Describing the India-United States strategic partnership as a "defining and indispensable" collaboration for the 21st century, American President Barack Obama has said the two countries share a dynamic and broad relationship that serves to advance peace and prosperity in Asia and the world.
M K Narayanan had nothing to gain by misrepresenting the Indian position to Timothy Roemer, while the latter had to impress upon his government that his demarche on the phone was very effective. Ambassadors are known to write their cables in a way that pleases their masters back home, says T P Sreenivasan.
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strongly to Pakistan terming New Delhi's demand for action against all those responsible in 26/11 Mumbai attacks as 'outdated,' saying the country was consistent about this and Pakistan knows this.
"China is our largest neighbour and its rise is a reality that entire world faces today," Rao said in her remarks at the University of California-Berkeley on Monday.
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.
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.
Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao is scheduled to meet Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in McLeodganj, the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile, in Dharmasala in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday."A meeting between the Dalai Lama and Rao has been scheduled at his official palace post lunch, where other high-ranking officials of his administration would also be present," an official of the external affairs ministry said.
There has been overwhelming elation from across United States from Indian American community leaders and activists over the decision by the government of India to appoint Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao as the new Indian Ambassador to the US, to succeed Meera Shankar whose term ends on July 31 after which she is expected to go into retirement from the Indian Foreign Service.
United States President Barack Obama on Monday began talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on a wide range of bilateral and other issues. After a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Obama drove to the Hyderabad House from Rajghat to begin restricted talks with the prime minister, which would be followed by delegation-level talks. The two leaders are expected to issue a joint statement covering a number of issues ranging from security, trade and economy.
Hoping for a peaceful resolution of the Iranian crisis, the top Indian diplomat in the United States has cautioned the international community that talk of war will not help in reaching a solution. "The talk of war will not help a solution, it only erodes global cohesion," Indian Ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao said while speaking at a session on the 'Role of India in the changing landscape in the 21st Century', in Boston on Wednesday.
The letter, written by the Indian ambassador to the United States Nirupama Rao to the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in which she expressed her concern about the Indian students affected by the "sham" Tri-Valley University is being reviewed and would be replied soon, an official spokesperson has said.
Underlining that India has worked to promote better ties with Pakistan, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao has said that the relations with Islamabad can only grow in an atmosphere free of terror and violence.
The central government on Thursday decided to immediately commence evacuation of Indians from Libya by sea and air in view of the "sharp and unprecedented deterioration" in the situation in the African nation which is witnessing anti-government protests that have claimed hundreds of lives so far.
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.
Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, who arrived in Islamabad on Thursday on a two-day visit, began talks on Friday with her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir on Kashmir. The two-day talks have been divided into three segments under which the issue of peace and security, including confidence-building measures, was discussed on Thursday. After Jammu and Kashmir, the talks will be held on the promotion of friendly exchanges
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.
India's concerns over terror and slow pace of Mumbai trial were discussed in the first round of Indo-Pak foreign secretary-level talks dealing with the issue of peace and security during which the Samjhuta bomb blast case also came up with both sides holding "substantive" deliberations in a "forward looking" approach.
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
Nirupama Rao, India's new ambassador to the United States, has defended India's stand on Libya and Syria, which stands in stark contrast to that of the US and its allies in the NATO. In the interaction that followed her keynote address at the third Brookings-FICCI Strategic Dialogue on US-India Relations, Rao said, "Let me say that we deeply value the consultations that we had with the United States on issues related to the Arab Spring and the upheavals that we have seen".
India is looking towards "unlocking processes" and exploring "doables" to revive the stalled dialogue with Pakistan, officials said on Friday, as Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao prepares to meet her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir next week in Thimpu.
Dubbing terrorism emanating from across the border as "Frankenstein's monster", India on Thursday said Pakistan has not taken enough steps to control the menace, which is out to harm it.
The much-awaited hotline between the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao finally became operational on Thursday, thereby setting up a direct communication between the leaders.
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.
Mixing cricket with diplomacy, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held wide-ranging discussions with his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani when he favoured the need for an "atmosphere free of violence" in order to ensure thorough mobilisation of bilateral ties
"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.
As evacuation of Indians from Libya gained momentum, the government on Monday said it had sought aircraft landing rights in Sehba in interior Libya where over 1,000 Indians have been stranded as anti-government protesters took control of several cities in the oil-rich nation.
India is looking forward to Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar's visit to the country next month for crucial talks between the two sides. This was conveyed by Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, who is in Islamabad on a two-day visit for talks with her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir, to Khar when she called on the Pakistani Minister on Friday morning.
Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao will arrive in Islamabad at 10 am on Thursday and she will have her first meeting with her Pakistan counterpart Salman Bashir later that evening. The two full delegations will then have two sessions on Friday.
With the rising death toll in anti-government protests in Libya, the government on Tuesday decided to evacuate nearly 18,000 Indians residing in that country. "Arrangements for air and sea evacuation of our nationals from Libya are being finalised," Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said. Rao, along with other top officials from other concerned ministries, held a meeting to work out the logistics of the evacuation process.
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.
India is "cautiously optimistic" on charting a way forward in the dialogue process with Pakistan and would like to see the process to mature keeping in view ground realities, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said on Monday.
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.
Setting a positive tone ahead of their meeting in Thimpu, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir on Sunday said they would endeavour to find a way forward for continued engagement between the two countries.
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.
Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao on Sunday arrived in Colombo on a key visit to boost bilateral ties and discuss the row over the alleged killing of two Indian fishermen in sea waters between the two countries. The foreign secretary was expected to discuss the killings of two Indian fishermen mid-sea earlier in January. The incident had sparked a row between the two neighbours.She is expected to meet President Mahinda Rajapksha on Monday to convey New Delhi's concern.
Five Indian Air Force members, including two women, on Wednesday successfully scaled 8848-metre-high world's tallest peak Mt Everest from the southern side.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev discussed the rise of China and the complexities surrounding ties with Beijing.
India's Ambassador to China and the new Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said that she is \n\nlooking forward to her new assignment with optimism and is ready for the challenges that \ncome with job.
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.
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.
