
SCO summit: Rajnath meets Belarus Defence Minister in Qingdao
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday (June 26, 2025) held talks with Belarusian counterpart Viktor Khrenin, focusing on boosting bilateral defence and security cooperation.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of a conclave of the defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in this Chinese port city.
Mr. Singh's discussions with Mr. Khrenin focused on strengthening Defence cooperation and enhancing regional security, a Defence Ministry spokesperson said in New Delhi.
"Enriching interaction with the Belarusian Defence Minister Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin in Qingdao," Mr. Singh said in a social media post.
The Indian Defence Minister arrived in this Chinese port city on Wednesday to attend the SCO conclave.
Mr. Singh also held talks with his Russian counterpart, Andrey Belouso, focusing on the evolving regional security scenario and bilateral Defence and strategic ties.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indian Express
36 minutes ago
- Indian Express
India in touch with China on rare earth supply issue amid export curbs: MEA
India on Thursday said it has been in touch with China on the issue of rare earth magnet supply, as Beijing has imposed restrictions on their exports. This is the first time that the Indian government has officially acknowledged raising the matter with China, at a time when Delhi and Beijing are working towards normalising the relationship after six years of border standoff. Responding to questions, MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, 'On rare earths, yes, we have been in touch with the Chinese side both in Delhi as also in Beijing and we are talking to them as to how we can streamline the supply chain issue on rare earths.' 'We are in touch with the Chinese side on several economic issues and trade issues as and when anything is required to be done,' he said. China, which controls over 90% of global processing capacity for the magnets used for automobiles, clean energy and home appliances, enacted restrictions in April requiring companies to obtain import permits from Beijing. China's export curbs — meant as a response to US President Donald Trump's tariffs — is likely to impact car manufacturers worldwide. The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), an industry group, has sought the Indian government's intervention. While rare earth magnets are a crucial component in electric vehicle motors, they are also required for parts like power windows and audio speakers used in petrol or diesel-run cars. And though the measures imposed by Beijing are meant to focus on high-performance exports, shipments of low-end magnets are also being held up at ports due to confusion around implementing the restrictions. India's auto sector imported 460 tons of rare earth magnets, mostly from China, in the fiscal year ending March 31 and expects to import 700 tons worth $30 million this year, according to industry estimates. Sources said that the industry bodies and companies had raised the issue with the commerce ministry, and that had been escalated to the Chinese. On April 2, Trump unveiled his policy of reciprocal tariffs, targeting most of America's trading partners. Two days later, China responded by announcing a 34% tariff on all US imports, while also placing export restrictions on rare earths. Following the restrictions in April, China's exports of rare earth magnets fell sharply in May. The framework agreed to by the US and China also involves the easing of rare earth supplies. Critical minerals and rare earth elements, which are used across several key sectors, ranging from electronics to renewables, automobiles and defence, are increasingly playing a vital role in the economy. For instance, lithium, nickel and cobalt are used in lithium-ion batteries. Dysprosium and neodymium, and tellurium, indium, and gallium are used in wind turbines and photovoltaic cells respectively. Shubhajit Roy, Diplomatic Editor at The Indian Express, has been a journalist for more than 25 years now. Roy joined The Indian Express in October 2003 and has been reporting on foreign affairs for more than 17 years now. Based in Delhi, he has also led the National government and political bureau at The Indian Express in Delhi — a team of reporters who cover the national government and politics for the newspaper. He has got the Ramnath Goenka Journalism award for Excellence in Journalism '2016. He got this award for his coverage of the Holey Bakery attack in Dhaka and its aftermath. He also got the IIMCAA Award for the Journalist of the Year, 2022, (Jury's special mention) for his coverage of the fall of Kabul in August 2021 — he was one of the few Indian journalists in Kabul and the only mainstream newspaper to have covered the Taliban's capture of power in mid-August, 2021. ... Read More


Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
Amit Shah advocates for promotion of Indian languages in governance to foster national unity
NEW DELHI: Home minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the govt was committed to ensure that its diverse languages become a powerful medium to connect people, unlike the past few decades when efforts, though unsuccessful, were focused on making language a tool to break the country. Addressing the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the department of official language here, Shah insisted that governance must be conducted in local languages for the country to move forward with self-respect, based on its culture. Mentioning the resolve to break free from the slavery mindset — one of the 'Panch Pran' given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi — Shah said it can only be fulfilled only if a person takes pride in his own language and develops an ability to express, think, analyse and make decisions in that language. 'Indian languages should be used as much as possible in government work, not only in the Central government but also in the state governments. For this, we will also help the state governments, encourage them and try to convince them,' he said. Stating that 'our roots, traditions, history, identity and cultural way of life cannot progress if disconnected from language,' the home minister said efforts to promote and preserve all Indian languages, including Hindi, would be made in the coming days. 'Hindi is a friend of all languages and together, Hindi and other Indian languages enhance our self-pride,' he said while adding that there should not be any opposition to foreign language either. 'No state can ever become great by neglecting its mother tongue and the Modi govt has made many efforts to honour and dignify its languages,' he said while mentioning the recognition of Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali as classical languages. Shah said Indian languages are getting an unprecedented boost in the field of technology, education and administration and asked all state governments to take the initiative to impart medical and engineering education in local language. 'New Education Policy-2020 lays emphasis on teaching mother-tongue and local language up to Class 5 and 8. 95% of the applicants for post of constable in Central armed police forces are now taking the examination in their mother tongue,' he shared. Shah said that the Modi govt, over the past 11 years, has launched events like Kashi-Tamil Sangamam, Kashi-Telugu Sangamam, Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam, Shashwat Mithila Mahotsav and Bhasha Sangam under the 'Ek Bharat, Shreshta Bharat' program. He said that as part of Bhasha Sangam, a program is being run in every school to teach students 100 commonly used sentences in the 22 languages recognised by the Constitution. He hailed the 'Hindi Shabdsindhu' initiative by the department of official language, saying that it would make the official language more accepted, flexible and comprehensive by enriching it with commonly spoken works, regardless of their origin. Also appreciating the establishment of Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhag - which enables translation of official files from Hindi to other official languages and vice versa — the home minister said it would assist in seamless coordination and communication between the Centre and states.


News18
42 minutes ago
- News18
'Not Afraid': Jal Shakti Minister Says Pakistan's Letters Won't Change India's Stance On Indus Waters Treaty
Last Updated: Pakistan has written to India multiple times to revoke the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, but Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil said the water will not go anywhere Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil on Thursday said India will not change its stance on the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty even if Pakistan writes multiple times asking to review the decision. Pakistan has written to India to revoke the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, but Paatil said the water under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) will not go anywhere. Asked about Pakistani leader Bilawal Bhutto's comments on the treaty, he said Bhutto has said many things for politics. Pakistan's former foreign minister recently threatened India over the suspension. 'The water won't go anywhere… What he says is his own opinion… We are not afraid of false threats," Paatil said at a press conference. 'He also talked about blood and water flowing but we are not scared of such hollow threats." The Indus Waters Treaty was put in abeyance after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. 'This decision belongs to the Indian government. Whatever decision is taken will only benefit the nation," he said. According to a source quoted by news agency ANI, the central government has decided to divert water meant for Pakistan under the IWT for use in four Indian states — Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi. The jal shakti ministry is working on infrastructure development at a war-footing level to implement this decision. The ministry aims to ensure that not a single drop of water meant for Pakistan goes to waste. Instead, it will be utilised to meet the water needs of the four states, which will benefit from the diverted water. Paatil also held several meetings at the ministry to review and discuss the Indus Water Treaty with officials. (With agency inputs) First Published: June 26, 2025, 23:11 IST