India should simultaneously prioritise domestic exploration and production of more oil and gas in the country, and ensure we retain diversified suppliers for imports, points out former foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai.
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.
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.
Mathai took the office on Monday. He succeeds Jaimini Bhagwati, who retired recently.
The Congress party has claimed credit for the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, an accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, from the US, saying the Modi government did not initiate the process and merely benefited from the "mature, consistent and strategic diplomacy" begun under the UPA. Former Home Minister P Chidambaram said the government did not secure any breakthrough to make the extradition possible, nor is it the result of any grandstanding. He added that it was a testament to what the Indian state can achieve when diplomacy, law enforcement and international cooperation are pursued sincerely and without any kind of chest-thumping. Chidambaram detailed the UPA government's efforts in securing Rana's extradition, citing the registration of a case against him in 2009, diplomatic pressure on Canada and the US, and continued efforts despite legal setbacks. He highlighted the role of the UPA in securing Rana's conviction for other terrorism-related offences and the cooperation between the US and Indian agencies in gathering evidence and securing his extradition. The Congress leader further stated that it was the UPA's groundwork that paved the way for Rana's extradition, even after the change in government in 2014.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived in New Delhi on a three-day state visit. He was received by Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahmed and senior ministry officials including Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will leave for Germany on Wednesday on a three-day visit during which he will hold comprehensive talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on key bilateral, international and regional issues including India-EU FTA, Afghanistan and counter-terrorism.
Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai concluded his first visit to Afghanistan for foreign office consultations after assuming office.
India and other G4 countries have expressed their common vision for a reformed UN Security Council, seeking a concise working document which will serve as a basis for further negotiations on expansion in permanent and non-permanent categories.
Iran has promised India all cooperation in finding out who was behind the February 13 bombing targeting an Israeli diplomat's wife. The Iranians insisted there would be no problem in assisting the Indian government locate the individuals associated with the crime.
According to official sources, both the leaders met with their respective delegations for about 40 minutes. External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon and Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai were among those present during the delegation-level meet. Both the prime ministers also had one-to-one discussions for about 15 minutes
Pakistan Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani arrives in New Delhi on Tuesday to hold talks on Wednesday with his Indian counterpart Ranjan Mathai during which arrest of LeT terrorist Zabiuddin Ansari, who revealed Pakistan's involvement in November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, is expected to be raised by New Delhi.
Government feels that early conclusion of Idnia-EU trade pact will open up new economic opportunities.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Pakistan hinges on the progress on action taken by Islamabad against the perpetrators of Mumbai terror attack, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said on Thursday.
Faced with severe criticism after Italy refused to send back two marines accused of killing Indian fishermen, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government may take a hard stand and expel Rome's envoy in New Delhi Daniele Mancini.
India will ask members of the United Nations to ensure a "zero tolerance" approach towards terrorism besides pressing for an early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism during the United Nations General Assembly's annual gathering of world leaders.
As it seeks the extradition of Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley from the United States, India has stressed on the need for the two sides to commit to the goal of assisting each other in the pursuit of justice.
Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai is expected to meet United States Secretary of State John Kerry during his scheduled visit to Washington on February 20 - 22.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday presenting the S K Singh Award for recognising excellence in the Indian Foreign Service, to Tanmaya Lal
India's insistence on continuing to buy Iranian oil defying United States sanctions, drawing common approach on China, Af-Pak situation and peace negotiations with Taliban dominated the talks of Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai, who concluded his maiden bilateral visit in Washington on Thursday. The "serious situation" in Maldives after the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed and the multi-billion jets deal found passing mentions during Mathai's meetings.
Pakistan's High Commissioner Salman Bashir met Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai in New Delhi on Wednesday during which the latter lodged a protest against Tuesday's attack in which Pakistani troops crossed over the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch District and killed two soldiers.
India on Thursday made it clear to Pakistan that bringing those guilty in the 2008 Mumbai attacks to justice is the biggest confidence building measure that Islamabad could do.
Foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan will hold talks in Delhi on July 4-5 to discuss peace and security, including Confidence Building Measures and Kashmir. As part of the second round of resumed dialogue process between India and Pakistan, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani.
Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday on a visit to India after a gap of nearly four decades as part of New Delhi's ongoing engagement with democratic and multi-party polity in that country.
India on Monday said it needs to see whether the media reports that Pakistan allowed American drone strikes on its soil under a secret deal are "authentic" or not.
The Union ministry of external affairs is awaiting a detailed report from its mission in the United Kingdom about the case involving an Indian couple, who are fighting to regain custody of their five-year-old son, after he was taken away by social services over allegations of abuse.
During a meeting of the BRICS foreign ministers in New York on the sidelines of the 67th session of the General Assembly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov "categorically stated that he supported India's permanent membership of the Security Council," Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said.
A host of meeting with the leaders of other NAM countries, including Pakistan, is also likely to take place on the sidelines of the 16th Summit of 120-nation grouping, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said while briefing reporters in New Delhi on Prime Minister's four-day Iran visit.
India has proposed early presidential elections in Maldives to end the political impasse in the country following the ouster of the first democratically elected President Mohamed Nasheed.
Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai, who is visiting Washington, DC, has cautioned that India is unlikely to go along with tough sanctions against Iran even as the paranoia over that country's alleged nuclear weapons programme reaches fever-pitch. He also warned that any military action in the Gulf would plunge that region into grave instability and chaos.
Ranjan Mathai, who is on his first trip to Washington, DC after taking over as India's foreign secretary, on Monday added his voice to the growing chorus of senior Indian and Barack Obama administration officials attempting to rebut the growing perception in recent months that the envisaged India-United States strategic partnership is adrift.
Following a meeting between the foreign ministries of India and Bangladesh on July 24 at New Delhi, Dhaka expressed its dissatisfaction at the delay in the implementation of the Land Boundary Agreement and taking any action on the issue of water sharing. But the Bangladesh government has decided to give the Indian government some "space" as it recognised that New Delhi has to take care of internal and political compulsions before resolving these issues.
India and China have already rejected the US' sanctions move.
No dossier, no amount of dramatic TV debates will help in countering Pakistan's use of terrorism against India. Only an effective and deniable deterrent power and in the form of our capability to carry out deniable covert actions against terrorists based in Pakistani territory can help.
Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai and his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani began their talks in New Delhi on Wednesday during which India is expected to strongly flag the issue of terror activities being planned from Pakistani soil in the backdrop of arrest of Laskar-e-Tayiba terrorist Abu Jundal, who has revealed Pakistani involvement in Mumbai terror attacks.
On the eve of Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary-level talks, India on Tuesday regretted that 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed is moving freely in Pakistan, which needs to do more on tackling terrorism.
India's Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai listed out some economic policies that emerging nations, particularly India, must adopt to keep them from driving off the growth path and also spoke about how these policies are closely linked with the nations' foreign policy.
Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai on Thursday spoke to his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani and asked him to expedite the handing over the body of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh who died in a Lahore hospital early on Thursday morning after battling for life for nearly a week.
Talking about security dimensions of India's foreign policy, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said in a recent address at the National Defence College that India's vision of peaceful, cooperative and progressive South Asia cannot be realised unless the dark shadow of terrorism emanating from Pakistan is eliminated. At the same time, he also emphasised the need to ensure that our smaller neighbours are not used by elements inimical to our interests.
Ahead of the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani next week, India on Saturday said there have been some "positive indicators" of "forward movement" from Islamabad.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances