India's Proximity Archives
Date: June 05, 2024
South Asia
Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Interior Minister of the Taliban, visited Abu Dhabi on June 4 and met with Mohammed bin Zayed, the President of the United Arab Emirates. Accompanying Haqqani was the chief of the Taliban’s intelligence agency. UAE’s media reported that the meeting focused on providing economic and development aid to Afghanistan.
Southeast Asia
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin made a one-day visit to Phnom Penh, Cambodia on June 4, 2024. He met with Tea Seiha, the Defence Minister of Cambodia, and Prime Minister Hun Manet. His discussions included resuming military training exchanges on disaster assistance and U.N. peacekeeping, as well as de-mining and unexploded ordnance clearance. Austin stated that he held “substantive conversations about ways to strengthen U.S.-Cambodian defence ties”.
East AsiaOn the margins of the Shangri-La Dialogue, US Secretary of Defence Llyod Austin and China’s Minister of National Defence, Admiral Dong Jun met on May 31. The meeting was the first face-to-face talk since late 2022. The ministers touched on Taiwan, China’s relationship with Russia and the friction in the South China Sea. West Asia
To deepen China's relations with the Arab world, Beijing hosted the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum on May 30. Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Tunisian President Kais Saied, UAE's President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and the Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit attended the event. In his remarks, President Xi underscored China's commitment to working with Arab countries to maintain world peace and stability, develop high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, establish a new paradigm for harmonious coexistence among civilisations, and promote global governance. He reiterated China's support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Central Asia
President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov welcomed Kiyoto Tsuji, the state minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, for a meeting to bolster bilateral ties between the two nations on June 3. The press service of the Kyrgyz President underscored the meeting’s focus on enhancing political dialogue, inter-parliamentary relations and fostering growth across various sectors, including trade, economy, culture, and humanitarian endeavours.
Indian Ocean Region
INS Shivalik, mission deployed to the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean, departed Singapore for onward passage to Yokosuka, Japan. The ship is scheduled to participate in JIMEX 24 and RIMPAC 24.
