India-US Defence Partnership 'Consequential Pillar' Of Relationship: Jaishankar-Hegseth Meet
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News18
33 minutes ago
- News18
Modi Becomes First Indian PM To Visit Ghana In 30 Years, Gets Guard Of Honour And 21-Gun Salute
The Prime Minister was warmly greeted by members of the Indian diaspora in Accra upon his arrival at the hotel where he will be staying during his two-day visit to Ghana. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday arrived in Ghana, as part of his five-nation tour, where he received a warm welcome from President John Dramani Mahama. PM Modi, who became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the West African country in the last 30 years, received a guard of honour and a 21-gun salute on his arrival. Ghana plays strategic role as a key partner in the Global South and is an active member of both the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). #WATCH | As PM Narendra Modi becomes the first Indian PM to visit Ghana after 30 years, President John Mahama of Ghana gives him a warm welcome at the airport. A Guard of Honour, along with a 21-gun salute, was presented to the PM.(Video: ANI/DD News) — ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2025 The Prime Minister was warmly greeted by members of the Indian diaspora in Accra upon his arrival at the hotel where he will be staying during his two-day visit to Ghana. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives a warm welcome from members of Indian diaspora in Accra, as he arrives at the hotel where he will stay during his two-day visit to Ghana.(Video: ANI/DD News) — ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2025 At the hotel in Accra, PM Modi also witnessed a short cultural performance, where a group of young children chanted 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna" in his honour. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Ghana as a 'valued friend" of India in Africa and an important partner in the Global South. 'The talks with President John Dramani Mahama will provide an opportunity to boost India-Ghana friendship across various sectors. It is also an honour to be getting the opportunity to address the Parliament of Ghana tomorrow, 3rd July," said PM Modi. After his visit to Ghana, the Prime Minister will travel to Trinidad and Tobago from July 3 to 4, at the invitation of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. He will then head to Argentina from July 4 to 5 for bilateral talks with President Javier Milei. From July 5 to 8, PM Modi will be in Rio to attend the BRICS Summit. Concluding his multi-nation tour, PM Modi is scheduled to visit Namibia on July 9, following an invitation from President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
PM Modi begins landmark visit to Ghana, receives warm welcome from President Mahama at airport
Accra: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday arrived in Accra on a two-day visit, his first ever bilateral trip to the African nation - also the first Prime Ministerial visit from India to Ghana after three decades. In a special gesture showcasing the significance of the landmark visit, Ghana President John Dramani Mahama welcomed PM Modi at the Kotoka International Airport. PM Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the airport as both leaders then sat down for a brief interaction at the Jubilee Lounge of the airport. "Ghana is a valued partner in the Global South and plays an important role in the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States. I look forward to my exchanges aimed at further deepening our historical ties and opening up new windows of cooperation, including in the areas of investment, energy, health, security, capacity building and development partnership. As fellow democracies, it will be an honour to speak at the Parliament of Ghana," PM Modi said in his departure statement earlier in the day. Ghana is the first stop on Prime Minister Modi's five-nation visit. It will be followed by Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), Argentina, Brazil and Namibia. The delegation-level are scheduled to be held in Accra later in the evening, India time, as both countries review the bilateral relations and discuss various ways to strengthen and deepen partnerships. The Prime Minister will also have a one-on-one meeting with his counterpart which will be followed by a banquet dinner in honour of PM Modi. On Thursday, Prime Minister Modi will be addressing Ghana's Parliament and will also be interacting with the Indian community in the country, which is about 15,000 in number. "President John Dramani Mahama has just assumed office in about January of this year after a landslide victory, which is why the visit assumes importance. Early in his tenure, the Honorable Prime Minister will be visiting Ghana. So, it will help in the continuity as well as deepening the relationship and to discuss various ways to further strengthen the relationship," said Dammu Ravi, Secretary (ER) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) ahead of the PM's visit. President Mahama has been to India in the past, particularly for the India-Africa Forum Summit in 2015 and both leaders have also met in the past on the sidelines of various global events. "India's relations with Ghana are historical. In the seven decades of a relationship, it has evolved to multi-faceted. We took up the cause of Ghana in the UN much before it won independence in 1957, and we have maintained a close relationship in the multilateral fora on various issues that are important for the global South," said the MEA Secretary. The ministry detailed that both the countries will work towards boosting the economic cooperation as Ghana undergoes a deep economic restructuring. "Ghana has undergone the IMF conditionalities almost 17 times. So, the economic agenda will dominate the talks. The bilateral trade between India and Ghana is about $3 billion in favour of Ghana because of the large imports of gold. Investments in Ghana are about $2 billion. Both private sector-wise, which is about a billion dollars and the second half, you have lines of credit and the buyer's credit ... activities and projects have been undertaken. We have very strong cooperation in the capacity building under ITEC, and that is continuing to be stronger and deepened," the senior diplomat commented during a special briefing held in New Delhi on Monday. The Ghanaian leader is also quite keen to engage with India, especially in the field of vaccine development and creating a vaccine hub in the country for not just Ghana but also the West Africa context. Defence cooperation will become an important item on the agenda along with the critical minerals and the digital public infrastructure. This visit, said the MEA, reaffirms the shared commitment of the two countries to deepen bilateral ties and strengthen India's engagement with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union.
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Trump says Vietnam to face 20% tariff under 'great' deal
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he had struck a trade deal with Vietnam under which the country would face a minimum 20 percent tariff and open its market to US products. The deal comes a week ahead of Trump's self-imposed July 9 deadline for steeper tariffs on US trade partners to take effect if agreements had not been reached. Trump initially announced that the trade deal had been reached, without providing details. Shares in clothing companies and sport equipment manufacturers -- which have a large footprint in Vietnam -- rose on the news, but later declined sharply after the president released details including the continued tariffs. "It is my Great Honor to announce that I have just made a Trade Deal with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam after speaking with To Lam, the Highly Respected General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He said that under the "Great Deal of Cooperation," imports of Vietnamese goods will face a 20 percent US tariff, while goods that pass through Vietnam from other countries -- so-called "transshipping" -- will see a steeper 40 percent tariff. "In return, Vietnam will do something that they have never done before, give the United States of America TOTAL ACCESS to their Markets for Trade," he said. "In other words, they will 'OPEN THEIR MARKET TO THE UNITED STATES,' meaning that we will be able to sell our product into Vietnam at ZERO Tariff," he added. The president said he believed US-made SUVs, "which do so well in the United States, will be a wonderful addition to the various product lines within Vietnam." Trump's announcement comes a week before the US has threatened to reimpose steep tariffs on dozens of economies, including the EU and Japan, many of which are still scrambling to reach deals that would protect them from the measures. Those higher tariffs are part of a package Trump initially imposed in April, citing a lack of "reciprocity" in trading relationships, before announcing a temporary lowering to 10 percent. Without a deal, Vietnam's "reciprocal tariff" would have risen from the baseline 10 percent to 46 percent. Since April, Washington had so far only announced a pact with Britain and a deal to temporarily lower retaliatory duties with China. Both involve the United States maintaining some of Trump's tariffs on the trading partners.
