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Arab Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Arab Times
‘Kuwait-Azerbaijan ties witness rapid growth in multiple fields'
KUWAIT CITY, May 28: Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Kuwait Emil Karimov has affirmed that relations between his country and the State of Kuwait are witnessing rapid growth and close cooperation in various fields. He pointed out that the official launching of these relations dates back to the first meeting between the national leader of the Azerbaijani people -- Heydar Aliyev, and HH the late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al- Jaber Al-Sabah, during the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Summit in Casablanca in 1994, followed by important meetings in Copenhagen and New York in 1995. Karimov made the statement at a ceremony organized by the Azerbaijani Embassy in Kuwait on the occasion of the Republic of Azerbaijan's Independence Day. The ceremony was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel recently, in the presence of Deputy Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, a number of heads of diplomatic missions, and public figures. Karimov disclosed that the visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Kuwait in 2009 marked the beginning of a new phase in relations between the two countries, followed by reciprocal high-level visits, including the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister's visit to Baku twice in 2023, and participation in Non-Aligned Movement conferences. He also cited the visit of His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah to Azerbaijan to participate in the COP29 Summit, which he described as the first visit at this level and opened new horizons for bilateral cooperation. He thanked Sheikh Jarrah Al-Jaber Al- Sabah and the attendees for their participation in the ceremony, indicating that May 28, 1918, witnessed the proclamation of Azerbaijan as the first democratic republic in the Islamic world. He said his country regained its independence on Oct 18, 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. He then talked about the challenges that Azerbaijan faced in the early stages of independence, including the chaos and political and economic crises. He pointed out that national leader Heydar Aliyev, who assumed the presidency in 1993, restored political and social stability and put the country on the path to development. On the milestones in recent political cooperation, he cited the first round of political consultations hosted by Kuwait on Feb 13, 2025; which brought together the two countries' deputy foreign ministers.
India Gazette
7 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Laid foundation for modern India": Karnataka CM pays floral tribute Jawaharlal Nehru on his 61st death anniversary
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 27 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday paid tribute to former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his 61st death anniversary, describing him as the architect of modern India. Speaking to the media, Siddaramaiah lauded Nehru's contributions to building key industries and infrastructure and said his legacy continues to guide the nation's progress. 'Today, we are holding a remembrance event in honour of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on his death anniversary. He served as Prime Minister for 17 years and accomplished many things during his tenure. Nehru was instrumental in establishing a mixed economy, major industries, dams, and key infrastructure. He laid the foundation for modern India, and every Indian must continue to remember and honour him,' said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to reporters. On the sidelines of the event, Siddaramaiah also briefed the media on the government's preparedness in the wake of a recent uptick in Covid-19 cases across Karnataka. He said that although the current variant is not severe, the administration is taking all necessary precautions to prevent any possible outbreak. Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, on his 61st death anniversary. 'Tributes to our former PM, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on his death anniversary,' PM Modi said in a post on X. Rahul Gandhi, leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, also paid tribute to India's first Prime Minister. In a post on X, Gandhi remembered Nehru's 'visionary leadership' in laying a strong foundation for independent India. 'Respectful tribute to India's first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru ji on his death anniversary. With the dream of a strong and inclusive India, Nehruji laid a strong foundation for independent India with his visionary leadership. His contribution in the establishment of social justice, modernity, education, constitution and democracy is invaluable. The legacy of Jawahar of India and his ideals will always guide us,' Rahul Gandhi said. Jawaharlal Nehru was a freedom fighter who was pivotal in India's freedom movement. He also became India's first Prime Minister after independence in 1947. Nehru remained at the post for more than 16 years and died due to a heart attack on 27th May 1964. After that, Lal Bahadur Shastri took over as the second Prime Minister of India. Nehru is considered the pioneer of India's Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). For his love for children, Nehru was also called 'Chacha Nehru', and his birth anniversary on November 14, is celebrated as Children's Day every year in India. (ANI)
The Wire
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Wire
Unchallenged at Home and Abroad: Jawaharlal Nehru's Leadership With the Non-Aligned Movement
May 27 is the death anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru. As the nation observes today the 61st death anniversary of India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, not only the architect of modern India but also of its foreign policy, it may be worth recalling his role in the founding of the Non-Aligned Movement six decades ago. This month marks the 70th anniversary of conference of Afro-Asian countries held in Bandung, approximately 100 miles from the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, in the last week of May 1955. It was the Bandung Conference which laid the foundations of the Non-Aligned Movement that was to be later inaugurated in the then Yugoslavian capital of Belgrade in 1961. The Asian Relations Conference was held in New Delhi from March 23 to April 2, 1947 at the initiative of Jawaharlal Nehru, then the Vice-President of Viceroy's Executive Council (interim Prime Minister). It was the first conference of Asian countries ever and Nehru chose Sarojini Naidu, the tallest woman Congress leader (she was president of the Indian National Congress in 1925) to preside over the conference. This was perhaps symbolic of many strides towards women empowerment that India would take after gaining independence a few months later. As many as 243 delegates from 28 Asian countries participated in the conference which was held in Purana Qila (Old Fort) in New Delhi. Nehru declared in words that have become memorable to be often quoted in the context of India's foreign policy: 'For too long we, of Asia, have been petitioners in Western courts and chancelleries. That story must now belong to the past. We propose to stand on our own feet and to co -operate with all others who are prepared to co-operate with us. We do not intend to be plaything of others.' Even five months before the conference, within a week of taking over as the interim prime minister, Nehru broadcast to the nation on September 7, 1946: 'We propose, as far as possible, to keep away from the power politics of groups, aligned against one another, which have led in the past to world war, and which may again lead to disasters on an even vaster scale…We are particularly interested in the emancipation of colonial and dependent countries and peoples, and in the recognition in theory and practice of equal opportunities for all races.' Thus, all the principles of India's foreign policy were enunciated by Nehru at the dawn of the nation's independence: non-alignment, freedom, honour, non-interference and equality of peoples and nations. With Nehru as the pivot, India, Indonesia and Burma became the nexus of an independent Asian viewpoint. In 1954 when Gamel Abdul Nasser became the leader of the new Republic of Egypt, the West started putting pressure on him to join the Baghdad Pact. But he was influenced by the example of the three Asian countries and refused to join the Anglo-American pact. Nehru seized the opportunity to broaden the base by including Egypt and other African countries to create a distinctive Afro-Asian presence in world affairs. The idea of a wider conference of Asian and African countries had been earlier mooted at the South East Asian Prime Ministers conference in Colombo, April 1954. Unchallenged at home, by the beginning of 1955, Nehru had also emerged as one of the most influential leaders in the world. As S. Gopal, wrote in Jawaharlal Nehru – A Biography ( Volume 2, 1947- 1956): 'Abroad his status was equally unchallenged. No single individual had done more, in the years since the Second World War, to project Asia on to the world stage.' The stage was now set for the first meeting of Afro Asian countries that President Sukarno of Indonesia offered to host at Bandung which an Arab delegate thought 'did not look an Asian city at all. It was too clean.' The conference was held for seven days in the last week of April 1955. But a month earlier, Nehru, who religiously kept parliament informed of all matters – national and international – told the Lok Sabha on March 31: 'When the history of this time is written in the future, two things will stand. One is coming of atomic energy, and the other the emergence of Asia…This conference is something historic. It is unique. Of course, no such thing has ever happened before and the fact of representatives of 1,400 million people meeting even though they have differences amongst themselves is a matter of utmost significance.' Twenty-nine countries of Asia and Africa were invited to Bandung, including China for the inclusion of which both Nehru and U Nu of Burma had to make extraordinary efforts to convince those who were strongly opposed to China's participation. The plenary session during the historic Bandung Conference. Photo: Public domain. The conference lasted seven days, the highlights of which are best described in the words of Nehru himself: 'The Bandung Conference has played an important role. It has represented various forces that have been developing in the past few years and has compelled the attention of other countries to these new developments. While the fact that there are some new independent countries in Asia is known to everybody, the real significance of this is not always appreciated. There is, in large parts of Asia and Africa, an intense desire to be left free to work out our destiny. We want progress at a rapid rate. But with all our past memories of colonial domination, we suspect any attempt at interference or patronage… 'The aggressive attitudes of communism or anti communism find no echo with us and we see no reason whatever why we should lose our own individuality, give up our thinking and become a mere camp follower of others… 'We are little tired of the conflicts and hatreds of Europe and see no reason why we should succumb to them…The Bandung Conference was the first clear enunciation by the countries of Asia especially that they have an individuality and viewpoint which they are not prepared to give up because of the views of or pressure from other countries.' But, he cautioned, it would be absurd to expect that the Bandung Conference would lead to the solution of international problems: 'The Bandung Conference should not be judged so much from the forceful speeches delivered but from the joint statement issued at the end.' The joint communique established 10 principles for developing friendship and cooperation among nations some of which were: a) respect for the fundamental human rights and principles of the UN Charter; b) respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nation; c) abstention from intervention or interference in the internal affairs of another country; d) refraining from acts or threats of aggression or the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any country; e) settlement of all international disputes by peaceful means; f) recognition of the equality of all races and nations; and g) respect for justice and international obligations. Earlier, on May 3, while briefing the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), the Nehru said: 'A rather remarkable thing is that at the conclusion of the Conference almost every country has commended it, has approved of it- certainly the American press, the British press, the French press, the Russian press, the Chinese press and others. It is a remarkable thing that something should be done which is approved of by all these people who usually never agree about anything.' Winston Churchill, Nehru's one-time foe, wrote to him, almost two months after Bandung, on June 30, 1955: 'I always admired your ardent wish for peace and the absence of bitterness in your consideration of the antagonisms that had in the past divided us. Yours is indeed a heavy burden and responsibility, shaping the destiny of your many millions of countrymen, and playing your outstanding part in world affairs.' In this letter, and another one he had written a few months earlier Churchill used the phrase 'the light of Asia' for Nehru. So what may be the relevance of Bandung today? Its 70th anniversary is a good opportunity for India, Indonesia and some other countries of Asia and Africa, to revive the Non-Aligned Movement, which in the words of late prime minister Indira Gandhi, the chairperson of the movement in 1983, was the 'history's biggest peace movement.' In a recent article in a daily, former foreign secretary Shyam Saran wrote: 'The Bandung Principles or Das Sila remain valid as norms for inter-state relations and for creating a more democratic world order. They should be revived. NAM, which incorporated the Bandung Spirit, became the the largest peace movement in history, creating a zone of peace between contending ideological and military blocs. We need a similar space free of great power contestation.' But for that to happen India needs a leadership that has the wisdom, vision and global stature of Jawaharlal Nehru. Praveen Davar is an ex-Army officer, columnist and editor of The Secular Saviour.
Mint
7 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
PM Modi pays tributes to Jawaharlal Nehru on his 61st death anniversary
PM Modi pays tributes to former PM Jawaharlal Nehru on his 61st death anniversary. In a post on X, PM Modi said, 'Tributes to our former PM, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on his death anniversary.' Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also paid tribute to India's first Prime Minister. In a post on X, Gandhi remembered Nehru's "visionary leadership" in laying a strong foundation for independent India. "Respectful tribute to the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru ji on his death anniversary. With the dream of a strong and inclusive India, Nehruji laid a strong foundation for independent India with his visionary leadership. His contribution in the establishment of social justice, modernity, education, constitution and democracy is invaluable. The legacy of Jawahar of India and his ideals will always guide us," Rahul Gandhi said. Earlier today, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi paid floral tribute to Jawaharlal Nehru at his memorial, Shanti Van, in Delhi. His contribution in the establishment of social justice, modernity, education, constitution and democracy is invaluable. Jawaharlal Nehru was a prominent freedom fighter who played a crucial role in India's struggle for independence. After the country gained freedom in 1947, he became India's first Prime Minister, a position he held for over 16 years until his death from a heart attack on May 27, 1964. Following his passing, Lal Bahadur Shastri succeeded him as the second Prime Minister. Nehru was instrumental in shaping India's foreign policy and is regarded as a founding figure of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which aimed to keep newly independent nations out of the Cold War blocs. Key Takeaways Nehru was a pivotal figure in India's independence and the first Prime Minister for over 16 years. His legacy includes significant contributions to education, social justice, and foreign policy. Nehru's birthday is celebrated as Children's Day in India, reflecting his affection for youth.
The Mainichi
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Indonesian president and Chinese premier meet to discuss expanding trade during US trade war
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto on Sunday to discuss ways to expand trade and investment during the U.S. global trade war and as economic globalization faces headwinds. Li arrived in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, on Saturday afternoon for a three-day visit to Southeast Asia's largest economy. It was the first stop of his first overseas visit this year. Indonesia and China are member states of the Group of 20 major developing countries and emerging economies and of BRICS. Li brought 60 prominent Chinese businesspeople for his address to the Indonesia-China Business Reception on Saturday evening. He emphasized in his remarks that China's economy has achieved rapid growth this year despite increasing external challenges. "The current international situation is a stalemate," Li said at the event, which was also attended by Subianto. "Unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, bullying behavior is increasing." Li noted this year marks the 70th anniversary of the conception of the Non-Aligned Movement by Asian and African countries in Indonesia's Bandung city when the world was at a historical crossroads. The Bandung spirit of solidarity, friendship and cooperation has played a pivotal role in the unity and cooperation of the Global South countries, Li said. "More than seven decades later, the world is once again at an important crossroads," Li said. He called on all countries to seek common ground while resolving differences through dialogue and peaceful coexistence. Subianto expressed gratitude to the Chinese government and its companies "that have participated in our economy, created jobs, transferred technology and built trust among all businesses, especially in our homeland." He also invited Chinese businesspeople to invest more in Indonesia. Two-way trade exceeded $147.8 billion last year, growing by 6.1%. Li said for nine consecutive years, China has been Indonesia's largest trading partner, and its Belt and Road cooperation program has seen substantive progress, including nickel smelting plants and Whoosh, the commercial service of Southeast Asia's first high-speed railway which has been operating since October 2023, carrying nearly 10 million passengers. Indonesia wants a larger role in supplying nickel and other raw materials to China's fast-growing electric car makers. On Sunday, Subianto hosted Li in a ceremony at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta before the two leaders held a bilateral meeting behind closed doors. "The current international situation is facing a huge upheaval, and peaceful development is facing many uncertain and unstable factors," Li said in his opening remarks. China wants to strengthen its traditional friendship and Belt and Road Initiative partnership with Indonesia, especially in five key pillars: politics, economy, maritime affairs, security and cultural and people-to-people exchanges." Li said. Li's visit to Jakarta in September 2023 came with $21.7 billion in new Chinese investment, following a previous $44.89 billion investment commitment made when former President Joko Widodo met Chinese President Xi Jinping in July the same year. The two leaders oversaw the signing of a dozen agreements including cooperation to encourage bilateral transactions in local currencies, trade, investment, tourism, health and agricultural exports. Subianto emphasized the close historical relationship between Indonesia and China and said the two countries are at an important moment in the history of bilateral relations. "I reiterate our commitment to strengthening our comprehensive strategic partnership with the people and the government of China," Subianto said. "We see this will bring goodness not only to the two countries, but also to the entire Asian region." Indonesia's Minister of Investment and Downstream, Rosan Roeslani, who is also the head of the Investment Coordinating Board, said that Li's visit brought prospects for concrete cooperation, including the implementation of $10 billion in investment that was previously agreed upon by the two countries. "The investment has started and covers a number of strategic sectors," Roeslani told reporters, adding that the visit will also open opportunities for several new collaborations in the fields of transportation, industrial cluster development, mineral downstreaming and the chemical sector. Li is scheduled to meet with Indonesian parliament members Sunday. On Monday, he will head to Malaysia, where he and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim are scheduled to address the ASEAN-GCC-China Economic Summit, attended by leaders from Southeast Asian countries and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
