India's Proximity Archives
Date: November 06, 2024
South Asia
During his visit to Qatar from October 31 to November 1, Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif met with Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. On October 29-30, Prime Minister Sharif was in Riyadh to participate in the Future Investment Initiative (FII). Following visits, Prime Minister Sharif announced to cabinet members on October 4 that Qatar and Azerbaijan have committed to investing $5 billion in Pakistan. A Qatari business delegation is scheduled to arrive shortly. The Minister for Investment of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz Al Faleh, stated that the 27 MoUs signed during his visit to Pakistan in October have increased to 34, with five of them currently operational.
During his visit to Qatar from October 31 to November 1, Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif met with Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. On October 29-30, Prime Minister Sharif was in Riyadh to participate in the Future Investment Initiative (FII). Following visits, Prime Minister Sharif announced to cabinet members on October 4 that Qatar and Azerbaijan have committed to investing $5 billion in Pakistan. A Qatari business delegation is scheduled to arrive shortly. The Minister for Investment of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz Al Faleh, stated that the 27 MoUs signed during his visit to Pakistan in October have increased to 34, with five of them currently operational.
Southeast Asia
The Foreign Minister of Thailand, Maris Sangiampongsa, made an official visit to New Delhi, India from October 31- November 3, 2024. During his visit, he held a bilateral meeting with Dr. S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India, and discussed enhancing cooperation in areas like the defence industry. The two ministers also emphasized the roles of Thailand and India in driving forward multilateral frameworks, particularly BIMSTEC and Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC). They agreed to work together to tackle issues such as transnational crime, human trafficking, natural disasters, and enhancing connectivity within the region.
East Asia
On November 4, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Takeo Akiba, Secretary General of Japan's National Security Secretariat, held consultations under the China-Japan high-level political dialogue mechanism in Beijing. The two sides reiterated that they would abide by the principles and consensus set out in the four political documents between China and Japan and commit to comprehensively advancing the strategic relationship of mutual benefit between the two sides, reaching agreement to maintain high-level intercourse, dialogue and exchanges in various fields, and send more positive signals to the outside world. They also discussed a possible summit between Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
West Asia
During his visit to Saudi Arabia, India's Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal co-chaired the 2nd Ministerial Meeting of the Economy and Investment Committee under Saudi Arabia-India Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) alongside Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on October 30. The two sides noted deepening of the bilateral economic partnership and deliberated on ways to enhance trade and investment. India and Saudi Arabia are exploring emerging sectors for collaboration, including fintech, new technologies, energy efficiency, clean hydrogen, textiles, and mining. Minister Goyal, speaking at the ‘Future Investment Initiative’ (FII) in Riyadh, encouraged global investors to invest in India.
Central Asia
On November 5, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and French President Emmanuel Macron adopted a joint declaration to strengthen their strategic partnership at a joint media briefing. During an expanded-format meeting, Tokayev expressed confidence that the discussions and the Joint Statement being adopted would elevate bilateral relations to a strengthened strategic partnership. The Presidents also discussed areas for further collaboration, including mechanical engineering, transport, logistics, agriculture, energy, industrial cooperation, climate, digital development and healthcare, with a focus on enhancing cultural and humanitarian ties.
Indian Ocean Region
On October 31, 2024, the Indian Navy’s frontline stealth frigate, INS Talwar conducted a Maritime Partnership Exercise with the French Navy's ship FS Floreal. This exercise took place in the Indian Ocean and included various manoeuvres as well as helicopter flying exercises to enhance interoperability between the two naval forces. INS Talwar arrived at La Réunion on October 27, 2024, as part of its ongoing deployment in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
