India's Proximity Archives
Date: December 06, 2023
South Asia
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on the sidelines of the COP-28 Summit in the UAE on December 1. They reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries and discussed ways to further deepen their partnership. They also agreed to establish a core group to address the challenges associated with ongoing India-funded development projects in the Maldives. After returning to the Maldives, President Muizzu, in a press briefing, claimed that India has agreed to withdraw military personnel stationed on the islands to work on humanitarian operations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on the sidelines of the COP-28 Summit in the UAE on December 1. They reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries and discussed ways to further deepen their partnership. They also agreed to establish a core group to address the challenges associated with ongoing India-funded development projects in the Maldives. After returning to the Maldives, President Muizzu, in a press briefing, claimed that India has agreed to withdraw military personnel stationed on the islands to work on humanitarian operations.
Southeast Asia
The Philippines’ Defence Minister, Gilberto Teodoro, and his French counterpart, Sebastien Lecornu, signed a letter of intent to boost bilateral defence cooperation in Manila on December 2. The letter includes possible negotiations on a status of visiting forces agreement, to allow soldiers from each country into the other’s territory. Mr. Lecornu stated that the two countries ‘are working on an agenda of strengthening their presence in the Indo-Pacific’.
East Asia
The United States, in coordination with Australia, Japan and South Korea, imposed fresh sanctions on North Korea on November 30. The sanctions targeted Kimsuky, a cyber espionage group, accusing it of gathering intelligence to support North Korea's strategic and nuclear ambitions. Through these sanctions, the US and its partners aim at targeting “key nodes in the DPRK’s illicit revenue generation and weapons proliferation”, according to an official statement.
West Asia
On December 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28) in Dubai, UAE. He reiterated India's commitment to sustainable development, as embodied in the philosophy, “One Earth, One Family, One Future”. India and the UAE co-hosted a high-level event on the global “Green Credits Initiative”, to promote the issuance of Green Credits for plantations on waste/degraded lands and river catchments, thereby regenerating natural ecosystems. Prime Minister Modi announced India’s proposal to host the COP-33 Summit in India in 2028.
China
India and China held the 28th Meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) on November 30. They agreed on the need to maintain peace and tranquillity along the border areas, and to ensure a stable situation on ground. Further, the two sides discussed proposals to achieve complete disengagement in Eastern Ladakh and agreed to hold the next round of Senior Military Commanders' Meeting at the earliest.
Central Asia
Kazakhstan chaired a meeting of the Council of National Coordinators of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states held in Beijing from November 28 – December 1. The meeting was primarily aimed at advancing priorities for regional cooperation, discussing critical activities of the SCO, exploring ways to improve international cooperation, and addressing issues relating to Kazakhstan’s chairmanship. The participants reviewed Kazakhstan’s proposal to fortify and develop the SCO initiatives with practical measures.
