Republican Vice Presidential candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New York on Wednesday.No details of the meeting, which lasted for half an hour, were released but Palin had been discussing international issues with world leaders who are here to attend the United Nations General Assembly session.Originally, Republican Presidential candidate John McCain was slated to accompany her but sources said he was held up in Washington.
The ongoing financial crisis, poverty reduction, reforms including expansion of the Security Council, uneven progress in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and Darfur conflict are likely to dominate the agenda of the United Nations General Assembly that begins on Tuesday. More than 170 heads of state and governments, foreign ministers and senior diplomats will participate in the discussion lasting about two weeks.
India, Japan, Brazil and Germany want further discussions.
On the eve of crucial talks between Indo-Pak Foreign Ministers, top diplomats of the two countries met in New York on Saturday to prepare ground for the parleys, where India is expected to demand speedy probe into the Mumbai attacks and decisive action against their mastermind, Jamaat-ud-Dawaah chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed.
Pakistan on Friday told the United Nations General Assembly that Islamabad looks forward to the resumption of the composite dialogue process with New Delhi and wants friendly relations with India.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said he would adopt a "positive approach" for his meeting with his Indian counterpart S M Krishna on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Pakistan's action against perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks will top the agenda of the meeting, which will take place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the first high-level contact between the two countries after the meeting between their Prime Ministers in July.
"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.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday said he is not expecting any "major breakthrough" in the upcoming meeting with his Indian counterpart S M Krishna though his country continues to be hopeful that bilateral relations will improve.
India on Thursday put on Pakistan the onus of unveiling the conspiracy behind the terror attack on Mumbai and ruled out meaningful dialogue till concrete action is taken against those responsible. The firm message was sent out by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna. "It is in our vital interest to normalise our relations with Pakistan. However, we are at a stage where it is for Pakistan to determine the kind of relationship that it wants to have with India," Krishna said.
Asserting that the majority members of the UN General Assembly support expansion of the Security Council, India today said that the body would remain beset with the "current problem" unless it was reformed.
Obama met Wen on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly and held talks for a good two hours on a wide range of issues including the recent spat between China and Japan over their claims on the South China Sea.
The Congress party suffered a crushing defeat in the Delhi elections, failing to secure a single seat in the 70-member assembly for the third consecutive time. Key candidates, including Sheila Dikshit's son, Sandeep Dikshit, lost their deposits. The only consolation for the party was a slight improvement in its vote share, which they attribute to a vigorous campaign and a renewed focus on contesting elections independently. However, the defeat raises questions about the party's ability to compete in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, particularly in light of its performance in other recent state elections.
In a proud moment for India, the United Nations General Assembly will declare June 21 as International Day of Yoga.
It was Obama's eighth and final address to the UN General Assembly as the US President
India voted in favour of a resolution that condemns Israeli settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
After the 191-member assembly adopts the convention, it would be open for signature at the UN headquarters in Geneva from September 14 to December 31, 2006. It will go into effect 30 days after 22 states ratify it.
In the wake of killing of five Indian jawans at the LoC on Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party has suggested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should not hold bilateral talks with his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif during his forthcoming visit to the United States for United Nations General Assembly meeting.
The meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United States President Barack Obama will be held as per schedule on September 27 at the White House, despite the latter being busy due to the ongoing Syrian crisis.
From the US, Modi will travel to Egypt at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
Foreign ministers of India and Pakistan have sparred over the 26/11 probe with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi accusing New Delhi of non-cooperation, prompting his Indian counterpart S M Krishna to ask the 'people who are sitting in the epicentre of terror' to introspect before making such allegations.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow sees the prospect of making the Security Council more democratic, exclusively, through broadening the representation of countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Joe Biden are expected to deliberate on ways to bolster bilateral ties in trade, investment and defence and security in their in-person talks in Washington, DC, on September 24, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Tuesday.
When Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari stepped on to the podium to address the United Nations General Assembly last month, people in Pakistan expected him to put forth their concerns in front of the international community, but they had no idea that the four pages of his speech had actually cost them US $ 25,000.
India is all set to get a seat on the Security Council as a non-permanent member after a gap of 19 years through the elections to be held on Tuesday in the United Nations General Assembly.
The book 'India and the UN: 70 years' presented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon illustrates the perspective that India has brought into the United Nations.
Boxing's already uncertain Olympic future was thrown into further jeopardy after the sport's Asian governing body voted against leaving the suspended International Boxing Association (IBA) to join the rival association.
'The message that India has conveyed since the start of this conflict is clear and consistent. It is important to prevent escalation to ensure continued delivery of humanitarian aid and to work towards an early restoration of peace and stability. A peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy is the only way forward'
In contrast, Pakistan continued to deny such opportunities to its people in the part of the state occupied by it, Indian delegate Shatrughan Sinha said.
India had sought Pakistan's permission to use the country's airspace on October 28 for Prime Minister Modi, who will be visiting Saudi Arabia to participate in an international business conference on October 29.
India has been at the forefront of the years-long efforts to reform the security council, saying it rightly deserved a place as a permanent member.
Without naming any country, India has asked the international community to put sponsors of terrorism on notice saying it would not tolerate their actions.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has called for tough decisions and unity within the party after the Congress suffered electoral defeats in Maharashtra and Haryana. In a meeting with top party leaders, Kharge highlighted the need to strengthen the organization from the grassroots, fix accountability, and address internal bickering. He also urged leaders to remain united and avoid public criticism of each other. The Congress chief expressed concern over the party's performance in state elections despite a strong showing in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year. He acknowledged the need to learn from the setbacks and improve the party's strategy and communication to counter its rivals' propaganda.
