INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

  Textiles Committee, Ministry of Textiles signs MoUwith M/s Nissenken Quality Evaluation Centre, Japan to boost export of Textile and Apparel to Japanese market A formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony was heldbetween Textiles Committee, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India and M/s. Nissenken Quality Evaluation Centre Japan,  through video conferencing here today. The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister in its meeting held on 2 nd  September, 2020 had given the approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)  between the two organisations. The signing ceremony was Presided over by Hon’ble Minister of Textiles and Minister of Women and Child Development , Smt. SmritiZubinIrani on the Indian side and by His Excellency Mr. YasumasaNagasaka, Hon’ble State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Govt. of Japan from the Japanese side.                       The main...

  India and Japan Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation in the Field of ICT India and Japan signed MoU to enhance cooperation in the field of Information and Communications Technologies today. MoU was signed by Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad and the Japanese Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Takeda Ryota and it was exchanged through a video conference today. Department of Telecom, Government of India and Ministry of Communications, Government of Japan will enhance mutual cooperation in the field of 5G technologies, telecom security, submarine optical fiber cable system to islands of India, spectrum management, smart cities, high altitude platform for broadband in unconnected areas, disaster management and public safety etc. It has been agreed that apart from Ministry level cooperation, Government of India organization such as C-DOT and ITI Limited along with industry partners from Japan will also part of this cooperation. Speaking...

  APEDA and Indian Embassy, Azerbaijan organize virtual Buyer Seller Meeting with Azerbaijan for increasing exports of Basmati Rice to CIS country In a bid to boost exports potential of India’s agricultural and processed food products exports, APEDA has organized a Virtual Buyer Seller Meet (BSM)  in association with Indian Embassy in, Azerbaijan today. The meet brought together key stakeholders from the respective Governments and trade on a common platform for strengthening strategic cooperation between India and Azerbaijan in export of Basmati Rice. Due to  the ongoing Covid19pandemic, the export promotion programme were not possible to be organized physically. APEDA took a lead to organize Virtual BSM to provide a platform to the exporters and importers of India and Azerbaijan This Virtual-BSM with Azerbaijan is the 16 th  in the series of such events organized by APEDA with various countries. Earlier such virtual Virtual-BSM was first organized with the United Ar...

  US imposes new sanctions on Chinese officials, state-owned oil company CNOOC FILE PIC The US has imposed new sanctions on Chinese officials, state-owned enterprise and oil giant CNOOC to a blacklist over Beijing’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea. A statement from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US is imposing visa restrictions on Chinese individuals, including executives of state-owned enterprises and officials of the Chinese Communist Party and navy. While announcing the sanctions, Pompeo said the US stands with Southeast Asian claimant states seeking to defend their sovereign rights and interests, consistent with international law. He said, “we will continue to act until we see Beijing cease its coercive behaviour in the South China Sea”. Pompeo said, the restrictions could also apply to immediate family members.   The US administration also said it is adding China’s ...

  Republic Day parade this year to see contingent of Bangladeshi armed forces marching on Rajpath Tweeted By AIR The Republic Day parade this year will see a contingent of Bangladeshi armed forces marching on Rajpath.   AIR Correspondent reports, A 122 member strong Bangladesh armed forces contingent will be participating in the Republic Day parade on 26 January in India. The contingent left Dhaka aboard a special Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster flight on Tuesday.   The Bangladesh Armed Forces contingent comprises Soldiers of the Bangladesh Army, Sailors of the Bangladesh Navy and Air Warriors of the Bangladesh Air Force. According to a press release issued by the High Commission of India in Dhaka, this is only the third time in India’s history that any foreign military contingent has been invited to participate in the National Parade at Rajpath in  Delhi. It is especially significant as the year 2021 marks 50 years of the Liberation War of Bangladesh. A major...

  Cabinet approves MoU between India, UAE for scientific and technical cooperation AIR Pics The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval to the Memorandum of Understanding on scientific and technical cooperation between National Centre of Meteorology of the United Arab Emirates and Ministry of Earth Sciences. The MoU will enable sharing of knowledge, data and operational products for meteorological, seismological and oceanic services between both the countries.   This MoU will facilitate exchange of scientific and technical information, deployment of Meteorological observation networks over ocean, mutual cooperation in the development of special capacities and research of Tsunami models for faster and more reliable forecasts of Tsunamis. Sharing the real-time seismic data and cooperation in early warnings of sand and dust storms are the other key elements of the MoU.

  India at UNSC expresses serious concern over security situation in Sahel & Lake Chad region in West Africa @IndiaUNNewYork India has expressed serious concern over the security situation in the Sahel and Lake Chad region in West Africa, saying that terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime have continued unabated in the area. Speaking at a UN Security Council session in New York yesterday, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, TS Tirumurti said India also condemned terrorist attacks by Boko Haram in Nigeria and Lake Chad region and by Islamic State in West Africa. He also called for closer coordination in counter-terrorism cooperation and said that the international community also needs to develop a coherent, coordinated and cooperative approach to deal with the worrisome humanitarian situation in the Sahel.   India lauded the positive developments and leadership of the countries of West Africa and Sahel for their commitment to sustainable peace a...

  Long-pending fencing of international border between India, Bangladesh in Meghalaya will be completed within a year  AIR Border Security Force (BSF) Meghalaya Frontier Inspector General Hardeep Singh has said that the long-pending fencing of the international border between India and Bangladesh in Meghalaya will be completed within a year. Briefing media today at Shillong, the IG said that 70 per cent out of a total of 443 kilometres has been completed in the state. He said, the implementing agency is willing to continue the construction of the fencing in the remaining portions and added that there are few patches where BSF needs clearance from BGB for the construction to continue. Making it clear that it is not possible to construct the border along the zero line, he added that the matter pertaining to land acquisition has been continuously discussed at different levels with the State Government of Meghalaya. According to the IG, there are as many as 13 patches where fencin...

  US President-elect Joe Biden names two Indian Americans in National Security Council of White House @JoeBiden In the United States, the President-elect Joe Biden has appointed two Indian-Americans to the National Security Council of the White House. Biden has named Indian-American Sumona Guha as senior director for South Asia and Tarun Chhabra as senior director for Technology and National Security. Sumona Guha is currently serving as senior vice president at Albright Stonebridge Group. She was co-chair of the South Asia foreign policy working group during the Biden-Harris campaign. During the Obama-Biden administration, she was special advisor for national security affairs to the then Vice President Biden. She is a graduate of Johns Hopkins and Georgetown University. Tarun Chhabra, who has been appointed senior director for Technology and National Security, is a senior fellow at the Centre for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University. Chhabra had also served o...

                Seventh Trade Policy Review of India at the WTO begins India’s seventh Trade Policy Review (TPR) began on Wednesday, 6th January 2021, at the World Trade Organization in Geneva. The TPR is an important mechanism under the WTO’s monitoring function, and involves a comprehensive peer-review of the Member’s national trade policies. India’s last TPR took place in 2015.  India’s official delegation for the TPR is headed by the Commerce Secretary, Dr. Anup Wadhawan. In his opening statement to the WTO Membership on the occasion, Commerce Secretary emphasized that this TPR is taking place at a time when the world is witnessing an unprecedented health and economic crisis. He highlighted the far-reaching efforts made by India to effectively address the health and economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat initiative. Dr. Anup Wadhawan reaffirmed India’s commitment to ensuring e...