Latest news with #BilateralTies
Times of Oman
4 days ago
- Business
- Times of Oman
President Muizzu lauds India's commitment of being First Responder for Maldives in dealing with any crisis
Male: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on Friday took stock of the progress in the implementation of the India-Maldives Joint Vision for a 'Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership' with the Prime Minister reiterating India's commitment to further deepen bilateral ties in keeping with its "Neighbourhood First' and Vision MAHASAGAR policies. PM Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Maldives, met President Muizzu at the President's Office in Male. President Muizzu appreciated India's commitment of being the First Responder for Maldives when it came to dealing with any crises. The two leaders discussed cooperation in the fields of development partnership, infrastructure support, capacity building, climate action and health. They also called for further strengthening defence and maritime security cooperation and, in this regard, noted the collaboration between the two countries under the Colombo Security Conclave. The two leaders also reviewed the economic partnership between the two countries. Prime Minister underscored that the proposed Free Trade Agreement and the Bilateral Investment Treaty would open new opportunities for both sides. Noting that the two countries must take advantage of the digital economy, especially to promote tourism, he welcomed the recent understandings on UPI adoption, acceptance of RUPAY card and trade in local currencies. The two leaders highlighted that the close development partnership between the countries was adding new value to the already strong people-to-people ties. The two leaders noted that, as Global South partners, they would continue to work on issues such as climate change, promotion of renewable energy, disaster risk reduction and weather science in the interests of the planet and its people. Prime Minister thanked President Muizzu for his strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack, and the solidarity extended to India in the fight against terrorism. The two leaders witnessed exchange of six MOUs in the fields of fisheries and aquaculture, meteorology, digital public infrastructure, UPI, Indian pharmacopoeia and concessional Line of Credit. The new Line of Credit offers Rupees 4850 crores [ approx USD 550 million] in support of infrastructure development and other activities in Maldives. An Amendatory Agreement for the existing LoCs was also exchanged. It reduces Maldives's annual debt repayment obligations by 40% [from USD 51 million to 29 million]. Both sides also exchanged Terms of Reference of the proposed Free Trade Agreement. The two leaders also virtually inaugurated a roads and drainage system project in Addu city and six High Impact Community Development Projects in other cities. Prime Minister handed over 3,300 social housing units and 72 vehicles for Maldives National Defence Force and Immigration authorities. Prime Minister also handed over two units of Aarogya Maitri Health Cube [BHISHM] sets to the Government of Maldives. With state-of-the-art medical equipment as part of the cube, it can provide medical aid to 200 casualties with in-built support to sustain a crew of six medical personnel for up to 72 hours. In keeping with their deep commitment to conserving nature, the two leaders planted mango saplings as part of India's "Ek Pedh Maa Ke Naam" [Plant for Mother] and Maldives's "Pledge of 5 million Tree Plantation" campaigns. Prime Minister reiterated India's commitment to support Maldives and its people, as per its requirements and priorities, and for the peace, progress and prosperity of the Indian Ocean region. Ahead of the meeting, Prime Minister was received by President Muizzu and accorded a ceremonial welcome at Republic Square. The meeting was marked by warmth and a reaffirmation of the deep-rooted friendship between the two nations. Prime Minister expressed heartfelt appreciation for the gracious hospitality extended to him and his delegation and conveyed his best wishes on the historic occasion of the 60th anniversary of the independence of Maldives as also on the special occasion of the 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations. The two leaders reflected on the deep bonds of friendship and trust that have been built over centuries, strengthened by strong people-to-people ties.
Russia Today
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Kremlin responds to Azerbaijan's position on Ukraine conflict
Russia disagrees with Azerbaijan's stance on the Ukraine conflict but hopes that this divergence in views will not hinder efforts to restore bilateral ties in light of a recent rift, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. He added that Moscow wants to resolve the tensions in its relationship with Baku. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev recently urged Ukraine to 'never agree to occupation.' Speaking at the Shusha Global Media Forum last week, Aliyev encouraged Kiev to consider Azerbaijan's approach to resolving its territorial dispute with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. The longstanding conflict between Baku and Yerevan over the breakaway region ended in 2023 after Azerbaijan retook it by force, prompting the departure of its remaining ethnic Armenian population. Peskov acknowledged the differences in the positions of Russia and Azerbaijan on the Ukraine conflict, but insisted that this has not been an obstacle in relations. He added that Moscow seeks 'to move past what we hope is a brief period of cooling in bilateral relations and avoid sacrificing mutually beneficial interests for the sake of a short-term situation.' Tensions between Moscow and Baku have been rising following the deaths of two Azerbaijani nationals suspected of being gang members during a Russian law enforcement operation in Ekaterinburg last month. The Azerbaijani authorities rejected the conclusions of the Russian investigation and accused the police of unlawful killings. In response, Azerbaijani police raided the local office of the Russian news network Sputnik, detaining two journalists along with several other Russian nationals. The government also suspended all Russia-related cultural events. Despite the strain, Moscow has emphasized the historically cooperative nature of its relationship with Baku and voiced hope for a de-escalation of tensions.
News.com.au
16-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Anthony Albanese's Xi meet plays well in Chinese state media
Anthony Albanese's visit to China has gone down well with the country's state media, offering insight into Beijing's true feelings about the future of its relationship with Canberra. The Global Times is a leading English-language propaganda mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Doing its best to imitate a Western-style publication, it is often used to circulate the CCP's various pet peeves and routinely takes scathing shots at Australia. But the Chinese government tabloid had only good things to say after the Prime Minister's meet with Xi Jinping and other party top brass. An 'opinion' piece published on Wednesday said the meetings 'set the tone for steady progress in bilateral ties while keeping external disruptions at bay' — a swipe at the US. 'The turnaround in China-Australia relations reflects the genuine expectations of both peoples,' the unattributed piece said. 'It also demonstrates that China and Australia are opportunities for each other's development – and highlights the strong appeal of China's vast market, the resilience of its economic growth, and the certainty of its continued commitment to opening up.' It acknowledged but glossed over sore spots in the relationship, such as the Port of Darwin. Mr Albanese vowed during the election to break the 99-year lease to Chinese logistics giant Landbridge Holdings. The Global Times previously described the pledge as a 'drastic step' and 'ethically questionable'. Mr Albanese also said after meeting Mr Xi that the Chinese leader did not raise the port, suggesting it may have dropped off Beijing's top-tier grievances. 'Of course, compared with the 'minefields' status described by the Global Times editorial three years ago, today's China-Australia relationship is like a plane flying in the 'stratosphere' after passing through the storm zone, and the most turbulent and bumpy period has passed,' the opinion piece said. The Chinese have waged a charm offensive on Mr Albanese's six-day trip, with officials and business leaders wooing him in the glitz of central Shanghai before his high-level talks in Beijing. He has in turn spruiked Australia's trade and tourism offerings. Though, despite best efforts on both sides to keep things positive, chasmic differences remain. Against a backdrop of China's rapid military build-up, Mr Albanese has kept firmly to his mantra of co-operating where 'we can' and disagreeing where 'we must'.
South China Morning Post
13-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Li Cheng and Andy Browne discuss what Trump gets wrong about China and where next for ties
Welcome to Open Dialogue, a new series from the Post where we bring together leading voices to discuss the stories and subjects occupying international headlines. In this edition, two leading China watchers discuss the consequential relationship between the world's two largest economies and how ties might develop under the second Donald Trump administration amid growing trade frictions. Professor Li Cheng, a leading political scientist who has studied China for decades, is the founding director of the University of Hong Kong's Centre on Contemporary China and the World. He previously spent 17 years at the Washington-based Brookings Institution, which included heading up the think tank's John L. Thornton China Centre. Andrew Browne is an award-winning journalist who has covered China for The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Reuters and the South China Morning Post. More recently, he was a partner at advisory firm The Brunswick Group, where he advised some of the world's largest companies on geopolitical strategy from his New York base. The past few months have been a roller-coaster ride for US-China relations, beginning with President Donald Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs, followed by the tit-for-tat trade war and then trade negotiations. What are your assessments of the health of bilateral ties and how do you see things unfolding? Li: China certainly feels that the pressure is not just on China. Of course, China is a major trading partner of the US, but the US is not China's No 1 or No 2 trading partner and trade with the US is only 16 per cent of China's entire foreign trade – we should put that into perspective.
South China Morning Post
01-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China-Singapore relations a steadying force amid global uncertainty
Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong chose China for his first state visit outside Southeast Asia since he won the general election in May. That was a clear message as it came at a time of intense rivalry between China and the United States. All his predecessors since Lee Kuan Yew treasured the stable bilateral relations between the two countries, and Wong is saying he is no exception. One of the high-profile events he attended was the 'Summer Davos' in Tianjin. Meanwhile, he has extended an invitation to President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang to visit Singapore. The visit was also a balancing act. Singapore's relations with the US are vital. So there is a need to show it is not taking sides. Beijing has long attached great importance to its relations with the Lion City, and Xi has called for a deepening of ties. As the biggest foreign investor, Singapore is welcome to new business opportunities in China. This is symbolised by the iconic Suzhou Industrial Park in Jiangsu, one of the oldest of its kind, with new plans for expansion. Singapore has proposed to deepen collaboration on such projects as the Suzhou park and in third-party ventures. Xi has called on Singapore to stand with China 'on the right side of history'. That means future bilateral development must be safeguarded to ensure they are on the right track, with mutual support to further each other's 'core interests'. In this context, Wong has reiterated Singapore's support for the 'one China' principle, while Xi emphasised cooperation, such as through the Belt and Road Initiative, hi-tech development and a green economy. China strongly believes that the historic tide is for peace, development and cooperation. International relations ought to be about win-win, not the law of the jungle in which the strong bullies the weak.
