Strategic Affairs Archives - Page 5 of 303

10 Aug

US launches $201 million Trans-Caspian fund

Washington, Aug 10 (IANS) The United States has launched a $201 million fund to promote private investment along the Trans-Caspian Trade Route as it moves to turn a US-brokered Armenia-Azerbaijan peace initiative into a regional transport and economic corridor. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the Trans-Caspian Enterprise Fund was operational with a newly elected board of directors and capital provided by the US government. “Today, I am pleased to announce that the Trans-Caspian Enterprise Fund is up and running, led by a newly elected board of directors and capitalized with $201 million in U.S. government funding to spur…

10 Aug

Nepal PM Balen Shah holds one-on-one meet with Indian envoy, his first after taking charge

Kathmandu, Aug 10 (IANS) Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah held a meeting with Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava on Monday, marking his first one-on-one meeting with a foreign diplomat since becoming country’s prime minister on March 27. This marked a departure from his self-imposed rule of avoiding individual engagements with foreign ambassadors. In the past, Prime Ministers routinely gave foreign diplomats easy access. This practice was widely criticized by the media and the general public. Since becoming prime minister on March 27, Shah sought to change the practice by refraining from one-on-one meetings with foreign diplomats, although he held collective meetings…

10 Aug

Nepal govt intervention forces Tibetan seminar to go online

Kathmandu, Aug 10 (IANS) The International Association for Tibetan Studies (IATS) has said a planned international conference on Tibetan studies in Kathmandu will be held online following the Nepal government’s instruction to Kathmandu University not to host the event. Local media reports have linked the Nepal government’s decision to concerns raised by China, although the university says it is unaware of any such pressure. The 17th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies (IATS) — the premier global gathering for Tibetan scholarship — was scheduled to be held in Kathmandu from August 23 to 29, 2026. The Himalaya Centre…

10 Aug

Indian envoy meets Bangladesh PM Rahman; discusses bilateral ties, security cooperation (Ld)

Dhaka, Aug 10 (IANS) Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, on Monday described his first meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman as "fruitful", saying that the two countries not only share a border but also "share dreams", local media reported. Trivedi on Monday held separate bilateral meetings with Bangladesh PM Rahman and Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed. The discussions focused on enhancing bilateral partnership across several sectors. Taking to X following the meeting with Rahman, the Indian High Commission said that the envoy conveyed India's intent to work together with the Bangladeshi government and the people in a "positive, constructive…

08 Aug

India-Israel partnership evolves into wider regional strategic network: Report

Athens, Aug 8 (IANS) India-Israel defence ties have evolved beyond a robust bilateral partnership into a broader, interest-driven strategic architecture linking geographically distant but complementary partners. While political will and regional dynamics will determine whether it becomes a formal grouping or remains a flexible network, the trajectory is already clear, a report has stated. The partnership extends beyond defence, intersecting with initiatives such as the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which seeks to strengthen connectivity in trade, energy, digital infrastructure and supply chains. Shared concerns over Iran's regional activities, threats to maritime routes and the need to build greater resilience…

08 Aug

SCI launches $720-million global tender for six 8,000 TEU container ships

New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) The Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) has launched its largest-ever global shipbuilding tender for six container ships at an estimated cost of $720 million (around Rs 6,858 crore), according to a report. According to analysis by Marine Insight, the tender covers six cellular container vessels each with a capacity of 8,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). However, two vessels are under firm orders, while four are optional, it said. Under the tender conditions, eligible Indian shipyards will receive priority through a Right of First Refusal (RoFR) mechanism. The lowest evaluated Indian bidder will be given an…

08 Aug

Iran strikes UAE’s tanker with missiles in Strait of Hormuz

Abu Dhabi, Aug 8 (IANS) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday condemned the Iranian attack on an Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) tanker as it transited the Strait of Hormuz. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE, in a statement, noted that this attack constitutes a flagrant violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2817, which emphasises freedom of navigation and rejects targeting commercial vessels or disrupting international maritime routes. ADNOC is the state-owned oil company of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and one of the largest oil companies in the world by production. “The Ministry stressed that…

07 Aug

Internal matter, several nations regulate flow of foreign funds: MEA rejects US lawmaker’s remarks on FCRA Bill

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) India on Friday rejected comments made by a section of the international community, including a US lawmaker, on the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act Amendment (FCRA) Bill, stressing that legislative matters concerning India are internal affairs of the country on which decisions are taken by the Parliament. Addressing a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Friday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noted that several nations, including the United States (US), regulate the flow of foreign funds. "We have seen the comments; legislative matters concerning India are our internal affairs on which decisions…

07 Aug

India’s forex reserves surge by $10.512 billion to $692.866 billion: RBI

Mumbai, Aug 7 (IANS) India's foreign exchange reserves surged by $10.512 billion to $692.866 billion for the week ended July 31, extending their upward trend, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday. The latest surge follows a forex gain of $6.118 billion for the week ended July 24. The value of gold reserves increased by $1.685 billion to $104.743 billion during the week ended July 31, the RBI said. For the same period, foreign currency assets, a major component of the reserves, increased by $8.750 billion to $564.680 billion. Expressed in dollar terms, the…

07 Aug

Private event, India does not endorse remarks made at forum: MEA on Sheikh Hasina media interaction

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) Reiterating its earlier stance, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said that the Indian government had no involvement in former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent virtual media interaction and that it does not endorse any remarks made at the event, particularly those concerning the duly constituted government in Dhaka. Addressing a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the programme held in New Delhi on Wednesday was organised by a private entity. “The government had no role to play in what was an event by a private…