India, Central Asia to expand counter-terror, security ties
Live Events
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
India and Central Asian states on Thursday decided to widen counter-terror, trade and connectivity initiatives as external affairs minister S Jaishankar met Central Asian ministers here on the eve of the third India-Central Asia Dialogue.During bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan, there were detailed discussions on expanding security cooperation in the backdrop of Pahalgam terror attacks, besides boosting trade ties and connectivity initiatives.Central Asian states of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have been facing increasing threats from cross-border terror infrastructure in the Af-Pak region.Later, addressing the India-Central Asia Business Council, Jaishankar said: "There is a 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 and I would like our friends from Central Asian economies to appreciate that an economy today which is in excess of $4 trillion dollars, which is growing at 6-8% annually, it will create new demands for products, for services...""I would certainly support...the steps we could take to facilitate mutual settlement of trade in our national currencies," the minister said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump administration approves coal mine expansion to boost Asia exports
The US Interior Department approved a plan by Signal Peak Energy to expand coal mining, providing exports for Japan and South Korea, the agency said on Friday, as it responded to President Donald Trump's energy-emergency directives. The approval authorizes the Montana-based coal company to recover 22.8 million metric tons of federal coal and 34.5 million tons of adjacent non-federal coal and extend the life of the Bull Mountains mine by nine years. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who is also co-chair of Trump's Energy Dominance Council, said unlocking more federal coal enables the US to bolster ties with allies abroad. "President Trump's leadership in declaring a national energy emergency is allowing us to act decisively, cut bureaucratic delays and secure America's future through energy independence and strategic exports," he said. On January 20, Trump declared an energy emergency to speed permitting, roll back environmental protections and withdraw the US from an international pact to fight climate change. Signal Peak had initially sent its plan to expand its mining operations to the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement in 2020, but it has been under federal review and subject to litigation since then. The Interior Department completed the environmental impact statement for the mine expansion according to its new policy to speed such reviews to a maximum of 28 days. Burgum this week joined Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin in Alaska to promote an LNG project, as well as other energy exports destined for Asian markets. The Bull Mountains mine in Montana, located in Musselshell and Yellowstone counties, employs over 250 workers and primarily supplies Japan and South Korea. Environmental groups have tried to block the expansion of the mine over concerns about its water use and greenhouse gas emissions. "It's utter hogwash that we have to sacrifice the climate, water resources, wildlife and area ranching operations in order to send coal overseas to be burned by foreign countries," Anne Hedges, executive director of the Montana Environmental Information Center, said in a statement.
Economic Times
41 minutes ago
- Economic Times
China discloses chilling details of monstrous DF-5B missiles with nukes 200 times destructive than Hiroshima bomb, capable of striking the entire US
Live Events Strategic implications Why now? (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel In a rare disclosure, China 's state broadcaster, CCTV , has released key specifications of the DF-5B intercontinental ballistic missile ICBM ), a powerful silo-based weapon capable of delivering nuclear strikes across the continental United release comes at a time of geopolitical and economic tensions between China and the West, particularly the US, over issues ranging from Taiwan to military expansion in the South China Sea. With a range of 12,000 kilometers and a warhead yield up to 4 megatons, the DF-5B represents a significant component of China's growing nuclear deterrence DF-5B is a two-stage, silo-based ICBM developed in the early 1970s and deployed in 1981. It measures 32.6 meters in length, has a diameter of 3.35 meters, and weighs approximately 183 missile is capable of delivering a single nuclear warhead with an explosive yield between 3 and 4 megatons of TNT, making it roughly 200 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Its range extends up to 7,460 miles (12,000 kilometers), allowing it to reach targets across the continental United States and Western Europe. Analysts see the disclosure of the DF-5B's capabilities as a strategic move to demonstrate China's nuclear deterrence strength. The missile's range and payload capacity position it as a formidable component of China's nuclear triad, ensuring a credible second-strike capability. This development comes amid rising tensions with the United States, particularly concerning security dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region. Former PLA instructor Song Zhongping stated to the South China Morning Post that the DF-5 was vital in establishing China's intercontinental nuclear capability.'Without the DF-5, China wouldn't be regarded as a nation with credible intercontinental strike capability. It was instrumental in China's emergence as a nuclear power, demonstrating to the world that China must be taken seriously,' he also suggested that the disclosure might be a calculated step towards introducing next-generation, silo-based public unveiling of the DF-5B's specifications may signal a shift in China's approach to transparency regarding its military capabilities. By disclosing such information, China could aim to project confidence in its defense posture and deter potential adversaries. This move also aligns with broader efforts to modernize and expand its nuclear forces, ensuring parity with other major nuclear September 25, 2024, the Chinese Ministry of National Defence announced that the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) had test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the South Pacific. Analysts suggested that the missile utilized in this test was likely a modernized version of the Pentagon's assessment indicated that China possesses more than 600 operational nuclear warheads, with expectations that this number will exceed 1,000 by 2030. Furthermore, the US Department of Defense estimated that China has established around 320 missile silos at three major besides India, China is the only country that adheres to a no-first-use policy regarding nuclear weapons, asserting that it will not engage in their use against non-nuclear states.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
41 minutes ago
- Business Standard
US with India in fight against terrorism: Dy Secretary of State Landau
The US stands strong with India in the fight against terrorism, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau told Congress MP Shashi Tharoor-led all-party delegation here to convey India's stance on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. The Indian delegation met Landau here on Friday as it wrapped up the crucial US leg of its multi-nation tour, briefing key interlocutors about Operation Sindoor targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. The all-party parliamentary delegation led by Dr. @ShashiTharoor had a warm and candid conversation with US Deputy Secretary of State Landau. The Indian delegation briefed him on the atrocities of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, the Indian Embassy said on X. Landau, in a post on X, said it was a GREAT meeting with the Indian parliamentary representatives. I reaffirmed that the US stands strong with India in the fight against terrorism. We discussed the US-India strategic relationship, including expanding trade and commercial ties to foster growth and prosperity for both countries, he said. A statement issued by State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Landau reaffirmed the United States' strong support of India in the fight against terrorism and the strategic partnership between the two countries". The delegation discussed with Landau the importance of advancing key areas of the bilateral relationship, including expanding trade and commercial ties to foster economic growth and prosperity in both countries, according to the statement. The embassy in a statement said that during the meeting with Landau, the delegation briefed him on the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, discussed India's subsequent Operation Sindoor, and put forth India's firm resolve to counter cross-border terrorism in all its forms. The deputy secretary reaffirmed the United States' strong support for India in the fight against terrorism. The two sides also had a wide-ranging conversation on the importance of strengthening bilateral relationships through advancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest, it said. The delegation also had a productive meeting with Senator Chris Van Hollen, a member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The delegation briefed him on the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, discussed India's subsequent Operation Sindoor, and put forth India's firm resolve to counter cross-border terrorism in all its forms, the embassy said on X. The senator sympathised with the victims of repeated terror attacks in India, saying the US stood with India in the fight against terrorism, and expressed support for New Delhi's right to defend itself. Tharoor also spoke over the phone with Senator Cory Booker, a member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and described the conversation as warm and productive. He briefed Booker on the monstrous terror attack in Pahalgam and outlined the repeated provocations of terrorism emanating from across the border, laid out the details of Operation Sindoor, and emphasised India's firm resolve in countering any future acts of terrorism. Senator Booker unequivocally condemned terrorism and expressed sympathies with the victims. The conversation also touched upon broader themes in the India-US strategic partnership, which enjoys robust support, Tharoor said, adding that he hopes to meet Booker Next time in person. Apart from Tharoor, the delegation comprises MPs Sarfaraz Ahmad, Ganti Harish Madhur Balayogi, Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Milind Deora, Tejasvi Surya, and India's former Ambassador to the US Taranjit Sandhu. Several prominent American lawmakers and congressmen, as well as policy experts, attended a special reception hosted by the Indian Embassy on Thursday night and interacted with the delegation.
