Kenneth I. Juster named U.S ambassador to India
Kenneth I. Juster, until recently deputy director of the National Economic Council at the White House, has been nominated as the next U.S ambassador to India. The appointment will take effect once the U.S Senate confirms him. The post is vacant since January 20. Mr. Juster has been a strong supporter of India-U.S ties and […]
India, Japan Agree To Further Intensify Strategic Ties
India and Japan inked 15 agreements to further broad-base their strategic partnership and agreed to strengthen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region where China is increasing its assertiveness. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe held wide-ranging talks on key bilateral, regional and international issues and discussed ways to deepen ties in trade, […]
India opens two border crossing points with Myanmar, Bangladesh
India has opened two immigration check posts along the borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh, official notifications said. In a gazette notification, the home ministry said the central government has designated Zorinpui land check post in Lawngtlai district of Mizoram as an authorised immigration check post for entry into or exit from India with valid travel […]
India outraged at move to release Hafiz Saeed
India is outraged at the imminent release of Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed from house arrest, calling it an attempt by Pakistan to mainstream proscribed terrorists and a reflection of its continuing support to non-state actors. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Saeed’s release once again confirmed the lack of seriousness on the […]
Vijay Keshav Gokhale to be next foreign secretary
Seasoned diplomat Vijay Keshav Gokhale, considered an expert on China, was named the next foreign secretary succeeding S Jaishankar, who completes his extended tenure later this month. Gokhale, a 1981-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), had played a key role in India-China negotiations last year to resolve the 73-day standoff between Indian Army and […]
MEA confirms Indo-Pak NSA talks; says cross-border terrorism on agenda
Over a fortnight after their meeting, the government confirmed that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval held talks with his Pakistani counterpart Lt Gen Nasser Khan Janjua (retd) in Thailand, noting that “talks on terror” can definitely go ahead. Raveesh Kumar, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, told reporters that the focus of the […]
India expresses ‘deep dismay, concern’ over extension of emergency in Maldives
Reacting strongly to the extension of emergency in Maldives, India said it is “deeply dismayed” over the development and that the manner in which the 30-day extension was approved by the Majlis in contravention of the Maldivian Constitution is also a “matter of concern”. Accepting President Abdulla Yameen’s recommendation, the Maldivian Parliament (Majlis) extended the […]
Wuhan Summit: India, China To Step Up Policy Coordination
India and China will enhance policy coordination in their cooperation with neighbouring countries following the just-concluded informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, a top Chinese official has said. PM Modi and Mr Xi concluded their first ever two-day India-China informal summit raising hopes of improving relations in light of last […]
Mike Pompeo Conveys “Regret” To Sushma Swaraj After US Postpones Dialogue
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her American counterpart Mike Pompeo have agreed to reschedule the postponed ‘2+2 dialogue’ at a mutually convenient time and location as soon as possible, a State Department spokesperson said. Ms Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were earlier scheduled to travel to the United States to take part in […]
India, US to hold first ‘2+2 dialogue’ on September 6
The inaugural ‘two-plus-two dialogue’ between India and the US will be held on September 6 in New Delhi, the State Department announced. Last month, the US had postponed the much-awaited dialogue due to “unavoidable reasons”. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary James Mattis would travel to India for the dialogue. The dialogue is […]