Jaishankar warns West on selective outrage, pushes strategic ties in Brussels visit
During his visit to Brussels, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar warned the West against selective outrage over terrorism, following the Kashmir attack that claimed 26 lives. Criticizing the global response, he argued that terrorism is a global threat, not just an India-Pakistan issue, and will eventually impact those ignoring it now. Jaishankar met EU leaders to push for stronger India-EU ties, pitched India as a trustworthy alternative to China, and opposed the EUs Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), calling it unfair. On Russia-Ukraine, he maintained Indias neutral stance, stressing non-prescriptive diplomacy. He also highlighted historical grievances with Western nations over Kashmir, emphasized Indias support for a multipolar world, and encouraged European companies to shift away from Chinese supply chains for security reasons.
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Hindustan Times
32 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
PM Modi's meeting with Canadian PM important opportunity to reset relationship: MEA
NEW DELHI: The upcoming meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on the margins of the G7 Summit is an opportunity to reset bilateral ties based on mutual respect and sensitivity to each other's concerns, the external affairs ministry said on Thursday. India-Canada ties rapidly deteriorated after former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau alleged in September 2023 that Indian government agents were linked to the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India had dismissed the charge as 'absurd' and accused the Canadian government of giving safe haven to separatists and radical elements that posed a threat to Indian diplomats. Modi and Carney had their first phone conversation on June 6, when the Indian prime minister accepted an invitation to attend the outreach session of the G7 Summit to be hosted by Canada in the resort of Kananaskis on June 15-17. 'We believe that the forthcoming meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the G7 Summit will offer an important opportunity to exchange views on bilateral and global issues, and to explore pathways to reset the relationship based on mutual respect, shared interests and sensitivity to each other's concerns,' external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a weekly news briefing. He didn't go into details of the concerns of both countries and said India's views on 'some of these issues have already been shared publicly in considerable detail'. Besides accusing the Canadian side of not doing enough to rein in Khalistani elements that threatened Indian diplomatic facilities and diplomats, New Delhi had also said the previous Trudeau administration was providing space to secessionist and radical forces inimical to Indian interests. When Carney called Modi last week, the leaders had an 'opportunity to reflect on the India-Canada relationship and the way forward', Jaiswal said, in an apparent reference to the cratering of relations over the past two years. India and Canada, Jaiswal noted, are 'vibrant democracies bound by shared democratic values, a steadfast commitment to the rule of law, and vibrant people-to-people ties'. A readout issued by the Canadian Prime Minister's Office on the phone call between Modi and Carney said at the time that 'there was agreement to continued law enforcement dialogue and discussions addressing security concerns'. The Indian readout on the conversation had made no reference to this issue. Jaiswal responded to a question on the Canadian reference to a dialogue on security concerns by saying that there were existing mechanisms between Indian and Canadian law enforcement agencies that have 'discussed issues of mutual security concern over a period of time'. He added, 'This engagement is likely to continue.' The trial of four Indian men arrested for alleged involvement in the killing of Nijjar is currently underway in Canada. At the same time, both sides have shown interest in discussing the activities of trans-national criminal gangs, including elements with ties to Khalistani separatists. The planned meeting between Modi and Carney is being seen as the first real opportunity in almost two years to repair bilateral ties. Besides the deep people-to-people ties between India and Canada, the Carney government is interested in forging stronger economic ties with India in the face of strained relations with the US due to the trade policies of the Donald Trump administration. Carney has defended his decision to invite Modi to the G7 Summit following criticism of the move by Sikh groups in Canada. He has said India is central to several supply chains, and that the decision to invite Modi was made after consulting other G7 member countries. India is the fifth largest economy and at the heart of a crucial supply chains, he said. India's presence is 'essential' when the G7 countries address key issues such as security, energy, the digital future and critical minerals at the summit, he added. 'There are certain countries that should be at the table for those discussions,' Carney said. Among the priorities listed by Canada for the G7 Summit are strengthening security, countering foreign interference and transnational crime, building energy security, accelerating the digital transition, and fortifying critical mineral supply chains.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Willing to step-up dialogue, China on lifting export curbs on rare earth metals to India
China on Thursday hinted at holding talks with India over its restrictions on export of rare earth materials, saying it is willing to enhance dialogue and cooperation with relevant countries to keep industrial supply chains stable. China's recent restrictions on the exports of key metals caused widespread disruption in the manufacturing of automobiles and semiconductor chips in a host of countries, including India. "We are willing to enhance dialogue and cooperation with relevant countries and regions to jointly keep the stability of global industrial and supply chains," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Alarma económica que arrasa en Buenos Aires - Listo en un día Verisure Alarma Ver oferta Undo Lin was responding to a question from PTI whether China is willing to lift restrictions on exports of rare earth metals to India as it began clearing export licences to the US and the EU. Lin, however, reiterated that for specifics, the relevant authorities should be approached. Live Events On June 16, Indian Ambassador Pradeep Kumar Rawat met Chinese Vice Minister Sun Weidong and held talks on bilateral issues. They discussed "common concerns" among others, a foreign ministry statement here said. Reports from India spoke of growing concerns about shortages of the rare metals in automobiles and other industries. After several months of a squeeze on rare earth metals over which China holds a monopoly, Beijing began clearing selective export licenses reportedly for the US as both countries held talks in London over the issues. Rare earths are a group of metals consisting of 17 elements. Though present in several counties, their extraction is costly and messy, causing massive amounts of pollution. According to the International Energy Agency, China accounts for 61 per cent of global mined rare earth production but controls 92 per cent of the global output. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that a deal with China "is done" after two days of talks in London, marking a turnaround in the trade war between the two major economies. Trump's announcement came after the negotiating teams from both sides concluded two-day talks in London, where they agreed to resolve their trade disputes. China has opened talks with the US and EU to address complaints of shortages but remained silent about India's request for talks on the issue. An Indian delegation of auto industry representatives is gearing up for a China visit to expedite the import of rare earth magnets to Indian entities, according to industry sources in New Delhi.
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Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Modi govt committed to providing 33% reservation to women: Gadkari
Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said the Modi government was committed to providing 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, and it has taken a decision to that effect. Describing the 11 years of the Modi government as "very important" in the country's history, he said what failed to happen in the 60 years prior to that was achieved by the present dispensation cutting across sectors. Addressing a press conference in Nagpur on the completion of 11 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, he expressed confidence that the country's logistics cost will come down to 9 per cent by the end of this year, which will boost exports and help businesses and industries to grow. When asked about the issue of women's quota, Gadkari said, "It is our commitment to provide 33 per cent reservation to women and we have also taken a decision to that effect." In September 2023, President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the women's reservation bill - Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam - which seeks to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. There are reports that the Modi government is likely to roll out 33 per cent reservation for women ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. Talking about the achievements of the Modi government, Gadkari said the development of the country and the progress of villages, farmers, labourers and all sections of society in the past 11 years under the leadership of PM Modi is before everyone to see. "These 11 years are very important in the history of our country. The work which could not happen in 60 years of the Congress rule happened very effectively in all sectors in these last 11 years," Gadkari said. Highlighting the works carried out by the government, he said it prioritised development of power, transport, water and communication sectors. He cited a study conducted by IIM Bangalore, IIT Kanpur and IIT Chennai on road infrastructure development in the country, which stated that the logistics cost of the country which was 16 per cent earlier, has come down by 4 to 6 per cent to 10 per cent. He called it a good achievement and said it will help in the growth of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). "The logistics cost of our country was 16 per cent, while that of China was 8 per cent and America and European countries 12 per cent. As per the study, the logistics cost of the country has come down by 4 to 6 per cent, which means it decreased to 10 per cent from 16 per cent due to the work carried out in the road sector," he said. "Three to four years back, I had talked about bringing our logistics cost to a single digit and I believe that by December end (this year), the logistics cost will be 9 per cent which will boost our exports more and increase our business and industries," the minister said. Describing port connectivity as a very important factor and a growth engine for the country's development as imports and exports are linked to it, he said 111 port connectivity projects of Rs 75,000 crore and 2,700 km of length were currently either underway, completed and being planned. The faster the movement in ports the lesser the cost of transport, he said. "Our turnaround time for transportation has reduced by 30 to 40 per cent. Similarly, new satellites and dry ports have come up in the country, which has helped bring down the logistics cost," he said. Gadkari also said that his ministry carried out infrastructure development works of Rs 5 lakh crore in Maharashtra in the last 11 years. The Vadhavan port (being developed in Palghar district) will become the second largest container port in the world with proposed construction of an eight-lane road worth Rs 4,000 crore, he said. "The government brought changes in every sector in the country under the leadership of PM Modi and India will keep progressing in the years to come as well," he said. Gadkari also lauded the government for implementing various schemes, including the Jan Dhan Yojana, Har Ghar Jal Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, for the benefit of the poor in the country. When asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's letter to PM Modi in which he criticised the government for not talking about the present but selling dreams of 2047, Gadkari said, "The government is not showing dreams but talking about the works it has done..." In a lighter vein, the BJP leader said, "Why do you take Rahul ji seriously? Lots of people write letters to the PM.
