Lending support for India's ambitious Nalanda University project, six countries on Thursday began the process of signing inter-government agreements to pledge their commitment for this academic institution.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday left for Cambodia to attend the ASEAN and East Asia Summits which will provide an opportunity for India to enhance its economic cooperation against the backdrop of crisis in the western world.
The Summit comes at a time when China is flexing its muscle to tighten its grip over the disputed South China Sea.
A Kishore Kumar song, a birthday cake, a prince's break from protocol to thank his driver, a Persian painting on the ceiling of the presidential residence -- the BRICS Summit had many memorable moments.
India said on Tuesday it views the 16-member forum of the East Asia Summit as an opportunity to create a regional architecture for cooperation and deeper integration in the Asia Pacific region.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will leave for the 5th Indo-Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit and the 2nd East Asian summit to be held in Cebu, Philippines on Saturday morning.
The Trophy Tour for the 135th Durand Cup has concluded in Kolkata, marking the final stop before Asia's oldest football tournament begins. Kolkata will host 16 matches, including the highly anticipated Kolkata Derby and the final. The tournament features 24 teams from across five cities, with West Bengal sports minister and the organising committee chairman emphasising the city's deep connection to football and the tournament's legacy.
The visit was expected to project Assam as the gateway to Southeast Asia and reinforce the state's emergence as a preferred investment destination.
India has expressed serious concern over Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's civilian infrastructure and economic assets, stating that such actions threaten regional stability and freedom of navigation through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed the issue with his Saudi counterpart. India also condemned the targeting of commercial shipping after an Indian national went missing following an attack on a Panama-flagged ship off Oman.
Pakistan is hosting a quadrilateral summit of foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkiye to discuss the conflict in West Asia and explore avenues for peace. The summit includes discussions on regional developments and meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Foreign Ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkiye convene in Pakistan for a summit aimed at de-escalating the ongoing conflict in West Asia, with Pakistan actively seeking to broker peace through dialogue and diplomacy.
India and China held diplomatic talks to review the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), discussing boundary delimitation, border management, and trans-border cooperation. Both nations stressed the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity for bilateral relations and agreed to continue using existing channels to resolve outstanding issues.
Japan is deepening its defence relationship with India while simultaneously expanding its economic, infrastructure and security engagement with countries around India -- particularly Bangladesh. The result is an emerging Japanese conception of South Asia in which India remains the strategic anchor, but the geography surrounding India is becoming increasingly important, points out Varun Arya.
During the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting, outlining a four-point approach for the steady and long-term development of China-India relations. The leaders stressed strategic understanding, win-win cooperation, mutual respect, and inclusive multilateral engagement, reaffirming their commitment to resolving the boundary question and addressing economic concerns. They also discussed global challenges and strengthening people-to-people ties.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the SCO summit in Bishkek, called for a united front against terrorism and its financing, rejecting double standards. He emphasised resolving conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy, not battlefields. Modi also highlighted that connectivity projects must respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity, a veiled reference to China's Belt and Road Initiative. India's vision for SCO rests on security, connectivity, and opportunity.
'The Chinese military cannot advance much in Ladakh, even if they want to.' 'Similarly, in Arunachal Pradesh, they can rename a village or two, intrude here or there, but cannot do much more realistically.'
Notwithstanding the economic complementarities and the host of agreements for deepening economic relation on a host of areas, both sides share common viewpoints on the foreign policy domain and seek common grounds to serve as a counterweight to China, notes Dr Rajaram Panda.
India and China are in what experts call 'a cooperation-versus-competition situation'.
There is no official word on India's level of participation at the deliberations related to the summit.
We are back to the 1971 moment with both China and the US supporting Pakistan, asserts Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is in India for a BRICS foreign ministers' meeting, where discussions will focus on the escalating crisis in West Asia and its impact on global energy supply chains.
A new report suggests China's maritime vulnerability lies in the Strait of Hormuz, not Malacca, creating strategic competition in the Indian Ocean.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has urged India to take the lead in bringing peace to West Asia, highlighting the UAE's role in stalling BRICS consensus on the conflict. Gharibabadi also discussed a new framework with Oman for merchant vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The escalating crisis in West Asia and its impact on the global energy supply chain are expected to dominate deliberations at a two-day meeting of BRICS foreign ministers to be hosted by India.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met with his counterparts from Egypt and Turkiye in Islamabad ahead of a quadrilateral summit, including Saudi Arabia, to discuss the ongoing conflict in West Asia and explore avenues for peace.
Pakistan is set to host a quadrilateral summit of foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkiye to discuss the ongoing conflict in West Asia and explore avenues for peace negotiations.
India's position appears to be anchored around three red lines: Hasina's safety and the guarantee of a fair trial; assurances that Bangladeshi territory will not be used for activities hostile to India; and the restoration of an inclusive democratic process in Bangladesh.
India's dual pursuit of a robust strategic partnership with Washington and a pragmatic, tension-management policy with Beijing represents the essence of modern multi-alignment. By embracing economic pragmatism, learning to compartmentalize political differences, and engaging in continuous dialogue, India can secure its borders, grow its economy, and contribute to a stable, multipolar Asian century, points out Ambassador Rajasekhar.
President Xi is also skipping the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and East Asia summits in Jakarta this week.
India and China held constructive talks on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, emphasising that maintaining border peace and tranquillity enabled progress in normalising overall relations.
The harsh truth is that the US is no longer a reliable partner, cautions Ramesh Menon.
Top leaders from the US, Iran, and Pakistan, along with other nations, have gathered in Switzerland for high-level talks aimed at restoring peace in West Asia. These negotiations follow a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Iran, initiating a 60-day window for a deal. Discussions focus on Iran's nuclear programme and the fragile interim peace deal, amidst renewed tensions and the fluctuating status of the Strait of Hormuz.
Modi said the initiatives taken by the East Asia Summit in disaster preparedness and response are truly commendable.
Hours after US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that the ceasefire deal with Iran was "over", the US President indicated that Washington could launch another round of strikes against the Islamic Republic, following strikes on Tuesday, saying it had already hit Tehran "very hard" and warning of further attacks.
India too can rise to the top if the 1.4 billion Indians back home are given better opportunities to use their innate talent and capacity to work hard, with right incentives in a more meritocratic rules-based system, asserts Ajay Chhibber.
Much will depend on how the protagonists use the current interlude to work proactively for the beginning of a durable settlement or, on the contrary, prepare for a new round of escalation, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
United States President Joe Biden will travel to India from September 7 to 10 to attend the G-20 Leaders' Summit during which he will discuss with other leaders a range of global challenges, including the Ukraine conflict, the White House announced on Tuesday.
India is navigating a complex diplomatic landscape, attempting to balance its 'forever honeymoon' with the Israel-UAE-Bahrain axis against its historical ties with Iran, as evidenced by recent high-level visits and evolving geopolitical realignments in the Middle East, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'The flip side of this is that he won't hesitate to call out India if he thinks its policies are hurting US economic interests or border US foreign policy goals.'
