Diplomacy

Calling the relationship between the two countries “sound”, General Fenghe recalled the informal Wuhan summit between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China President Xi Jinping. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, the minister said: “Both sides have close communication with each other and the border area is generally stable. The common interest of China and India far outway our differences.”

Bangaldesh President Hamid was in the national capital to witness the Swearing-in ceremony of Modi for his second consecutive term as prime minister and other ministers on Thursday.Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed this gesture at a meeting with Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid in New Delhi on Friday.

Last week, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the UN chief very much looked forward to working with Modi and the two leaders have a “strong relationship” on issues such as the climate change.

“The close friendship that has blossomed over the last four years between our Prime Minister and the Crown Prince is well-known. The whole world can see it today in this unique celebration of the re-election of the Prime Minister for a fresh five-year term.”

This development can be seen as a policy juxtaposition of sorts where India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy blends in perfectly with the Act East Policy (AEP) where it is the East, especially Myanmar, that will immensely matter.

Known for his acumen, sharpness and extraordinary efficiency, the 64-year-old Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer on Thursday took oath as a Cabinet Minister though he is not a member of either House of Parliament.

Down the line, ASEAN partnership has scaled new heights. India has not only developed strong bilateral relations with countries such as Bangladesh, Mauritius, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Vietnam, etc., but also steering a number of sub-regional programmes and projects such as the BBIN, the Trilateral Highway, etc., and is actively contributing to the success of several regional initiatives such as ASEAN, EAS, BIMSTEC, IORA, RCEP, among others.

“In India, Assistant Secretary Cooper will hold talks on defence cooperation and peacekeeping, two key areas of the rapidly growing US-India partnership as envisioned in the Administration’s Indo-Pacific Strategy,” the Department of State said in a statement.

In the biggest-ever event held in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Narendra Modi has been sworn-in as the Prime Minister of India.