Diplomacy Archives - Page 107 of 120

14 Apr

Sitharaman lists progress on key G20 issues during India’s presidency

Washington, April 14, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday expressed satisfaction with the progress on multiple subjects that were discussed at the second meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bankers that took place here under the presidency of India, including the vexatious issue of sovereign debt servicing. Sitharaman said that at a roundtable discussion on debt servicing on Wednesday was "absolutely positive" with all stakeholders, including China, "positively engaged". The first meeting of the G20 finance ministers and central bankers had taken place in Bengaluru in February and because of the lack of unanimity among the members over the Russian…

13 Apr

Qatar, Bahrain to resume diplomatic ties

Doha, April 13 (IANS) The Qatari-Bahraini Follow-up Committee decided to restore diplomatic relations between Qatar and Bahrain in line with the principles of the UN Charter and the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961. The decision was made during the second meeting of the committee at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Xinhua news agency reported. Both sides have said that the decision stems from a mutual desire to foster the development of bilateral relations and promote integration and unity within the Gulf region, in accordance with…

12 Apr

Zelensky writes to Modi, seeks humanitarian aid (Ld)

New Delhi, April 12, Ukraine's First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova has handed over a letter from President Volodymyr Zelensky, addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to the Indian government, requesting for additional humanitarian supply, including medicines and medical equipment. The minister, who was on official visit to India between April 10 to 12, handed over the letter from the Ukraine president addressed to Prime Minister Modi, to Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry on Wednesday. On the issue of Indian medical students, Dzhaparova mentioned that Ukraine…

11 Apr

Nepal, India to sign cross-border digital payments deal

Kathmandu, April 11, Nepal and India are set to sign an agreement for cross-border digital payments using e-wallet, which is expected to boost trade and tourism by eliminating currency hassles. The deal is expected to be signed during Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's visit to India sometime this month, according to Nepali media reports. The accord will allow Indian tourists in Nepal to make digital payments using Indian e-wallets like BharatPe, PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm. According to the reports, the two neighbours have chalked out an agreement for this purpose, and the document is awaiting signatures from both countries' officials.…

11 Apr

100 Ukrainian captives released in prisoner swap with Russia

Kiev, April 11 (IANS) A total of 100 Ukrainian captives, including 20 women, were released in the latest prisoner swap with Russia, Ukrainian authorities have said. Among those freed were Ukrainian army soldiers, national guard and navy servicemen, and border guards, Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian President's Office, was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. Some of those released are either wounded or seriously ill, Yermak wrote on Telegram. He gave no details on the number of Russian troops released by Ukraine under the swap deal. Separately, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said…

08 Apr

Cyprus says will not send Russian arms held by it to Ukraine

Nicosia, April 8, No Russian arms held by Cyprus' National Guard will be sent to Ukraine, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis has said. The statement was made during the visit here of Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov who met with his Cypriot counterpart Michalis Georgallas, Xinhua news agency reported. Cyprus' Defence Ministry said the two ministers held discussions regarding development and security situation in Ukraine, Cyprus and the wider Eastern Mediterranean region. Reznikov had told CyBC state television ahead of the meeting that Ukraine needed anti-aircraft systems and additional offensive arms. Cyprus' National Guard is armed with mostly Russian-made weapons, such as…

08 Apr

Nepal, China meeting silent over BRI, GSI

Kathamndu, April 8 (IANS) Senior officials from Nepal and China reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral ties in Beijing but failed to mention that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Global Security Initiative (GSI) were also discussed. In a statement issued by the Nepali side on Friday evening upon completion of the 15th meeting of the Bilateral Diplomatic Consultation Mechanism between the Foreign Ministries of Nepal and China, there was no mention of discussions about BRI and GSI. Nepal and China had signed the BRI agreement some six years ago but it has failed to make any tangible progress. Beijing…

08 Apr

Xi tells Kim Jong-un to bolster ‘strategic guidance’ over bilateral ties

Seoul, April 8 (IANS) Pyongyang's state media on Saturday said that Chinese President Xi Jinping told North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that the two nations should bolster "strategic guidance" over bilateral ties. The remarks came as Kim received a message from Xi as the latter thanked the North Korean leader for congratulating him on his re-election as president of China, according to Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). In the message, Xi "attaches great importance to the relations between the two parties and two countries, expressing his willingness to accelerate the development of the socialist cause of the two countries…

07 Apr

Macron counts on Xi ‘to bring Russia to senses’ for ending Ukraine war

Beijing, April 7, Visiting French President Emmanuel Macron has asked his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping "to bring Russia to its senses" in an effort to end the ongoing war in Ukraine, according to media reports. Macron arrived in Beijing on Wednesday on his state-visit to China with high expectations for a possible breakthrough on working with the Asian giant to find solutions to end the war, reports CNN. While Ukraine tops the agenda, Macron's trip also has a strong economic component, with the President being accompanied by a delegation of some 50 business leaders, with some expected to finalise or even…

06 Apr

Russia-US ties in deep crisis, says Putin

Moscow, April 6 (IANS) Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that relations between his country and the US are experiencing "a deep crisis". Putin made the remarks during a ceremony where he received letters of credence from 17 newly-appointed Ambassadors of foreign states, reports Xinhua news agency. "Relations between Russia and the US... are going through a deep crisis," the President said, adding that this crisis was rooted in "fundamentally different approaches to the formation of the modern world order". Putin noted that global security strongly depends on the relations between both countries, and that the US is ultimately responsible for…