News articles and essays on the Indian diplomacy at work around the world.
The pact comes after negotiations that began in March 2025 and were concluded in December 2025, making it one of India’s faster recent trade agreements. New Zealand’s Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has described the agreement as a major opening for exporters, while New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has projected it as a gateway to India’s 1.4 billion-consumer market.
The latest drawdown comes after the Maldives settled an earlier US$400 million swap facility that it had availed in October 2024 under the US Dollar/Euro Swap Window of the bilateral arrangement between the RBI and the Maldives Monetary Authority. The Maldives Foreign Ministry said the repayment reflected the government’s commitment to meeting its financial obligations.
The Minister highlighted that bilateral cooperation has been particularly strong in areas such as water management, agriculture and high-technology sectors. He also pointed to growing engagement in emerging fields such as semiconductors and innovation-led industries, reflecting the changing nature of India–Netherlands collaboration.
During the interaction, Doval reportedly described India as a large ship in which all citizens travel together, stressing that the country’s future depends on collective responsibility rather than isolated identities. His message was clear: Indians, irrespective of religion or community, are part of the same national journey, and the country can progress only when every section feels invested in that journey.
During the visit, Shri Prasada held meetings with senior Czech leaders, including Karel Havlíček, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade; Jan Sechter, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade; and Marie Chatardová, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. These meetings reviewed the progress of India–Czech economic ties and explored fresh opportunities in priority sectors where both countries can build stronger business and industrial linkages.
The theme for the summit is “IA SPIRIT: India Africa Strategic Partnership for Innovation, Resilience, and Inclusive Transformation.” The title reflects the direction of the relationship, moving beyond traditional development cooperation into newer areas such as innovation, digital technology, sustainability, capacity building and inclusive growth.
The meeting was co-chaired by Amit A. Shukla, Joint Secretary for Cyber Diplomacy in India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and Hanada Takahiro, Deputy Assistant Minister for Cyber Security in Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Officials from ministries, departments and agencies of both governments participated, along with representatives from the AI industry, giving the dialogue both a policy and industry-driven character.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the two sides discussed ways to advance the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with particular focus on strengthening defence and security cooperation. The dialogue also covered a broader exchange of views on regional and global security challenges, underlining the expanding strategic coordination between New Delhi and London.
The message from Indian authorities is clear: travellers should exercise extreme caution, know exactly what they are carrying, and avoid any conduct that could expose them to prosecution under Maldivian law.
According to MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, the new arrangement took effect on April 10, 2026. He said Indian passport holders passing through mainland French airports solely for air transit will now be exempt from the transit visa requirement, easing travel for passengers using France as a connecting point to other international destinations.
