India's Proximity Archives
Date: May 01, 2024
South Asia
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited Thailand from April 24-29 and met the Prime Minister of Thailand Srettha Thavisin. Following the meeting, five MOUs related to trade, investment and education, and a Letter of Intent (LOI) to commence negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) were signed. Regional cooperation mechanisms under the BIMSTEC framework and the Rohingya issue were also discussed.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited Thailand from April 24-29 and met the Prime Minister of Thailand Srettha Thavisin. Following the meeting, five MOUs related to trade, investment and education, and a Letter of Intent (LOI) to commence negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) were signed. Regional cooperation mechanisms under the BIMSTEC framework and the Rohingya issue were also discussed.
Southeast Asia
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong met Indonesian President Joko Widodo for the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat in Bogor, Indonesia on April 29. The Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, President-elect of Indonesia, and Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, the Prime Minister (Designate) were also present. The two leaders signed agreements on the Realignment of the Boundary between the Jakarta Flight Information Region (FIR) and the Singapore FIR, the Treaty for the Extradition of Fugitives, and the Defence Cooperation Agreement.
East Asia
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Chinese President Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on April 26. He held substantive discussions on advancing counternarcotics cooperation to disrupt the global flow of synthetic drugs into the United States, enhancing military-to-military communication to avoid miscalculation and conflict, and launching talks on managing the risk and safety challenges posed by advanced forms of artificial intelligence. The two sides also discussed China’s support for Russia, Taiwan, bilateral economic relations, and people-to-people ties.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Chinese President Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on April 26. He held substantive discussions on advancing counternarcotics cooperation to disrupt the global flow of synthetic drugs into the United States, enhancing military-to-military communication to avoid miscalculation and conflict, and launching talks on managing the risk and safety challenges posed by advanced forms of artificial intelligence. The two sides also discussed China’s support for Russia, Taiwan, bilateral economic relations, and people-to-people ties.
West Asia
As part of the deepening of the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, India's External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met with UAE's Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashemi on April 30 in New Delhi. The two sides discussed several regional and international issues including ways to enhance cooperation in BRICS, G20, and other international fora.
Central Asia
The annual meeting of the Defence Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was held in Astana from April 25 to 26. Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane led the Indian delegation. The SCO Defence Ministers agreed, among other initiatives, to develop the idea of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’, rooted in the ancient Indian philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’. In his address, Secretary Aramane stressed the imperative of adopting a zero-tolerance stance against terrorism in all its manifestations.
Indian Ocean Region
On April 26, Indian naval destroyer INS Kochi responded to a maritime security incident involving an attack on Panama-flagged crude oil tanker MV Andromeda Star. Aerial reconnaissance by helicopter was conducted to evaluate the situation after INS Kochi intercepted Andromeda Star. All 30 crew members, including 22 Indian citizens, are reported to be safe, and the ship is continuing with its scheduled journey to the next port.
