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Times of Oman
6 days ago
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Reason for India-Australia 'Dosti' is strong leadership of both countries: EAM S Jaishankar
New Delhi: IndianExternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met the Deputy Prime Minister and the Defence Minister of Australia, Richard Marles on Wednesday. The two leaders participated in the celebration of the 5th anniversary of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership here in New Delhi. In a post on X, the EAM said, "Delighted to meet DPM & Defence Minister @RichardMarlesMP this evening in New Delhi. His presence here today as we celebrate the 5th anniversary of India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is testament to the significant strides our ties have made. Discussed the state of the world and our assessments on various issues of mutual interest." In another post on X, EAM Jaishankar noted, "Pleased to join DPM and Defence Minister @RichardMarlesMP at the Australian High Commission today to mark five years of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership." In his speech delivered during the event, EAM Jaishankar extended greetings to Marles and his colelagues on their impressive election victory. He said, "We really appreciate your visit to India in the early days of your second term, just actually as you did as your first term commenced." Noting how the India-Australia ties have grown by leaps and bounds in the last five years, he called the relationship having transformed across various areas. "A decade ago, if I had stood here and told you all that Australia would actually be amongst our closest political friends, our strongest security partners, a country with whom we would have a Free Trade Agreement, whose University would be among the first to actually set up an establishment in India - in fact if I told you that we would have many more things to discuss other than cricket - I don't think any of you would have believed me. And yet, here we are - not just with a transformed relationship, but actually marking 5 years of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. And the reason for that - the 'Mateship' or the 'Dosti' - has actually been the strong leadership that we have seen from both countries, the trust and the mutual respect, and today we saw one example of that as the Deputy Prime Minister reiterated the strong sense of solidarity and support that we got when the Pahalgam terrorist attack happened, and I recall that the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, despite being in the middle of a very intense election campaign, actually reached out and called Prime Minister Modi to express those sentiments." Jaishankar enlisted several mechanisms established between the two countries, aimed at further deepening and diversifying the cooperation. "We have established the practice of Annual Summits, in fact I think the last few years have seen more meetings between our Prime Ministers than probably we ever had in the 80 years of history before that. We have our 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministers' Dialogue, we have Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue, we have a Joint Commission for Trade, for Skills, for Education, for Energy. So when we speak about a strategic partnership today - a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership - these are not just words. These are actually a deepening of our cooperation in so many domains which are expressed so productively, and in a way, on the ground , I spoke about the ECTA Trade Agreement, we have a Mobility and Migration Partnership as well, we have the Work and Holiday visa Program, the MATES Program, the Mutual Recognition of Educational Qualifications, and of course as the Deputy Prime Minister said really - a real transformation in areas like Defence, I would even point to energy, as another example. And not the least, we have today a million - strong Indian- Australian community , which is truly a very, very unique bridge between us." In his concluding remarks, Jaishankar reaffirmed India's strong commitment to take the relationship to greater heights. He listed areas of cooperation. "I am here today to reaffirm...a strong commitment to take this relationship to still greater heights, to look at areas like critical minerals, cyber, technology, space, sports as further domains of collaboration, and to work on mechanisms - most of all the Quad, but in the East Asia Summit platforms, the Indian Ocean Rim Association, the United Nations, even the trilateral grouping that we have with France."
Japan Times
23-05-2025
- Japan Times
Princess Aiko to visit Laos in November as first official foreign trip
Princess Aiko will visit Laos in November, her first official visit overseas, the Imperial Household Agency said Friday. According to the agency, Japan received an invitation from Laos this month as the two countries celebrate the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year. After flying to Laos by civil aircraft, the princess will make a courtesy visit to Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith. She will also attend a commemorative anniversary event. The exact date of her trip has yet to be decided. In 2006, the princess, then 4, accompanied her parents, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, on their trip to the Netherlands. When she was a second-year student of Gakushuin Girls' Senior High School in 2018, she studied at Eton College in Britain on a short summer program. Imperial Family members have visited Laos four times, including Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko in 1999 and Emperor Naruhito in 2012 as crown prince.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Foreign delegation comes under Israeli fire in occupied West Bank
May 22 (UPI) -- A group of foreign delegations visiting the occupied West Bank came under Israeli military fire, attracting international condemnation. Diplomats from at least 20 countries, along with U.N. staff, were on an official visit to the occupied West Bank on Wednesday to inspect the humanitarian conditions around the Jenin refugee camp when Israeli soldiers fired rounds into the air. According to the United Nations, the tour was approved by Israel and hosted by the Palestinian Authority, which accused the Israel Defense Forces of having "deliberately targeted" the delegation in what it described as "an unlawful act" that breaches international law and principles of diplomatic relations enshrined in the Vienna Convention. "The targeting of accredited diplomatic representatives -- who enjoy full legal protections and immunities under international law -- reflects the systematic contempt of the Israeli occupation for the norms and obligations governing inter-state relations and underscores the deeply entrenched impunity with which it continues to operate," the Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry said in a statement. Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territory of the West Bank and the establishment of settlements there are widely viewed as illegal under international law. Established in 1953, Jenin is the northernmost refugee camp in the West Bank and is home to some 24,000 Palestinian as of 2023, according to the U.N. Ronald Friedrich, director of the U.N. relief agency for Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, posted videos of the incident to his X account, showing a large group of reporters, cameramen and apparent diplomats fleeing down a street as gunshots are heard. He said it is an example of "the lax use of excessive force routinely deployed by Israeli Security Forces in the West Bank," adding that 137 Palestinians have been killed in occupied-related violence so far this year. The IDF said the delegation had deviated from the previously authorized route and soldiers in the area had fired warning shots "to distance them away." "The IDF regrets the inconvenience caused," it said in a statement, adding that the diplomats would be updated on the IDF's findings of an initial inquiry into the incident. Friedrich pushed back at the IDF's characterization of the incident, saying "'warning shots' don't fully capture the severity of today's events." "This raises serious concerns over the way rules of engagement are applied to unarmed civilians," he said. Canada, Italy and Spain each summoned the Israeli ambassadors to their countries for clarification. Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand of Canada confirmed four of her employees were part of the delgation. Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada called the shooting "totally unacceptable" during a press conference on Wednesday. "It's some of many things that are totally unacceptable that's going on in the region," he said. The incident comes amid growing international pressure on Israel to end its war in Gaza where the humanitarian situation continues to worsen. On Monday, Britain, Canada and France warned Israel that they would take "concrete actions" if it does not end renewed military operations in Gaza and lift restrictions on humanitarian aid. The current war in the decades-long conflict between Israel and Hamas began Oct. 7, 2023, when the militant group launched a bloody surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 others, of whom 54 are still missing. Israel has responded with a pounding offensive that has devastated Gaza and killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza ministry of health.
