The government of India in welcoming the new United States ambassador to India, erstwhile India and South Asia hand, Nancy J Powell, has said that while India would not be new to her, it would not be the same either, considering the transformational changes India has undergone.
Noting an upswing in bilateral ties over the years, the United States has pitched for greater role for India in the world and said it was keen to work with New Delhi on it.
Ahead of its engagement in the process of bridging "trust deficit" with Pakistan, India has asked it to "shed its insecurity" on asymmetries in sizes and capabilities between them, including the strategic leverage gained after Indo-US nuclear deal, as they were not targeted against it.
For the last eight years, since the Taliban fled from Kabul in November 2001, India has staunchly opposed a dialogue with any section of it. India's position has remained: there is no purpose in talking to the Taliban; there is no such thing as a moderate Taliban.
India on Tuesday reacted strongly to Pakistan terming New Delhi's demand for action against all those responsible in 26/11 Mumbai attacks as 'outdated,' saying the country was consistent about this and Pakistan knows this.
As the Barack Obama administration tries to impress upon India and other nations to join in the US-led sanctions regime against Iran to isolate that country for its alleged nuclear weapons programme and reduce their energy dependence on Teheran, India's Ambassador to the United States Nirupama Rao noted that India's imports of Iranian oil has been on the decline and predicted it may dissipate even further.
India and the United States have come up with the idea of 'a triangular cooperation' on development issues involving countries like Afghanistan, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said on Monday."An interesting new idea has emerged -- that of a triangular cooperation in places like Afghanistan and Africa. Let me say that on Afghanistan, (Secretary of State Hillary) Clinton spoke very positively about India's role in that country," said Nirupama Rao.
At the end of discussions at the foreign secretary level between Indian and Pakistan in Islamabad, which were focused on peace and security, India pointed out that terrorism had complicated the Indo-Pak relationship. India has urged Islamabad not to follow a segmented approach.
"We hope and expect that Pakistan will focus in a meaningful manner on our concerns on terrorism. It is our hope and expectation that Pakistan fulfills all its commitments," Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said.
India has voiced fears that Islamic radicals might drive back to power in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US-led international forces and has called for greater coordination with Washington over the developments in the war-torn country.
United States President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday left for Indonesia after concluding his three-day India visit.
India's purchase of oil from Iran has dropped slightly in last two years and is expected to drop further given the difficulties New Delhi might have in making payments through banks due to tough sanctions imposed by US-led international community against top Iranian banks.
If she can help it, South Carolina's Indian American Governor, Nimrata 'Nikki' Randhawa Haley, would like nothing better than have India and China competing for the investment opportunities in her non-unionised state and creating more jobs.
Mathai, a 1974-batch IFS officer, will assume office from August one and will be there for a term of two years, official spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said.
A host of issues like the civil nuclear cooperation, Iran and Afghanistan figured in talks between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Indian envoy Nirupama Rao, with both agreeing to work for consolidating the "tremendous progress" made in boosting Indo-US strategic ties.
Foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan -- Nirupama Rao and Salman Bashir -- have begun their much-anticipated meeting in Islamabad on Thursday, even as Indian officials have said that New Delhi is "looking at these talks in a positive and constructive manner".
India made plain its opposition to China on issuance of stapled visas to Kashmiris and developmental work in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Wednesday, even as the two sides inked an agreement to set up a hotline between their prime ministers.
New Delhi identified the specific barriers which it said were coming in the way of high-technology trade at the day-long seventh meeting of the US-India high-technology cooperation group in Washington.
India wants an early resolution of the contentious stapled visa issue with China as allowing it to "fester" for long could lead to a negative impact on the overall relations between the two countries.
The delegation, a virtual mini-India with sprinkling of youngsters from every part of the country, comprises 'distinguished young persons' under diverse categories, including Chinese language and studies, National Service Scheme, academics, panchayati raj, media, culture and sports. He said that possibility of exchange of young entrepreneurs and civil society volunteers between the two sides was also being explored.
Pakistan on Saturday dismissed India's call to effectively secure its nuclear assets as 'self serving' and said New Delhi should instead work with it on establishing a 'regional strategic restraint regime'. Following a suicide attack on Friday outside the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex at Kamra, considered a base for some of the country's strategic weapons, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao had said that India hoped Pakistan would "continue to take steps to secure nuke assets."
Libyan Ambassador to India Ali al-Essawi has reportedly resigned in protest against his government's violent crackdown on demonstrators.
India on Sunday said that Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao is likely to meet her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir on the sidelines of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Standing Committee meeting in Bhutan early in February. This comes ahead of a possible visit by Pakistan Foreign Minister S M Qureshi to India. The foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan are likely to meet in Thimpu on the sidelines of the SAARC Standing Committee meeting on February 6-7.
Thnew deal will likely usher in a new era of cooperation and broad-basing of economic relationship between the two Asian powers.
The relationship between India and the United States has reached a moment of great opportunity and by working together the two countries can shape the future of the world, a top American diplomat has said.
India has assured Pakistan that it would not hesitate from sharing the findings of Samjhauta Express blast case but expressed inability to do so till the probe is not completed as Indian laws do not permit it. This message was conveyed by Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao during her meeting with her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir.
United States President Barack Obama's Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, who is currently on a three-day visit to Pakistan, is expected to make a short visit to New Delhi on Friday.
Us Senate India Caucus to urge President Obama to push for bilateral investment treaty with India; lawmakers hail Prime Minister's 'Brave Action' to open India to FDI in multi-brand retail sector.
India and Pakistan must focus on a creative and realistic approach as they begin the long haul of normalising relations following a constructive meeting of their Foreign Secretaries, the Pakistani media and analysts said on Friday. News reports of the coordial meeting between Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir dominated the front pages of the dailies.
"Like we talk about the Thimphu spirit after the two prime ministers' meeting in Bhutan last year, today we have a Mohali spirit, an extremely positive and encouraging spirit," said Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao summing up the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the world cup semi-final clash between the two countries at Mohali.
India is likely to put before Pakistan a set of specific demands related to tackling terrorism when their foreign secretaries meet next week, and Delhi's political circles believe that its response will determine the future course of such talks. Expectations from the talks between Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir, to be held in New Delhi on February 25, are 'realistic', informed sources said.
India has told Pakistan that the proposed talks with it will focus on terrorism and other issues "hurting" bilateral relations and has given no indication about the full-fledged resumption of the stalled composite dialogue process, official sources said on Friday.
India and Pakistan on Sunday night agreed on the need for constructive talks to resolve all outstanding issues after a fresh round of parleys in an attempt to infuse new life to their stalled dialogue process.
Hinting at Pakistani link to the Kabul embassy attack, India on Saturday said Afghanistan faces threat from terrorists and their "patrons residing across the border" and that the blast was handiwork of those who want to undermine Indo-Afghan friendship.
Pakistan has indicated its readiness for the foreign secretary-level talks on February 25, saying the two sides need to 'move forward' but insisted on resumption of composite dialogue covering Kashmir and other outstanding issues that is 'meaningful and result-oriented.'
During the much awaited talks later this week, India should discreetly flag its concerns so that a greater political maturity on both sides facilitates a discussion on sensitive issues, says B Raman
"You have caught the imagination of millions across the world, including the people of India who are anxiously waiting for your visit."
India on Friday made it clear to Pakistan that resolution of the Kashmir issue cannot take place under the "shadow of gun" as the two countries concluded "satisfactory" talks which resulted in agreement on various confidence building measures.
Beijing's words of appreciation were conveyed to India's Ambassador Nirupama Rao by Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi during her visit to the Foreign Office to write in the condolence book opened for foreign diplomats on Monday as the country began a three-day national mourning in memory of the earthquake victims.
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