US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit India from May 23-26 to enhance cooperation in trade, defence, and energy, attending meetings with senior Indian officials and participating in a Quad group meeting in New Delhi.
Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao will undertake a three-day visit to Sri Lanka from Monday. She is expected to visit the north eastern provinces of Sri Lanka -- including Vayunia, Yazhpanam and Trincomalee -- to check the rehabilitation of the Tamil population, who were displaced by the military's offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Rao is also expected to prepare the ground work for the official visit of External Affairs Minister S M Krishna to Colombo.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar amid American demand that countries mediating the peace talks with Iran join the Abraham Accords and establish diplomatic and economic ties with Israel.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that the US and Iran have agreed on the text of a peace deal, kindling hope of a diplomatic breakthrough in the region.
A 1966-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Shashank succeeds Kanwal Sibal, who retired on Sunday after an 18-month stint.
US President Donald Trump's call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi signals a concerted effort to reset strained Washington-New Delhi ties, with a focus on 'big-ticket' energy and trade deals, including increased Indian imports of US LNG and LPG, and potential cooperation on small modular reactors.
In response to the Quad ministers' joint statement, China on Tuesday said it opposes the creation of exclusive 'small cliques' and 'bloc confrontation'.
India has expressed condolences over the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following a joint US-Israel strike, amidst rising tensions in West Asia and criticism over the sinking of an Iranian warship.
A preliminary report by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has identified Avinash Shukla as the prime accused in the alleged theft of devotees' offerings at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, linking him to a suspected 40-day racket involving nearly 70 instances of pilferage from the donation-counting system.
A day after Naval Chief Admiral Suresh Mehta made some harsh comments against Russia, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon on Tuesday said relations with Moscow were excellent and any issue between the two countries can be sorted out. "We have excellent relations with Russia. If there are any issues, we can sort them out," Menon told reporters in New Delhi
Menon, who is leading a high-powered delegation comprising officials from the External Affairs, Information and Technology and Science and Technology ministries, will be here on a three-day visit.
The government has intensified its Study in India programme and is working closely with universities and states to achieve this goal.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will represent India at the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh's next prime minister, Tarique Rahman. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Secretary-General of Lok Sabha Utpal Kumar Singh are also likely to accompany Birla.
Investigators recovered nearly Rs 80 lakh in cash and some foreign currency from six of the accused.
Foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan would meet on June 29 in New Delhi to prepare the ground for the crucial meeting of the foreign ministers planned for the middle of July in Islamabad, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani said in Beijing on Wednesday.
Mulford is understood to have conveyed the US' displeasure over the uncertainty that has come to surround the crucial initiative between the two countries. In his third meeting in four days with leaders and officials, the US envoy is believed to have sought to know what the government is planning to do to push the deal that is being vigorously opposed by the Left Front. The meeting came a day after Singh said the "process of evolving a meaningful consensus is still on."
US President Donald Trump announced that a deal to end the war with Iran would be signed on Sunday, with the strategic Strait of Hormuz immediately becoming 'open to all'. This follows indications from Pakistan that negotiations were in their final stages, though Iran has yet to comment on the timeline.
A simultaneous announcement about the meeting was made from New Delhi and Islamabad on Wednesday after Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh and her Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry had a telephonic conversation.
United Liberation Front of Asom 'Commander-in-Chief' Paresh Barua has appointed Dr Pranmoy Asom as the 'foreign secretary' of the anti-talk faction of the outfit.
Acting tough, India on Monday called off foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan next week and conveyed a blunt message that it was interfering in India's internal affairs by holding talks with Kashmiri separatists which was "unacceptable".
The economic fallout of the West Asia crisis, the prevailing security situation in the Indo-Pacific and ways to boost cooperation in critical minerals and technology are expected to top the agenda at a crucial meeting of the Quad foreign ministers on Tuesday.
'We will have a joint review of the entire gamut of the composite dialogue process and prepare the agenda' for the meeting between the foreign ministers, Khokar said.
Was the visit connected to China's recent actions vis-a-vis Pakistan?
Kanwal Sibal retires on November 30 this year.
The Congress on Sunday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the US' statements after three Indian sailors were killed in American attacks on ships, with party leader Rahul Gandhi saying the "compromised PM" listens "like an obedient servant" and "complies with the orders".
In another move aimed at continuity, James Cleverly will stay in his post as Foreign Secretary despite not being a Sunak loyalist.
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 is in communication with Iranian officials to ensure the safety and secure passage of its ships through the Strait of Hormuz, following recent firing incidents involving Indian vessels.
Veteran diplomat Ranjan Mathai on Monday assumed charge as new Foreign Secretary succeeding Nirupama Rao and said he would try and work to restore "trust and confidence" in Indo-Pak relations.
Former Union minister Dinesh Trivedi has been appointed as India's next High Commissioner to Bangladesh, signalling efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
For the foreseeable future, the most likely outcome remains continuation of the status quo. Taiwan will remain self-governing without formally declaring independence, while China continues to apply sustained pressure short of war, predict Krishnan Srinivasan and Manoj Mohanka.
US Under Secretary of State William Burns held talks with India's Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon on Wednesday during which the latter is understood to have conveyed India's disappointment over Pakistan's inaction against perpetrators of Mumbai terror attacks.
United States President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian have virtually signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) to end hostilities, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and begin a 60-day negotiation process on sanctions and Iran's nuclear programme.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that a US-Iran peace deal is on the verge of finalisation, potentially within the next 24 hours, marking a significant diplomatic breakthrough after months of intense negotiations.
The Quad grouping has expanded cooperation in critical minerals and energy, while unveiling new measures to boost maritime surveillance and port infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific. This move comes against the backdrop of China's growing military posturing in the region, with ministers reiterating strong opposition to destabilising actions and expressing serious concerns over militarisation of disputed features.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Thursday made it quite eviodent that he did not favour India's repeated demand to seek custody of the alleged Pakistani perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attacks
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says relations between India and the US have not lost momentum and are set to strengthen, with hopes for a trade deal soon.
Menon is expected to press India's case for allowing it to have civil nuclear cooperation with the international community. He is likely to cite India's impeccable track record on the non-proliferation front despite being a non-signatory to the NPT.
China on Wednesday reacted strongly to the Quad Ministerial meeting that voiced serious concerns over the situation in the East and South China Sea, saying they should stop meddling in maritime affairs in its neighbourhood.
