India's Proximity Archives
South Asia
Field Marshal Asim Munir, the head of the Pakistan Army, is currently visiting the United States. According to the ISPR press release, COAS Munir was present for the Retirement Ceremony of General Michael E. Kurilla, the departing Commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM), and the Change of Command Ceremony, which saw Admiral Brad Cooper take command on August 10. He also had a meeting with General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. While, addressing an event in Tampa, Florida, Field Marshal Munir said, “We are a nuclear nation, If we think we are going down, we'll take half the world down with us” . The Ministry of External Affairs of India indicated that “remarks…substantiate the long-standing scepticism regarding the security of nuclear command and control in a nation where the armed forces are closely associated with terrorist organisations.”
Southeast Asia
On August 11, the Philippines released dramatic footage showing a Chinese Coast Guard vesselcolliding with a warship while pursuing a Philippine patrol boat in the South China Sea. The incident occurred near the contested Scarborough Shoal, as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) was escorting vessels that were delivering aid to fishermen in the area. PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela stated, “The Chinese Coast Guard vessel, which was chasing the PCG vessel BRP Suluan at high speed, made a risky manoeuvre from the starboard quarter of the Philippine vessel, resulting in the collision with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy warship”.
East Asia
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump on August 25, 2025, in Washington, D.C. This will be their first face-to-face summit since Lee took office in June 2025. The meeting comes about a month after South Korea and the US reached a deal on tariffs, reducing threatened tariffs on Korean goods from 25% to 15%. South Korea also agreed to purchase $100 billion in US energy and invest $350 billion in the US. Lee's spokesperson Kang Yu-jungsaid the leaders could use their meeting to discuss expanding cooperation in key industries such as semiconductors, batteries and shipbuilding.
West Asia
On August 11, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Australia would formally recognise the State of Palestine at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly to be held in New York in September 2025. PM Albanese expressed hope that this decision would contribute to the international momentum towards a two-state solution, a ceasefire in Gaza, and the release of remaining Israeli hostages. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected Australia, France, and other Western countries’ plans to recognise Palestine as “symbolic” and “largely meaningless”. He addedthat a UN resolution will not decide the future of the Israel-Palestine issue as it would be decided by reality on the ground.
Central Asia
On August 12, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a phone call from Uzbekistan's President, Shavkat Mirziyoyev. During the call, the two leaders discussed the progress made in several key areas of their bilateral cooperation, including trade, connectivity, health, technology, and people-to-people ties. They also exchanged perspectives on regional and global developments of mutual interest and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the historic relationship between India and Central Asia. Both leaders expressed a shared determination to further advance the strategic partnership between India and Uzbekistan.
Indian Ocean Region
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sandhayak, India’sfirst indigenous Survey Vessel Large (SVL) equipped with advanced hydrography technology, visited Singapore on August 9 for Singapore’s National Day. The three-day engagement reaffirmed India’s commitment to regional maritime cooperation and strengthened hydrographic collaboration between the Indian Navy and Singapore’s maritime authorities. The maiden visit aimed at facilitating technical and professional exchanges as well as sustained hydrographic support featuredofficial calls on Mr Gary Chew, Assistant Chief Hydrographer of Singapore, and Colonel Chauah Meng Soon, Commander of the 9th Flotilla, Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN).
