Diplomacy Archives - Page 115 of 120

18 Jan

Russia expands entry ban list of eu residents, officers in response to 9th sanctions bundle

Moscow, Jan 18 (IANS) Russia has expanded its entry ban list of EU citizens and officials in response to the EU's ninth package of sanctions against Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "In response to the hostile actions of the EU, Russia expanded the list of representatives from European institutions and EU member states who are prohibited from entering Russian territory," the Ministry added in a statement on Tuesday. According to the statement, officials from EU law enforcement agencies involved in providing military assistance to Ukraine's armed forces, European government and commercial structures that supply military equipment to Ukraine, and EU…

17 Jan

Pakistan PM offers India to resolve ‘burning issues’ through talks

Islamabad, Jan 17 (IANS) Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has sent out a fresh offer to India to resolve all longstanding bilateral issues, which have led to disputes and conflicts between the two nations through sincere and forward looking negotiations. In an interview to Al-Arabiya television, Sharif offered his Indian counterpart Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sit together and resolve issues including Kashmir. "My message to the Indian leadership and Prime Minister Modi is that let us sit down on the table and have serious and sincere talks to resolve our burning issues like Kashmir," he said. "In Kashmir, flagrant…

17 Jan

S.Korea-Japan ties on improvement trend after ‘deep ordeal’: Yoon

Seoul, Jan 17 (IANS) Relations between South Korea and Japan have shown a clear trend of improvement recently following a period of "deep ordeal" in the past few years, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said in a message on Tuesday. "Relations between South Korea and Japan went through the most difficult and deepest ordeal for the past few years, but they are showing a clear trend of improvement recently," Yoon said in the message, read by First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong, at a joint Seoul conference of the two countries' private panels on helping develop bilateral relations. Yoon…

17 Jan

Belarus, Russia start joint air force drill

Minsk, Jan 17 (IANS) Belarus and Russia have launched a joint tactical air force exercise that will last until February 1, the Belarusian Defence Ministry has said. The main goal of the exercise is to "increase operational compatibility" during joint combat training missions, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement by the ministry. The participants will practice aerial reconnaissance, joint patrolling along the state borders, air support for ground troops, tactical airborne landings, delivery of goods and evacuation of the wounded. The ministry added that all airfields and training grounds of Belarus' Air Force and Air Defense Force are involved…

16 Jan

Ahead of Jaishankar’s visit, SL Prez assures to fully implement 13A

Colombo, Jan 16 (IANS) Ahead of visit by India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to Sri Lanka this week, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has assured to fully implement the India-brokered 13th Amendment to the Constitution. Wickremesinghe said that the 13th Amendment, which was proposed to devolve power and solve the ethnic problem between the majority Sinhalese and the minority Tamils, would be implemented not only in the war-ravaged North but in the Sinhala majority South as well. The Sri Lankan President made the remarks while participating at the National Thai Pongal Festival held at northern city of Jaffna on Sunday. He announced…

15 Jan

India in best position to be a bridge between debt-ridden developing countries and G20; SL President

Colombo, Jan 15 (IANS) Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe stressed that India was in the best position to act as a bridge between the developing countries which are facing a debt crisis and the G20 in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds the current chairmanship. The Sri Lankan President made the remarks while addressing the Concluding Leaders' session of a two- day Voice of Global South Summit hosted by India virtually. Addressing the Summit, Sri Lankan Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe said that the delay in getting the debt assurance from bilateral creditors which has dragged the much-needed bailout by the International…

14 Jan

US, Japan sign pact at NASA HQ to explore deep space

Washington, Jan 14 (IANS) The US space agency and Japan have signed an agreement that builds on a long history of collaboration in space exploration between the two nations. From low-Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond, Japan is one of NASA's most significant international partners. "This latest framework agreement will allow us to further collaborate across our agencies' broad portfolios in exploration, science, and research," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said late on Friday. US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs Hayashi Yoshimasa signed the agreement at the NASA headquarters here. "The future of space…

14 Jan

Is Indian-American Ro Khanna eyeing 2024 US presidential bid?

New York, Jan 14 (IANS) Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna, who said he is weighing a Senate bid in California, may be looking for a potential presidential run in 2024, according to his Democrat allies. After six years in the US House, Khanna, 46, said he would not run for the White House if President Joe Biden seeks re-election in 2024, the Politico reported. The report said that Khanna's recent moves have sparked speculation among Democrats in several key states that the congressman has his eyes set on a higher office. The Silicon Valley lawmaker has retained consultants who are veterans of…

13 Jan

Finnish MPs can decide on NATO membership by simple majority: Committee

Helsinki, Jan 13 (IANS) The Constitutional Law Committee of Finland's Parliament ruled that lawmakers can make the final decision on whether the Nordic nation joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) based on a simple majority. However, the committee did not take a stand on when the vote should take place, reports Xinhua news agency. There has been debate in Finland on whether Parliament could complete the legislative process while ratification in Hungary and Turkey is still under way. Committee chair Johanna Ojala-Niemela said at a press conference on Thursday that "there is no obstacle to either course of action. If…

12 Jan

Italy backs Appian Way’s candidacy for UNESCO World Heritage site

Rome, Jan 12 (IANS) Italy's Ministry of Culture has backed the Appian Way's candidacy to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the first time such a bid has had national support in the country. The Appian Way is a 2,300-year-old road connecting Rome to the southeastern Italian city of Brindisi. When work on the road began in 312 BC, it was one of the largest infrastructure projects in ancient Rome. Because the road is around 550 kilometre long, the candidacy of the Appian Way will have the backing of four of the Italian regions it passes through -- Lazio, Campania, Basilicata,…