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Time of India
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
‘An honour to meet His Holiness': Top US official visits Dalai Lama in Dharamshala; joins 90th birthday celebrations
A senior official from the United States met the 14th Dalai Lama in Dharamshala on the occasion of his 90th birthday, the US Embassy said on Sunday. Bethany Poulos Morrison, a deputy assistant secretary in the US department of state's bureau of south and central Asian affairs (SCA), visited the Tibetan spiritual leader as part of her ongoing trip to India. In a post on X, the US Embassy shared images from the meeting and wrote, 'State SCA deputy assistant secretary Morrison had the honor of visiting Dharamshala and meeting with His Holiness Dalai Lama during his 90th birthday celebration. Yesterday, secretary Rubio shared birthday wishes and reaffirmed US support for fundamental freedom of Tibetans.' Thousands of people gathered in the main courtyard of Tsuglagkhang, the Dalai Lama temple in Himachal Pradesh's Dharamshala, to mark the milestone birthday. Messages of goodwill poured in from around the world for the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Indian and international political leaders joined the Dalai Lama on stage, voicing support for the Buddhist spiritual leader, who has lived in exile in India since fleeing Tibet in the 1960s following China's occupation of the region. Morrison arrived in India a few days prior to the event. On Thursday, the US Embassy posted on X, 'Welcome to India, State SCA deputy assistant secretary Morrison. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo We look forward to a productive and engaging trip as we continue to advance the US-India Strategic Partnership. #USIndiaFWD'. The bureau of south and central Asian affairs, where Morrison serves, handles US foreign policy and diplomatic relations with countries across the region, including India, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Nepal, and others, according to the US department of state. Morrison is the deputy assistant secretary overseeing matters related to India and Bhutan.
Express Tribune
05-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
ECO agrees economic integration strategy
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov sign the $2bn investment agreement in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Photo: Radio Pakistan A summit of seven west and central Asian leaders have agreed to liberalise trade, attract more foreign investment and build cooperation in green energy to strengthen regional economic integration. The Economic Cooperation Organization gathering also agreed to improve transport connectivity and restore post-conflict areas across the region as part of a long-term development strategy to 2035, the organisation announced. The summit, held under the theme "A New Vision for the ECO for a Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Future," was attended by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, Uzbekistan's Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian, Kyrgyzstan's Sadyr Japarov, Tajikistan's Emomali Rahmon, and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The roadmap builds on ECO 2025, an earlier strategy emphasising regional integration, trade and transport. Azerbaijani presidential aide for foreign policy Hikmet Hajiyev told Reuters the ECO 2035 strategy expands its scope to include green energy cooperation, digitalization, and social inclusion. Hajiyev said Azerbaijan plans to establish a regional green energy centre and a combined transport-energy hub under the new framework, though investment figures have yet to be finalised. In an address, Aliyev highlighted Azerbaijan's emergence as a regional energy and investment hub, noting $350 billion had been invested in the country's economy in the past two decades. The meeting was held in the capital of the former breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. In 2023, Azerbaijan retook the whole of the enclave, where ethnic Armenians had enjoyed de facto independence for decades. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan have backed a peace treaty, but tensions between the two neighbours remain high.
Arabian Post
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Arabian Post
India's Diplomatic Isolation Was Firmly Evident At The SCO Meet In Qingdao In China
By Nitya Chakraborty India's total diplomatic isolation was in show in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)'s defence ministers meet in Qingdao city in China on June 25 and 26 when a joint statement was prepared calling upon the members to jointly fight terror but there was no mention of Pahalgam killings on April 22 while taking note of attacks in Balochistan. The joint statement was prepared after discussions among the members including India and Pakistan at the meet presided over by China, the host nation for 2025 summit. Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh strongly spoke against terror during the deliberations focusing on the Pahalgam massacre and the consequent action of India to dismantle the terror camps in Pakistan through Operation Sindoor. But the joint statement on the final day did not incorporate Indian point on Pahalgam terror while the Pakistani point on Balochistan was included. Naturally, Singh did not sign this one sided declaration. The norm in SCO is that every resolution will have to be on the basis of consensus. So as a result of India's objection, the joint statement could not be issued. Pakistan is happy that India was alone in not signing. So it was a diplomatic victory for Islamabad which is engaged with India in a perception battle after Pahalgam killings and Operation Sindoor, to influence the global opinion. SCO has presently ten members- China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Indian officials claimed that the statement was tuned in favour of Pakistan by China. Fine enough. It might be true. But then what about the other seven members including Russia? It was a sheer failure of our foreign office that all the central Asian member states of the SCO did not come in support of India. Even Russia did not intervene to amend the statement to incorporate Indian view. In all in SCO, out of ten members, excepting India, no other country was against the statement. It was a clear 9-1 in favour of Pakistan. The SCO summit of head of states will be held later this year in Tianjin in China. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the SCO summit, it is stated. He will be meeting there the Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as also the other leaders.. The issue of fighting terror will also figure at that summit like the latest meeting of defence ministers. What is Prime Minister of India going to do to ensure that the summit declaration finally contains the Indian viewpoint.? Even before that SCO summit later this year, BRICS summit will be held in Brazil on July 6 and 7. Indian PM will be attending that. At that meeting also, the fight against terror issue will come up. Pakistan is not a member of BRICS. That way that pressure from Islamabad which was there on the Qingdao meeting, will not be there in Brazil summit. But every country has taken some position and that does not change suddenly. It requires constant persuasion and presentation of facts. Rajnath Singh and his team totally failed at Qingdao meeting to convince the members of the SCO. That should not be repeated at the Brazil summit. Only few days are left for the BRICS summit. In these eight days, Indian diplomats have to make all efforts to meet the member countries and convince them of Indian position with full facts about the involvement of Pakistan with terror attacks against India. Brazil and South Africa are key members. They should be briefed properly to avoid any embarrassment at the summit As regards the coming SCO summit later this year, the deliberations will be highly important from the perspective of both security and economy of the region. Now in its 25th year, the SCO has expanded from its original six founding members into a 'big family' of 10 member states, two observer states, and 14 dialogue partners – stretching from the East European plains to the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Rim, and encompassing nearly half of the world's population. SCO sources say that the SCO has become a mature platform for regional security cooperation, with continuously growing influence, cohesion and appeal. Over the past 25 years, this 'giant ship of security' has been riding the waves against terrorism, separatism and extremism, making outstanding contributions to regional security. The economic and trade dividends and people-to-people exchanges emerging from security cooperation have also been remarkable, significantly bringing the peoples of the member states closer together in all aspects. India has neglected the functioning of BRICS and SCO in the last five years out of its love for US sponsored QUAD. Now with the US President Trump humiliating Indian Prime Minister consistently by mentioning his decision on India-Pakistan ceasefire 18 times since May10 and entertaining Pakistan chief of army staff Asim Munir over lunch, our Prime Minister should give a relook to the foreign policy pursued by him in the last five years. This is time India should join hands with Brazil, South Africa and other developing countries to fight for Global South .The country's interests lie with Global South, that Mr. Narendra Modi should not forget. (IPA Service)
Straits Times
07-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
India, central Asian countries express interest in joint rare earths exploration
NEW DELHI – India and five central Asian countries have expressed interest in jointly exploring for rare earths and critical minerals, they said in a joint statement on June 6 after the fourth meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue. The announcement comes amid global alarm over China's decision to curb exports of rare earth alloys, mixtures and magnets, spooking industries ranging from automobiles and clean energy to defence. India and the central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – also called upon 'relevant authorities' for an early meeting of the India-Central Asia Rare Earth Forum, which last met in September. 'The ministers also encouraged exchange of delegations to explore new areas of cooperation in critical minerals,' the statement said, adding the sides agreed to hold their next meeting in 2026. Rare earths are a group of 17 elements used in the creation of magnets that power motion for cars, cellphones, missiles and other electronics. China mines about 60 per cent of the world's rare earths and makes 90 per cent of rare earth magnets. Beijing, however, has announced export restrictions on these in April as part of its sweeping response to US President Donald Trump's tariffs. India is holding talks with companies to establish long-term stockpiles of rare earth magnets by offering fiscal incentives for domestic production, as it looks to reduce dependence on shipments from China. It also plans to launch incentives for recycling 24 critical minerals – a plan that is in the final stages of approval – as it looks to secure the minerals needed for green energy transition. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hans India
07-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
India seeks to bolster Central Asia trade ties
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar has urged the India-Central Asia Business Council to recommend a roadmap for further deepening of India-Central Asia ties in trade, economic and investment. Addressing the Business Council meeting in the national capital, EAM Jaishankar highlighted three broad objectives for strengthening the economic partnership — deepen existing cooperation, diversify the trade basket and introduce sustainability and predictability in economic interactions. 'One, is to deepen the existing cooperation both in terms of volume and in terms of quality. There is already I think a recognition in each others countries and each others economies of the players and of the products. But, we must build further on that foundation and a very good example here is actually the pharmaceutical sector,' he told the gathering. 'Two, we need to diversify our trade baskets so that all of us have more options and we have more competition and in a way we are looking for new opportunities. I would like our friends from central Asian economies to appreciate that an economy today which is in excess of $4 trillion, which is growing at 6-8 per cent annually, it will create new demands for products, for services and even I would say in a way new demands out of more prosperous lifestyles,' EAM Jaishankar also stressed on the need to introduce greater sustainability and more predictability in economic interactions. 'That means more long-term contracts and arrangements, cross investments, joint ventures and certainly sectors like energy whether we are talking uranium, whether we are talking crude oil even potentially gas, whether we are looking at mining, If you are talking about coal or if you are discussing fertilizers, I think these are all relevant examples to reach really long term understatings between us,' the foreign minister trade and economic ties with Central Asia over the last decade have shown a very strong positive trend. Mutual trade was less than $500 million a decade ago in 2014. Today, 'what we have collectively is actually a trade volume which is almost touching $2 billion.
