appreciate the Asuncion Municipality’s decision to locate it at the prominent waterfront of the city. This is a statement of solidarity that was so strongly expressed during the Covid pandemic,” he tweeted.
“Paid my homage at the National Pantheon of Heroes in Asuncion this morning. Recognized the sacrifices of those who have served this country,” he said in another tweet.
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India-China ties are tense, situation may turn dangerous: S Jaishankar
Express News Service
BENGALURU: India-China relationship is very “tense” and it could be a “dangerous situation” because of the border issue, said External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar in a media interaction in Bengaluru on Friday evening. While fielding questions, he said the relationship between India and China “cannot be normal” under the present circumstances.
“Despite 16 rounds of commander-level talks between us on the Chinese disengagement along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, the issue remains unresolved. The Indian Army has been holding its ground for the past two winters, which shows our resolve on standing our ground. We have made some substantial progress in terms of the troops pulling back from places, where they were very close. There are still some places, where they have not,” said the EAM.
He added that “India has consistently maintained its position that if China disturbed peace in the border areas it will impact on our bilateral relationship with them.” Regarding India’s security concerns against the Chinese ballistic missile and satellite tracking ship ‘Yuan Wang 5’ against docking at the Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka, Jaishankar reiterated MEA spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi’s views on the issue in which he said, “security concerns are the sovereign right of every country.
We will make the best judgement in own interest.” On a question regarding China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Jaishankar said, it violates our sovereignty and territorial integrity. “Our view on the BRI has been consistent and I don’t need to vindicate my stand,” he said.
‘Resolve conflict through dialogue’
On the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict, the Minister said it has led to an energy and food crisis. “The conflict has impacted global trade, created volatility in supply of oil, wheat and semiconductors and led to investment challenges.
But we need to work around and overcome challenges. Politically, we have maintained that the conflict should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” he added.Jaishankar said that the instability in the world is a challenge to national security and the Modi government is making every effort to address it. Regarding Afghanistan, Jaishankar said India has historically maintained relationships with people of Afghanistan.
BENGALURU: India-China relationship is very “tense” and it could be a “dangerous situation” because of the border issue, said External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar in a media interaction in Bengaluru on Friday evening. While fielding questions, he said the relationship between India and China “cannot be normal” under the present circumstances.
“Despite 16 rounds of commander-level talks between us on the Chinese disengagement along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, the issue remains unresolved. The Indian Army has been holding its ground for the past two winters, which shows our resolve on standing our ground. We have made some substantial progress in terms of the troops pulling back from places, where they were very close. There are still some places, where they have not,” said the EAM.
He added that “India has consistently maintained its position that if China disturbed peace in the border areas it will impact on our bilateral relationship with them.” Regarding India’s security concerns against the Chinese ballistic missile and satellite tracking ship ‘Yuan Wang 5’ against docking at the Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka, Jaishankar reiterated MEA spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi’s views on the issue in which he said, “security concerns are the sovereign right of every country.
We will make the best judgement in own interest.” On a question regarding China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Jaishankar said, it violates our sovereignty and territorial integrity. “Our view on the BRI has been consistent and I don’t need to vindicate my stand,” he said.
‘Resolve conflict through dialogue’
On the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict, the Minister said it has led to an energy and food crisis. “The conflict has impacted global trade, created volatility in supply of oil, wheat and semiconductors and led to investment challenges.
But we need to work around and overcome challenges. Politically, we have maintained that the conflict should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” he added.Jaishankar said that the instability in the world is a challenge to national security and the Modi government is making every effort to address it. Regarding Afghanistan, Jaishankar said India has historically maintained relationships with people of Afghanistan.
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Parliament passes bill to ban funding of weapons of mass destruction
By PTI
NEW DELHI: Parliament on Monday passed a bill which seeks to ban funding of weapons of mass destruction and also empowers the Centre to freeze, seize or attach financial assets and economic resources of people engaged in such activities.
The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022, piloted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, was passed by the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote even as opposition parties continued their protest over various issues, including the arrest of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut in a money laundering case.
The bill was approved by the Lok Sabha in April.
Replying to a debate on the bill, Jaishankar said all members who spoke on the proposed legislation recognised that terrorism is a serious threat and so are weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
He said that the current law only covers trading and does not cover the financing of weapons of mass destruction.
ALSO READ | Parliament passes bill to extend laws to Indian research stations in Antarctic region
“This gap needs to be filled because the recommendation of the Financial Action Task Force requires all countries, including us, to ensure that assets financing for WMD-related activities is prohibited. So keeping in mind this lacuna of the current law we have brought this amendment. This is good for the security of the country. This is good for the reputation of the country,” Jaishankar said.
The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, passed in 2005, only banned the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction.
The amendment bill seeks to insert a new Section 12A in the existing law which states that “no person shall finance any activity which is prohibited under this Act, or under the United Nations (Security Council) Act, 1947 or any other relevant Act for the time being in force, or by an order issued under any such Act, in relation to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.”
NEW DELHI: Parliament on Monday passed a bill which seeks to ban funding of weapons of mass destruction and also empowers the Centre to freeze, seize or attach financial assets and economic resources of people engaged in such activities.
The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022, piloted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, was passed by the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote even as opposition parties continued their protest over various issues, including the arrest of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut in a money laundering case.
The bill was approved by the Lok Sabha in April.
Replying to a debate on the bill, Jaishankar said all members who spoke on the proposed legislation recognised that terrorism is a serious threat and so are weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
He said that the current law only covers trading and does not cover the financing of weapons of mass destruction.
ALSO READ | Parliament passes bill to extend laws to Indian research stations in Antarctic region
“This gap needs to be filled because the recommendation of the Financial Action Task Force requires all countries, including us, to ensure that assets financing for WMD-related activities is prohibited. So keeping in mind this lacuna of the current law we have brought this amendment. This is good for the security of the country. This is good for the reputation of the country,” Jaishankar said.
The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, passed in 2005, only banned the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction.
The amendment bill seeks to insert a new Section 12A in the existing law which states that “no person shall finance any activity which is prohibited under this Act, or under the United Nations (Security Council) Act, 1947 or any other relevant Act for the time being in force, or by an order issued under any such Act, in relation to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.”
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SCO meet: Jaishankar unlikely to hold bilateral talks with Bilawal Bhutto
Express News Service
NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar is attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Tashkent on Friday where he will have bilateral talks with the other members. However, it is unlikely for him to have any such talks with his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto.
“Diplomatic relations with Pakistan have been downgraded at the moment after Bilawal Bhutto’s statements in support of Yasin Malik and other Kashmiri separatists. Therefor, it unlikely for Dr Jaishankar to have any bilateral talks with him,” say sources.
However, there is every possibility of the foreign minister holding talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. Iran is joining as the ninth member of SCO and Dr Jaishankar is likely to have talks with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
It may be recalled that during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held last month in Kigali (Rwanda), Dr Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar didn’t pose for any photos nor did they shake hands.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has decided to call back its chess team from India (who had come to take part in the Chess Olympiad in Chennai). They had objected to India taking the torch for the event in Srinagar.
“Jammu and Kashmir (including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) and Ladakh are an integral part of India. So we are free to do what we want over there. No country should have any reason to object. It is unfortunate that Pakistan is politicizing a sporting event – especially after they have sent in their team,” said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
More recently India was miffed and vehemently opposed China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)’s suggestion of including a third country in their projects. CPEC has some projects coming up in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK) and India has criticized this. “Any activities undertaken in the POK will be against our territorial integrity. We reject the idea of any third country being a part of it,” says MEA.
NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar is attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Tashkent on Friday where he will have bilateral talks with the other members. However, it is unlikely for him to have any such talks with his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto.
“Diplomatic relations with Pakistan have been downgraded at the moment after Bilawal Bhutto’s statements in support of Yasin Malik and other Kashmiri separatists. Therefor, it unlikely for Dr Jaishankar to have any bilateral talks with him,” say sources.
However, there is every possibility of the foreign minister holding talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. Iran is joining as the ninth member of SCO and Dr Jaishankar is likely to have talks with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
It may be recalled that during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held last month in Kigali (Rwanda), Dr Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar didn’t pose for any photos nor did they shake hands.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has decided to call back its chess team from India (who had come to take part in the Chess Olympiad in Chennai). They had objected to India taking the torch for the event in Srinagar.
“Jammu and Kashmir (including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) and Ladakh are an integral part of India. So we are free to do what we want over there. No country should have any reason to object. It is unfortunate that Pakistan is politicizing a sporting event – especially after they have sent in their team,” said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
More recently India was miffed and vehemently opposed China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)’s suggestion of including a third country in their projects. CPEC has some projects coming up in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK) and India has criticized this. “Any activities undertaken in the POK will be against our territorial integrity. We reject the idea of any third country being a part of it,” says MEA.
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India extended 8 Lines of Credit worth USD 1.85 billion to Sri Lanka in 10 years: Jaishankar
By ANI
NEW DELHI: India has extended 8 Lines of Credit (LOCs) to Sri Lanka amounting to USD 1850.64 million in the past 10 years, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said on Friday.
“Government of India has extended 08 Lines of Credit (LOCs) to Sri Lanka amounting to USD 1850.64 million in sectors including railways, infrastructure, defence, renewable energy, petroleum and fertilizers in the past 10 years,” EAM Jaishankar said in a written reply to question put by DMK Lok Sabha MP S Ramalingam.
India continues to assist Sri Lanka in its economic development to overcome its economic challenges under its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, EAM said in response to the question of short-term and long-term loans granted by India to Sri Lanka.
“Under its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, the Government is committed to developing friendly and mutually beneficial relations with all its neighbours. In line with this policy, India continues to assist Sri Lanka in its economic development and also support it in overcoming its economic challenges,” he said.
“In January 2022, India extended a USD 400 million currency swap to Sri Lanka under the SAARC Framework and deferred successive Asian Clearing Union (A.C.U.) settlements till July 6, 2022. A Line of Credit of US$ 500 million was extended to Sri Lanka for importing fuel from India,” the minister added.
Jaishankar informed that India has extended a credit facility of US$ 1 billion for the procurement of food, medicines and other essential items from India.
The minister further explained how humanitarian assistance was also provided to Sri Lanka by gifting essential medicines worth about INR 6 crores, 15,000 litres of kerosene oil and USD 55 million LoC for procurement of Urea fertilizer. “Government of Tamil Nadu has contributed rice, milk powder and medicines worth USD 16 million, as part of the larger Indian assistance effort,” Jaishankar said.
“Development assistance under Lines of Credit (LoCs) is extended in accordance with the Indian Development and Economic Assistance Scheme (IDEAS) guidelines of the Government of India. In accordance with these guidelines, the terms of these soft loans are transparent, with a low rate of interest, a moratorium in principal repayment, long repayment period and in-built flexibility,” he wrote.
On Thursday, India reiterated its stance to stand by the people of Sri Lanka at the time of crisis, saying that India has been at forefront of extending economic assistance to Sri Lanka and will continue to do so.
“India has been at forefront of extending economic assistance to Sri Lanka as per what they require and we are one of the countries that have provided the maximum amount of assistance at the time of need. We will continue to stand by the people of Sri Lanka in whatever manner we can,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said during a media briefing.
NEW DELHI: India has extended 8 Lines of Credit (LOCs) to Sri Lanka amounting to USD 1850.64 million in the past 10 years, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said on Friday.
“Government of India has extended 08 Lines of Credit (LOCs) to Sri Lanka amounting to USD 1850.64 million in sectors including railways, infrastructure, defence, renewable energy, petroleum and fertilizers in the past 10 years,” EAM Jaishankar said in a written reply to question put by DMK Lok Sabha MP S Ramalingam.
India continues to assist Sri Lanka in its economic development to overcome its economic challenges under its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, EAM said in response to the question of short-term and long-term loans granted by India to Sri Lanka.
“Under its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, the Government is committed to developing friendly and mutually beneficial relations with all its neighbours. In line with this policy, India continues to assist Sri Lanka in its economic development and also support it in overcoming its economic challenges,” he said.
“In January 2022, India extended a USD 400 million currency swap to Sri Lanka under the SAARC Framework and deferred successive Asian Clearing Union (A.C.U.) settlements till July 6, 2022. A Line of Credit of US$ 500 million was extended to Sri Lanka for importing fuel from India,” the minister added.
Jaishankar informed that India has extended a credit facility of US$ 1 billion for the procurement of food, medicines and other essential items from India.
The minister further explained how humanitarian assistance was also provided to Sri Lanka by gifting essential medicines worth about INR 6 crores, 15,000 litres of kerosene oil and USD 55 million LoC for procurement of Urea fertilizer. “Government of Tamil Nadu has contributed rice, milk powder and medicines worth USD 16 million, as part of the larger Indian assistance effort,” Jaishankar said.
“Development assistance under Lines of Credit (LoCs) is extended in accordance with the Indian Development and Economic Assistance Scheme (IDEAS) guidelines of the Government of India. In accordance with these guidelines, the terms of these soft loans are transparent, with a low rate of interest, a moratorium in principal repayment, long repayment period and in-built flexibility,” he wrote.
On Thursday, India reiterated its stance to stand by the people of Sri Lanka at the time of crisis, saying that India has been at forefront of extending economic assistance to Sri Lanka and will continue to do so.
“India has been at forefront of extending economic assistance to Sri Lanka as per what they require and we are one of the countries that have provided the maximum amount of assistance at the time of need. We will continue to stand by the people of Sri Lanka in whatever manner we can,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said during a media briefing.
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Very serious crisis in Sri Lanka, naturally worry about spillover: Jaishankar at all-party meet
By PTI
NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka is facing “a very serious crisis” that makes India naturally worried, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told an all-party meeting here on Tuesday and dismissed suggestions about such a situation arising in India.
Jaishankar, who made the initial remarks, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi were among the senior members of the government at the briefing, which was also attended by P Chidambaram and Manickam Tagore of the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) Sharad Pawar and T R Baalu and M M Abdulla of the DMK.
“The reason we took the initiative to request you all to join an all-party meeting was this is a very serious crisis and what we are seeing in Sri Lanka is in many ways an unprecedented situation,” Jaishankar said.
“It is a matter which pertains to a very close neighbour and given the near proximity, we naturally worry about the consequences, the spillover it has for us,” he added.
Jaishankar also said there have seen some “misinformed comparisons” in the context of Sri Lanka wherein some people have asked whether “can such a situation happen in India.”
M Thambidurai (AIADMK), Saugata Ray (Trinamool Congress), Farooq Abdullah (National Conference), Sanjay Singh (Aam Aadmi Party), Keshava Rao (Telangana Rashtra Samithi), Ritesh Pandey (Bahujan Samaj Party), Vijayasai Reddy (YSR Congress) and Vaiko (MDMK) were among those who attended the meeting.
Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis in seven decades, with a severe foreign exchange shortage hampering the import of essentials, including food, fuel and medicines.
The economic crisis has also sparked a political crisis in the island nation after a popular uprising against the government. Acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe has declared a state of emergency in the country.
Political parties from Tamil Nadu such as the DMK and the AIADMK had demanded at an all-party meet before the Parliament’s monsoon session began that India should intervene in the crisis shrouding the neighbouring country.
NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka is facing “a very serious crisis” that makes India naturally worried, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told an all-party meeting here on Tuesday and dismissed suggestions about such a situation arising in India.
Jaishankar, who made the initial remarks, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi were among the senior members of the government at the briefing, which was also attended by P Chidambaram and Manickam Tagore of the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) Sharad Pawar and T R Baalu and M M Abdulla of the DMK.
“The reason we took the initiative to request you all to join an all-party meeting was this is a very serious crisis and what we are seeing in Sri Lanka is in many ways an unprecedented situation,” Jaishankar said.
“It is a matter which pertains to a very close neighbour and given the near proximity, we naturally worry about the consequences, the spillover it has for us,” he added.
Jaishankar also said there have seen some “misinformed comparisons” in the context of Sri Lanka wherein some people have asked whether “can such a situation happen in India.”
M Thambidurai (AIADMK), Saugata Ray (Trinamool Congress), Farooq Abdullah (National Conference), Sanjay Singh (Aam Aadmi Party), Keshava Rao (Telangana Rashtra Samithi), Ritesh Pandey (Bahujan Samaj Party), Vijayasai Reddy (YSR Congress) and Vaiko (MDMK) were among those who attended the meeting.
Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis in seven decades, with a severe foreign exchange shortage hampering the import of essentials, including food, fuel and medicines.
The economic crisis has also sparked a political crisis in the island nation after a popular uprising against the government. Acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe has declared a state of emergency in the country.
Political parties from Tamil Nadu such as the DMK and the AIADMK had demanded at an all-party meet before the Parliament’s monsoon session began that India should intervene in the crisis shrouding the neighbouring country.