Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi's provocative remark on Friday that External Affairs Minister S M Krishna constantly received directions from New Delhi during their talks drew scorn and condemnation in the country.
Though India still has to travel 'a long distance to put poverty behind us,' the country should not be 'underestimated', said External Affairs Minister S M Krishna.
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.
Union External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Sunday said his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi assured him during a bilateral meeting that Islamabad will begin the trial of those recently arrested in connection with last year's Mumbai terror attack shortly, and that it would take steps to ensure that justice is done.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Friday said that it was unfortunate that Pakistan had not felt the need to thoroughly investigate the role of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba founder Hafiz Saeed in the 26/11 attacks.
Colonel Anil Athale (retd) recommends that Extrnal Affairs Minister S M Krishna should tell Pakistan that the current exercise in peace building is possibly the last chance for the country to avoid a second Bangladesh like situation.
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith arrived in New Delhi on Monday on a five-day visit amid attacks on Indians in that country.
The Bharatiya Janata Party walked out in protest when Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar refused to allow former external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha who wanted to know whether the statement of external affairs minister S M Krishna had broken the protocol by saying that unless Pakistan government takes action against Hafeez Sayeed, master mind behind the Mumbai bomb blast, there was no point in carrying forward any kind of dialogue with Pakistan.
Foreign Ministers of India and China will meet on Friday for a bilateral meeting in Moscow during which important international issues and terrorism in the region are likely to figure.
Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt, who is travelling with External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on his visit to Islamabad, reports that both India and Pakistan are cautious about keeping the peace process moving forward.
The wife of the French diplomat, who has been accused of raping his three-and-a half year-old daughter, has appealed to the government to ensure that the official faces trial in India even if he enjoys diplomatic immunity.
Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor was back on Twitter on Thursday, describing as "excellent" his meeting with senior minister S M Krishna, who had publicly ticked him off for questioning the new visa rules on the social networking site.
With the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Karnataka facing political crisis, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and newly-elected Vice President Rahul Gandhi held detailed discussions with former External Affairs Minister and senior party leader S M Krishna about the political scene ahead of the May assembly polls there.
The talks between S M Krishna and Hillary Clinton covered important bilateral issues like Afghanistan, nuclear waiver, defence purchases, terrorism, cyber security and US demands for market access, particularly in insurance and retail trading. Sheela Bhatt reports.
Former external affairs minister K Natwar Singh believes that China will, in the foreseeable future, not agree to have India or Japan as veto-wielding permanent members.
It seems that the Sharm-el-Sheikh controversy and Congress party's politics over it has hit the Prime Minister's Office. A source in the government is underplaying the September 27 meeting between Union External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in New York.
Pakistan expressed its desire to have "cordial and cooperative" ties with India, a day after the two sides agreed to have "constructive" engagement aimed at restoring the stalled dialogue process.
When word got around in the ministry of external affairs that Siddhartha and Malavika were going to New York and would be with SM Krishna, protocol officers went to Delhi airport to see off the couple. Siddhartha chided them for doing so and when the officials said a government vehicle would be picking them up at John F Kennedy airport on arrival, he told them that he would take a taxi to reach the New York Palace hotel where his father-in-law was staying. K P Nayar reports.
In the midst of current chill in Indo-Pak relations, a South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation home ministers' conference is scheduled next month in Islamabad to which Union Home Minister P Chidambaram plans to go subject to Foreign Office's approval.
The mystery about the last-minute switch in external affairs minister's meetings with Pakistani leaders persists with S M Krishna himself saying that he doesn't know the reason.
India on Friday welcomed Pakistan's decision to accept its $5 million aid offer for flood relief in the country and said it was willing to provide more assistance. Pakistan's decision to accept the aid came nearly a week after the offer was made by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna to his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi last Friday. "We welcome the decision of Pakistan to accept the aid offer," external affairs ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said.
Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao has met Home Secretary G K Pillai against the backdrop of apparent differences between the ministry of external affairs and the ministry of home affairs in connection with the Indo-Pak talks held recently. Rao met Pillai on Thursday and is understood to have briefed him about the recent talks between External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
The second round of the Indo-United States strategic dialogue, co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has been postponed in view of the Assembly elections in India and ongoing developments in West Asia and North Africa.
In a first trip by an External Affairs Minister to Pakistan since 26/11 terror attacks, S M Krishna on Wednesday arrived in Islamabad on a mission to restore trust and increase confidence in the relationship, bogged down by terrorism over which he will convey India's concerns.
After External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, another Union minister from Karnataka has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding a review of the decision of the Cauvery River Authority asking the state to provide Tamil Nadu with 9,000 cusecs of water daily.
Pakistan on Saturday released all Indian fishermen who have completed their jail terms as a goodwill gesture for External Affairs Minister S M Krishna's visit to Islamabad. "All Indian fishermen who have completed their jail term have been released as a goodwill gesture for Krishna's visit," Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik said after signing the new liberalised visa agreement with the Indian minister.
With India raising concern over Pakistan's increasing involvement in Afghanistan's transition process, President Hamid Karzai on Sunday assured visiting External Affairs Minister S M Krishna that his government will not make any move that is detrimental to New Delhi's interest. Karzai sought to allay India's concerns during his meeting with Krishna, who is in Kabul on a two-day visit. The Afghan President assured Krishna that India was 'uppermost' on his prioritiy list.
On a three-day visit to Egypt, the first by a senior Indian leader after last year's revolution, Krishna met the head of current military-led government, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Prime Minister Kamal Al Ganzhoury as well as his counterpart Mohamed Kamel Amr.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will arrive in Moscow on December 16 to attend the annual Indo-Russian summit.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday assured External Affairs Minister S M Krishna that the issue of Indian students enrolled in the Tri Valley University would receive her promptest attention and that 'justice' would be done in the matter. Clinton gave the assurance in the matter during a 40-minute telephonic conversation with the visiting Indian minister. Clinton has asked Indian Ambassador to the US Meera Shankar to meet her on Monday and provide all the details.
Responding to External Affairs Minister S M Krishna's invitation to visit India, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has made it clear that he would accept it if the talks are to be "result-oriented", covering all issues of importance, including Kashmir. He stressed the need for "positive and constructive approach" after his July 15 talks with Krishna ended on a bitter note, particularly on Kashmir and terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
India on Wednesday requested the United States to provide it access to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks accused David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, visiting External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said.
It was evident that no preparatory exercise for political and inter-departmental consensus-building in New Delhi before embarking on the trust-building exercise in Islamabad was undertaken.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Tuesday met Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the wake of the controversy surrounding Minister of State Shashi Tharoor's role in the IPL's Kochi team. IPL commissioner Lalit Modi recently alleged that Tharoor had asked him not to disclose details about owners of the consortium led by Rendezvous that bought the new Kochi franchisee.Tharoor hit back at Modi by alleging that he had made attempts to pressure the winning consortium.
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday reserved its order on a petition filed by former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, challenging proceedings initiated by the Lokayukta against him in a corruption case.
Interacting with media persons on the sidelines of the international conference on the future of Afghanistan at Bonn, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna observed that infiltration poses a threat to that country's economy and development.
External Affairs Minister S M Kirshna thanked Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, who on Tuesday pardoned Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh, paving the way for his return home after over 20 years of incarceration in a foreign country.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on asked Sri Lanka to observe 'restraint' while dealing with Indian fishermen who stray into its waters during talks with his counterpart G L Peiris, who is in New Delhi to explain his country's position on a United Nations report accusing it of "war crimes".
India on Monday rejected the charge that it was fomenting unrest in Pakistan by funding Taliban fighters based along the border with Afghanistan.
Ahead of Sunday's reshuffle of the Union Council of Ministers, three Cabinet ministers and a minister of state resigned on Saturday, saying they want to work for the party.