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India’s Proximity Archives
South Asia
Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman visited China from May 5-7 and held talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Wang Yi stated that China is prepared to foster synergy between Belt and Road Initiative and Bangladesh’s national development strategies. He further emphasised that China’s relationships with Bangladesh and other South Asian nations are not directed towards any third party, nor should they be subject to external influence. As per a news report, Bangladesh officially approached China for its involvement and backing for the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project. Meanwhile, Vikram Misri, India’s Foreign Secretary stated that India is working towards the gradual revival and reactivation of over 40 bilateral mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation with Bangladesh. These mechanisms have been largely dormant for the eighteen months of the interim government’s tenure.
Southeast Asia
The State Visit of General Secretary of the Communist Party and Vietnamese President, Tô Lâm to India concluded on May 7, 2026. This visit carried particular significance as 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations. This was President Lam’s second overseas visit after the National Assembly approved key state leadership appointments. The three-day visit resulted in the two sides elevating their ties to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and signing a broad array of agreements spanning defence, technology, finance, and energy. The leaders further set an ambitious target of raising bilateral trade to US$25 billion by 2030, emphasising balance, sustainability, and the removal of trade barriers to improve market access for each other’s products.
West Asia
On May 11, U.S. President Donald J. Trump rejected Iran’s peace proposal sent via Pakistan, warning that the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran was on “life support”. He said that the U.S. cannot accept Iran’s proposal as it did not include any commitment to dismantle its nuclear programme and reiterated that the U.S. would not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf warned that the country’s military will “teach a lesson” to any aggressor and urged the U.S. to accept Iran’s 14-point proposal. Meanwhile, on May 10, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed that the U.S. and Israel could re-engage Iran militarily to take out enriched Uranium, dismantle remaining enrichment sites, and target Tehran’s ballistic missile production sites.
Central Asia
On May 12, Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon during his three-day state visit to China. Rahmon signed 50 deals expected to bring in US$ 8 billion in investments. The Tajik leader also secured an assistance package worth US$ 800 million from the Beijing-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, double the combined total of the bank’s previous commitments to Dushanbe since it started operating in 2016. Following the talks, the two heads of state signed and issued the Treaty between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Tajikistan on Permanent Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation, as well as a joint statement on deepening their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era.
Indian Ocean Region
INS Sagardhwani, the Indian Navy’s oceanographic research vessel, concluded a port visit to Cam Ranh, Vietnam, from May 04-08, 2026, reinforcing the robust maritime and scientific partnership between India and Vietnam. Discussions explored avenues for deeper maritime engagement, professional exchanges, training cooperation, and scientific collaboration, marking a decade of the India-Vietnam Strategic Partnership. To advance oceanographic collaboration, scientists from NPOL (Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory) engaged with researchers from the Institute of Oceanography, Nha Trang, focusing on research partnerships, knowledge sharing, and capacity building.
