Welcoming President Pratibha Patil on her three-day state visit to this Latin American country, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said India should become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. She said that Chile wanted a more transparent Security Council. The comments from the Chilean President came after the signing of four agreements with the visiting President.The two leaders discussed international affairs during their one-to-one meeting.
The United States should support India's bid for a permanent United Nations Security Council seat and work actively for the expansion of the top multilateral body, former American diplomat Karl Inderfurth said on Thursday."It is time for the US to publicly support India's bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and to work actively with India and others to accomplish the goal of expansion of the UNSC," he said.
The reversal of Trump's policy with regard to Iran, like the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, may not be a matter of just turning the clock back, but one of patient negotiations, with uncertain consequences in the post-COVID-19 world, observes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
'Magnanimity and appeasement have no place in the world of realpolitik as India has learned the hard way,' notes Vivek Gumaste in the first of a two-part column.
Pakistan has drawn the attention of the United Nations to what it said was India's "intention" to escalate tension on the Line of Control by launching artillery barrages, which were threatening regional peace and security.
Criticising the UPA government for its soft approach towards terrorism, Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh on Tuesday alleged that the Central government has neither a policy nor the political will to deal with the menace.
Russia and Georgia accused each other of triggering the latest conflict in the breakaway South Ossestia province as the United Nations Security Council's emergency session on the issue failed to come out with a statement seeking ceasefire between the warring sides.
US Special Forces have moved into Syria's Raqqa area and taking the fight to the terror group.
US President George W Bush telephoned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday during when the two leaders expressed a desire to move forward on the nuclear deal "as expeditiously as possible".
"We have a strong view that there should be Security Council reform of the United Nations, that the Security Council should reflect the modern world, which is why we've suggested that both India and Japan should become permanent members of a reformed United Nations Security Council," the Australian foreign minister said.
The government also told the court that it has reasons to believe that Jamaat-ud Dawah and its sister organisation Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation were engaged in activities which can be prejudicial to peace and security.
"Time has come for Pakistan to decide in its own interests. We will do what's in Pakistan's interests," Qureshi told Geo TV in an interview.
The government must figure out what the Chinese game plan is and thwart the endgame before it is upon us, possibly in early winter, advises David Devadas.
"There is no denying the fact that we voted against Iran at IAEA. The intention was to ensure that its nuclear issue does not go to the Security Council as it would entail sanctions and more problems," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said while rejecting allegations that India's foreign policy was being affected by the Indo-US nuclear deal.
Unlike United States President George W Bush, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on Wednesday hailed the growth of food consumption in India and China as he sought expansion of the United Nations Security Council to include some 'most important states' to address the global food crisis. "we need to rejoice that millions of people are coming out of poverty and can afford a normal diet. Our planet is capable of feeding them," he said.
The US president said that there is a lot of "dislike" (between India and Pakistan).
The government's response came after the Pakistan foreign ministry put out a video of Jadhav in which the 47-year-old Indian is purportedly asking India why it was "lying" that he was not working for an intelligence agency.
Prime Minister Modi felt there were too many silos with no arrangement to take a comprehensive view on national security. The PM has entrusted NSA Ajit Doval to evolve a comprehensive roadmap and get it implemented, reveals Nitin Gokhale, Editor-in-Chief, Strategic News International.
Russia has consistently supported Iran's right to civilian nuclear energy under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and is building a nuclear power plant for the Islamic nation in Bushehr.
Referring to Iran's nuclear programme, Israel said it would lead to destabilisation in the Middle East and set off a nuclear arms race in the region.
The powerful UN Security Council on Thursday strongly condemned the 'heinous and cowardly' terror attack.
"Our mission in New York (at the UN headquarters) is trying to break the long-standing deadlock over reform, and we will continue with our efforts to persuade Governments that India should have a permanent seat on the Security Council -- alongside Brazil, Japan and Germany, and that there should be representation from Africa," Minister for the Middle East Kim Howells told Labour lawmaker Ashok Kumar in the House of Commons in London on Wednesday.
"It would be wonderful if they (India and Pakistan) get along," Trump said.
India on its part pointed out that the paper does not have the core elements of the position of the Group of Four comprising India, Japan, Germany and Brazil or have a "categorical and unambiguous" formulation on expanding the permanent membership of the council, diplomats said. India also said the paper does not have a formulation on increasing the representation of developing countries.
The Russian ambassador clashed with American and Georgian envoys in a meeting of the United Nations Security Council as he rejected a new draft on South Ossetia conflict circulated by France, saying it was 'one-sided'.Rejecting the draft, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said, "Russia is explicitly complying with the six principles proclaimed in the Kremlin on August 12. We and the whole international community need the support of the Security Council."
China, a veto-wielding member of the United Nations Security Council and a close ally of Pakistan, has repeatedly foiled India's bid to list Azhar as a global terrorist, saying there is no consensus in the top organ of the world body on this issue.
The statement comes Days after Trump sought Imran Khan's help in the Afghan peace process.
'Modi has presided over an ultra-nationalism that has stunted India's growth, been unable to change the country's external situation, brought foreign intervention into Indian affairs,' explains Aakar Patel.
'If an 'informal meeting' with Xi Jinping materialises before the SCO summit in June, that itself could be regarded as a significant breakthrough in India-China relations,' says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was welcomed in Dublin by the voices of Irish children reciting Sanskrit shlokas, took a jibe at the opposition parties back home saying that if this was done in India then it would have raised questions about 'secularism'.
'I hope that the incoming Biden-Harris Administration works with India to address some of the most profound geopolitical transboundary challenges.'
The stalled India-United States civilian nuclear agreement could well end up with the next administration both in the US and in India, a former US government official said, adding that a new American President is not likely to scuttle the atomic initiative. The official also said that the nuclear deal should not become hostage to India's ties with Iran."Sooner or later, the Congress government will force a showdown with the Communists," he said.
With an eye on increasing south-south cooperation, President Pratibha Patil ended her maiden visit to Latin American countries during which nine agreements were signed with Chile, Brazil and Mexico and a special emphasis was laid on increasing the connectivity. The visit of 73-year-old Patil was also used to muster support for India's candidature for the permanent membership to the United Nations Security Council.
Britain has backed India for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council to make the world body more credible and effective.
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said on Thursday that general elections will be held by February 15.
India and Africa on Wednesday declared their support to each other for a permanent seat in the expanded United Nations Security Council and favoured reforms of the world body to make it more representative and democratic.
They were sharing a stage and took part in a gala dinner at the opening of the VII Summit of the Americas.
The council's appeal came in a presidential statement at the end of a day-long discussion on crimes against women.
Talks between aides of President Pervez Musharraf and former premier Benazir Bhutto on forming a caretaker set-up to supervise Pakistan's general elections have been stopped by the government till the Supreme Court decides on the military ruler's re-election in uniform.
Closed meetings are not open to the public and no verbatim record of statements is kept.
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