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Malay Mail
07-07-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
PM Anwar meets Vietnam's PM Chinh on sidelines of Brics Summit to strengthen bilateral ties
RIO DE JANEIRO, July 7 — Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim met with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh today. Both leaders are here in Brazil's second-largest city for the two-day Brics Leaders' Summit. Anwar was accompanied by Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz at the meeting. Also present was deputy secretary-general for Bilateral Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, Datuk Ahmad Rozian Abd Ghani Anwar had met Chinh during the 46th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur last May, as well as during his visit to Hanoi to attend the 2nd Asean Future Forum (AFF) 2025 in February. Malaysia is currently Vietnam's third-largest trading partner within Asean and the ninth-largest globally. Bilateral trade has continuously increased, reaching US$14.2 billion (RM60 billion) in 2024, with a target of US$18 billion this year. — Bernama
Arab News
02-07-2025
- Business
- Arab News
India's Modi visits Ghana en route to BRICS summit
ACCRA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Ghana on Wednesday, the first Indian leader to visit the cocoa-rich country in three decades as the Asian nation competes with China and Russia for economic influence in Africa. A military guard, as well as traditional Ghanaian drummers and dancers performing in colorful kente outfits, welcomed Modi at the airport as he arrived to hold bilateral trade and cooperation talks with Ghana's President John Mahama, who has been in power since January. Modi is also due to address the Ghanaian parliament in the capital, Accra, and meet members of the Indian community in the largest gold-producing country in Africa. Accra is the first stop in a tour that will take the Indian premier to Caribbean and South American countries. India, the world's most populous country, has close ties with Russia but is often in rivalry with China — two powers vying for more influence in Africa. Last month, the Indian leader attended the G7 summit in Canada, acting as a 'bridge' between various players on the international scene, his foreign minister told AFP. In a statement before his departure, Modi said Ghana was 'a valued partner in the Global South,' praising its role in regional blocs including the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States. Mahama, wearing a striped hat with Ghana's national colors of red, yellow and green, greeted the prime minister at the airport Wednesday and walked him down a red carpet laid out in front of his plane. Modi will remain in Accra until midday on Thursday, before flying to Trinidad and Tobago, then on to Argentina and Brazil. He will attend a summit of the BRICS group of emerging economies in Rio de Janeiro on July 6 and 7. Before returning to India, he will also stop in Namibia, a southern Africa country which in March elected its first woman president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. India is one of Ghana's main trading partners and is the leading destination for Ghanaian exports, primarily due to Indian gold imports. According to the Indian foreign ministry, bilateral trade between the two countries reached $3.1 billion in 2024-2025. Ghana's main exports to India include gold, cocoa, cashew nuts and timber, while India exports pharmaceuticals, agricultural machinery, transport vehicles, electrical equipment, plastics, iron and steel and alcoholic beverages. The last time an Indian prime minister visited Ghana was in 1995. India says there are around 15,000 Indians living in Ghana, some of whom have been in the country since its independence nearly 70 years ago.
Times of Oman
18-06-2025
- Business
- Times of Oman
Visit will help India find favourable FTA with EU: Envoy Goel on PM's visit to Croatia
Zagreb: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Croatia will play a crucial role in securing a favourable Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union as well as enhanced trade between India and Croatia, said Ambassador of India to Croatia, Arun Goel, on Tuesday. Speaking to ANI, ahead of the PM's first-ever visit to Croatia, Goel said the visit can be seen as a pivotal step in strengthening India's engagement with EU partners. Goel, noting the imbalance in bilateral trade between the two nations, stated that the scope of growth in trade in both directions was immense. "If we look at the current trade numbers between India and Croatia, it is growing year to year; as of today, Croatian exports are something like USD 27 billion, and they are exporting to India just USD 70 million, which is 0.26 per cent. Croatia is importing goods and services worth USD 47 billion, and they are importing from India just USD 380 million, which is 0.67 per cent. The scope of growth in trade in both directions between India and Croatia is immense," he said. Goel pointed out that as India, currently the fourth-largest economy globally, aims to become the third-largest, increasing exports to the EU is crucial. "Croatia has been a member of the EU since 2013 and a member of the Eurozone since 2023. So this visit will help us find a partner through whom we'll be able to find a more balanced and favourable FTA with the EU," he added. Goel highlighted the PM's visit, which includes bilateral discussions with Croatian President Zoran Milanovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, a visit to the Homeland Memorial, and a walk to connect with the public, is expected to elevate the bilateral relationship. The Ambassador revealed that four agreements will be signed during the visit, covering agriculture and allied activities, science and technology, cultural exchange, and the extension of the Hindi Chair at the University of Zagreb. "One is the agreement on agriculture and allied activities, wherein as many as 30 areas of cooperation have been identified. Then a programme of cooperation in science and technology is being signed where both countries in all the areas of science and technology will identify joint projects and joint research projects. Cultural exchange programme is being extended for five more years, and then the extension of the already ongoing Hindi Chair at the University of Zagreb," he detailed, highlighting opportunities in emerging technologies, maritime research, and cultural heritage. Goel also underscored the significance of PM Modi's visit as a global leadership gesture, noting the enthusiasm among the Croatian diaspora. "There are 38 million Croatians in the country and about 4 million Croatians outside Croatia living in the US, Australia, Germany, and so on. They look at this first visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, not merely as a visit by India's Prime Minister, but a visit by a global leader because they consider Narendra Modi Ji, who in the present unstable times is considered by them as a pillar to bring about global peace," he said. Additionally, Goel highlighted specific sectors where India and Croatia are likely to deepen collaboration, particularly in the influx of Indian workers to Croatia. "Till about three years ago, we had less than 100 Indians in Croatia. In the last three years, because of the demographic complementarity, a number of Indian workers have come here. They are very happy to be here. They feel absolutely safe to be here. That's very important, and Croatians consider Indians as hard-working, skilled, reliable, peace-loving people who are adding to their economy," he noted, indicating a positive trend that is expected to grow as Croatia's economy expands. PM Modi will be visiting the European nation in the final leg of his three-nation tour at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenkovic, on June 18. This will be the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Croatia, marking an important milestone in the bilateral relationship. Modi will hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Plenkovic and meet the President of Croatia, Zoran Milanovic. The visit to Croatia will also underscore India's commitment to further strengthening its engagement with partners in the European Union.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Starmer, Carney Reboot UK-Canada Trade Talks Ahead of G-7
(Bloomberg) -- The UK will seek to restart trade negotiations with Canada, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, as he strives to strengthen commercial ties around the world to better insulate Britain's economy from the fallout of US President Donald Trump's tariff war. Shuttered NY College Has Alumni Fighting Over Its Future NYC Renters Brace for Price Hikes After Broker-Fee Ban Do World's Fairs Still Matter? As Part of a $45 Billion Push, ICE Prepares for a Vast Expansion of Detention Space As American Architects Gather in Boston, Retrofits Are All the Rage 'The world is changing on trade and the economy,' Starmer told reporters on Saturday on his way to meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. 'That means we need to do more securing our base at home and turbo-charging what we are doing on the cost of living and at the same time reducing trade barriers with other countries.' Starmer and Carney agreed to establish a new working group to 'deepen our existing trading relationship,' with a deadline to report back in six months, according to a joint statement by the leaders Sunday. The group will be asked to deal with market access questions, and explore ways to cooperate on critical minerals and artificial intelligence. While the two nations reached a trade continuity deal in the wake of the UK's departure from the European Union, talks for a bespoke deal to cover bilateral trade worth an annual £27.5 billion ($37 billion) stalled last year after a dispute over beef, when neither Starmer nor Carney was yet in office. Both nations are also members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, known as CPTPP. Carney agreed his government will aim to introduce legislation this year to ratify the UK's accession into that trade deal — a move that would lower tariffs between the countries. Starmer will use the G-7 summit to argue that in a shifting global economy, the UK must retain its proud status as a free and open trading nation by strengthening existing alliances while reducing barriers to trade with other countries, his office said. A trade deal with Canada was not listed as a priority for the UK government last year, when Trade Minister Douglas Alexander named agreements with the Gulf Cooperation Council, India, Israel, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, and Turkey as the areas his department was focusing on. But Trump's return to the White House and his ratcheting up of tariffs against countries around the world has forced UK negotiators to recalibrate — seeking exemptions from the US levies while also casting a wider net in their search for new deals. Canada was the 13th biggest destination for UK exports in 2024, taking in £16.9 billion of British goods and services, according to UK statistics. It was the 17th biggest source of imports into Britain, with goods and services worth £10.6 billion crossing the Atlantic. Since Starmer took office last July, his Labour government has struck a free trade deal with India and also smaller deals with the US and EU on trade and defense. Under the US deal, which has yet to be implemented, the Americans would scrap tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the UK and cut levies on cars to 10% from 27.5%. Starmer said in an interview with Bloomberg News on Friday that he's 'hoping that we will complete it pretty soon,' and that there are no 'hiccups or obstacles.' The premier is trying to strike a delicate balance between his friendly relationship with Trump — the UK is the only country so far to agree to a slimmed-down trade agreement amid his threats of tariffs — while also standing up for British allies with whom Trump has been more confrontational. When asked for a response on Trump's continued threats to make Canada a 51st state of the US, Starmer said he was 'absolutely clear' that Canada is 'an independent, sovereign country and a much-valued member of the Commonwealth' — his strongest public defense of the country yet. Canada's head of state is King Charles III, who recently visited Ottawa to help open a new session of Parliament following a national election that returned Carney's Liberal Party to power for another term. (Updates with new information from leaders' statement in third and fifth paragraphs.) American Mid: Hampton Inn's Good-Enough Formula for World Domination The Spying Scandal Rocking the World of HR Software New Grads Join Worst Entry-Level Job Market in Years As Companies Abandon Climate Pledges, Is There a Silver Lining? US Tariffs Threaten to Derail Vietnam's Historic Industrial Boom ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
The Hindu
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
‘Time of Great Opportunity' for U.S. and India: Usha Vance
The U.S. India relationship is in a phase of 'great opportunity', U.S. Second Lady Usha Vance has said. Ms. Vance, whose parents are from Andhra Pradesh, said that she had a personal relationship with India as she had family ties to the country and had visited India as she was growing up. 'So that's always been a relationship that I've personally thought of as very important,' Ms Vance said, during a Monday evening discussion at the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum's (USISPF) Leadership Summit in Washington DC. 'The way that I think about it more broadly is I think this is a time of great opportunity. And I think if my husband [ U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance] were here, he'd say the same thing,' Ms Vance said, adding that historically , the two countries' goals and needs had not always been in alignment. Ms Vance suggested, however, that in the next four years and beyond there was an opportunity, which she linked to the people to people ties. The relationship has generally enjoyed strong bipartisan support in Washington. India and the U.S. are in the throes of negotiating the first phase of a Bilateral Trade Agreement, with U.S. trade negotiators in India this week for talks. U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened to impose 'reciprocal tariffs' on the U.S.'s trade partners, with India being subject to a 26% rate , potentially. During the discussion with USISPF Chairman John Chambers, which did not venture further into political topics, Ms. Vance spoke about how she met her husband at Yale Law School, their family's recent visit to India and their interactions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She also spoke about her program to promote reading among children in the U.S.
