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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2017

Feb 2017

Apr 13, 2022

India, Malaysia Vow to Deepen Ties, Intensify Cooperation in Various Fields

India and Malaysia reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and hoped for faster revival of ties in the post-Covid period, taking into account the shared commitment of both sides to further intensify cooperation in a wide range of areas. The two countries vowed to deepen ties at the 5th Foreign Office Consultations at Putrajaya, Malaysia, that were co-chaired by Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, and Amran Bin Mohamed Zin, Deputy Secretary General for Bilateral Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia. The Foreign Office Consultations provided an opportunity to review the entire gamut of bilateral relations and exchange views on contemporary regional and global issues of mutual interest.

Fourth US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Washington DC

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III welcomed Ministers of Defense Rajnath Singh and External Affairs S. Jaishankar to Washington, D.C. for the fourth US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. A virtual conference between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joseph Biden preceded the Dialogue.
With a shared commitment to democracy and pluralism, a multifaceted bilateral agenda, and growing convergence of strategic interests, the United States and independent India are celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations. Both countries seek to maintain a resilient, rules-based international order that protects sovereignty and territorial integrity, upholds democratic values, and promotes peace and prosperity for all.
The Ministers recalled the initiatives outlined by the United States and India at the first Summit for Democracy and expressed their desire for continued cooperation in the current Year of Action leading up to the next Summit. The US expressed gratitude to India for its assistance with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) missions in the country. The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to DPAA missions in the future.

Apr 12, 2022

India, US to Bolster Cooperation in Fields of Education, Skill Development

Lauding the vibrant linkages between the two countries, India and the US reiterated their support for further strengthening cooperation in the fields of education and skill development through joint collaborations.
The ministers announced the intent to establish a new India-US Education and Skills Development Working Group and also appreciated the contribution of the Fulbright-Nehru program in furthering the exchange of outstanding academics and professionals between both countries and the special role that the four million strong Indian-American diaspora play in deepening India-US relations.
Welcoming the resumption of regular air travel between the two countries and expressing hope that this would encourage tourism and business travel, the two sides acknowledged that the movement of skilled professionals, students, entrepreneurs, investors, and business travellers between the countries will play an important role in catalyzing innovation and economic opportunity.

US Reaffirms Support for India's Permanent Membership in Reformed UNSC, NSG

The Biden administration reaffirmed its commitment to support India's permanent membership in a reformed UN Security Council and New Delhi's entry to the Nuclear Suppliers' Group.
The US also praised India for its significant contributions as a member of the 15-membered apex decision making body of the UN.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar led the Indian delegation for 2+2, while the US side was represented by Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Tony Blinken.
The 48-member NSG is an elite club of countries that deals with the trade-in nuclear technology and fissile materials besides contributing to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Shehbaz Sharif is 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan

Pakistan's opposition leader, Shehbaz Sharif was elected unopposed as the 23rd Prime Minister of the country through voting in the National Assembly. The 70-year old Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Chief succeeded Imran Khan, who was removed by a no-trust vote recently in the National Assembly. Shehbaz Sharif is the brother of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Sharif secured 174 votes and was declared as Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. In the House of 342, the winning candidate should get the support of at least 172 lawmakers.
Sharif said that a selected Prime Minister was removed using constitutional and legal means, the first time a PM was removed through a no-confidence motion. He served as Chief Minister of the country's most populous and politically crucial Punjab province thrice. Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chair Asif Ali Zardari had proposed Shehbaz's name for the Prime Minister's position in a joint opposition meeting to replace Khan through a no-confidence motion.

Apr 11, 2022

Imran Khan First Pakistani Prime Minister to Lose No-trust Vote

Notably, no Prime Minister has completed a full five-year tenure in Pakistan so far. Despite several attempts to block the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly, the voting took place in which as many as 174 members voted in favour of the motion in the 342-member House while members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were absent.
Imran Khan sought to link the opposition's move to oust him through a no-trust vote with "foreign conspiracy" and named the United States in some of his speeches. However, the United States rejected his allegations. Imran Khan also gave calls for people to take to the streets while the joint opposition remained steadfast in its objective of defeating him.

Apr 10, 2022

Hypersonic Missiles: UK, US, and Australia to Boost Defence Co-operation

The programme will be part of the AUKUS partnership, a security pact announced by the three countries last year. It follows the development of hypersonic missiles by China and Russia and their purported use by Russia in Ukraine.
Hypersonic weapons are those that exceed five times the speed of sound. They are harder to defend against because of their speed as well as the fact they fly at low altitudes - beyond the line of sight of ground-based radars - and can manoeuvre mid-flight.
The UK does not currently possess hypersonic missiles.The US and Australia have an existing joint programme to develop the weapons but the UK government stressed the focus of the new venture would be on defence.

Apr 09, 2022

Madagascar Joins Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure

Madagascar joined the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) becoming the 30th country to join the partnership launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speech at the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019.
CDRI is a partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and knowledge institutions that aims to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks in support of sustainable development. The CDRI Secretariat is based in New Delhi, India.
CDRI claims to promote the rapid development of resilient infrastructure to respond to the Sustainable Development Goals' imperatives of expanding universal access to basic services, enabling prosperity and decent work.

Senate confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson as first Black women to Supreme Court

In a momentous occasion in American history, the United States Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to sit in the country's highest court. The United States Senate took the historic decision by 53-47 votes after three Republican Senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney voted in her favour along with 50 members of the ruling Democratic Party.
"Judge Jackson's confirmation was a historic moment for our nation. We've taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America. She will be an incredible Justice, and I was honoured to share this moment with her," President Biden
She attended Harvard as an undergraduate and for law school and served on the US Sentencing Commission, the agency that develops federal sentencing policy, before becoming a federal judge in 2013.

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