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India and the Central American Integration System (SICA) reaffirmed their shared development vision in New York on the sidelines of UNGA80, with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar calling for deeper cooperation across digital payments, climate resilience, renewable energy, and public health.  India-SICA Foreign Minister’s Meeting Co-chairing the India-SICA Foreign Ministers' Meeting with Panama’s Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha, Jaishankar positioned India’s outreach as both practical and strategic, focused on turning political goodwill into economic and technological outcomes. Speaking candidly about common challenges such as poverty alleviation, post-pandemic recovery, and climate disruptions, Jaishankar said India sees SICA as a key partner in South-South cooperation and stressed that countries in both regions can tackle shared challenges more effectively by doing so together.  He pointed to the momentum built during the 2023 political dialogue in Panama Cit...

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar delivered a pointed address at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New York on Thursday, warning that ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza are not only escalating geopolitical instability but also inflicting deep economic damage on the Global South. India's Foreign Minister Speaking on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly Speaking on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly, Jaishankar said the correlation between international peace and global development is no longer theoretical -- it is now “well established” as both continue to deteriorate in parallel.  He cited soaring costs and disrupted access to food, energy, and fertilizer as direct consequences of war, disproportionately impacting the developing world. “The costs, especially to the Global South, were starkly demonstrated by ongoing conflicts, particularly in Ukraine and Gaza,” he said. “Making energy and other essentials more uncerta...

India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar just chaired a High-Level Meeting of Like-Minded Global South countries on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York. He urged developing nations to act collectively in shaping global governance frameworks, including reforming multilateral institutions. Jaishankar just chaired a High-Level Meeting of Like-Minded Global South countries Addressing the assembled ministers and representatives, Jaishankar laid out a pointed five-pronged agenda for strengthening the Global South’s role in world affairs.  Pleased to meet FM Lejone Mpotjoana of Lesotho today on the sidelines of the High Level Meeting. 🇮🇳 🇱🇸 #UNGA80 pic.twitter.com/3hXORk1uoG — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 24, 2025 Emphasizing the urgency of coordinated action in an era marked by rising risks and complex challenges, he underlined that it is “natural” for the Global South to turn to multilateralism for solutions -- but on t...

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York this morning on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly.  Jaishankar meets Rubio The two officials discussed a broad range of bilateral and global issues, with both sides underscoring the importance of sustained engagement to advance shared priorities. This makes Jaishankar’s crucial, publicly disclosed meeting with Rubio since his appointment earlier this year under the Trump administration.  While details of the conversation were not made public, the meeting comes amid shifting geopolitical alignments, growing Indo-Pacific coordination, and renewed urgency around multilateral reform.  In a post on social media, Jaishankar confirmed the engagement and said both sides would remain in touch. The interaction follows a series of high-level diplomatic engagements between India and the United States in recent months, as both governments work to consolidate cooperation ac...

Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said he spoke with Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski about “recent developments pertaining to Poland’s security,” after Warsaw reported 19 Russian drone incursions and NATO invoked Article 4 of its founding treaty. File Photo: Jaishankar & Sikorski. Source: Diplomatic Channels Jaishankar underlined that India “favors an early end to hostilities and a durable solution for the Ukraine conflict,” while Sikorski has already described the overnight strikes as a “Russian armed provocation” that triggered NATO’s first-ever coordinated shootdowns over Alliance territory. The call followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s discussion a day earlier with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni , where both leaders urged “an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine,” according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.  Meloni’s office confirmed the two leaders backed “all international efforts to foster a ceasefire and a re...

At a significant moment of geopolitical flux, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar used the platform of the BRICS Leaders’ Virtual Summit to issue a sharp indictment of the global governance system , urging urgent reform of the United Nations and its Security Council , while forcefully condemning the weaponisation of trade and selective sanctions regimes . Image Source: EAM Jaishankar Representing Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the summit hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , Jaishankar warned that rising conflicts, systemic inequality, and institutional paralysis have left the multilateral system incapable of addressing the world’s most pressing challenges -- from war and climate change to economic fragmentation. Multilateral System ‘Failing the World’ In his remarks, Jaishankar said the multilateral framework was being tested like never before, citing the pandemic’s aftermath, armed conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia, extreme climate events, and ...

Canada and India have moved to restore their strained relations with the mutual appointment of high commissioners, which ends nearly a year of deep freeze triggered by explosive allegations of state-sponsored violence.  On August 29, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand named veteran diplomat Christopher Cooter as Canada’s new high commissioner to India. Simultaneously, India announced the appointment of Ambassador Dinesh K. Patnaik as its next envoy to Ottawa. Image Source: Canada FM Anita Anand on X The reappointment of high-level diplomatic officials signals a thaw after bilateral ties hit a historic low following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s stunning allegation in September 2023 that agents of the Indian government were involved in the assassination of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Sikh separatist leader, and labelled a Khalistani terrorist in India, in British Columbia.  India, on its part, had strongly denied the claim, calling i...

India has reaffirmed its position that any trade deal with the United States -- including decisions around purchasing Russian crude oil -- will be governed strictly by national interest. This comes amid heightened pressure from the Trump administration and an imminent escalation of trade tensions, with 50% tariffs on Indian exports to the U.S. set to take effect on August 27. Image Source: Ficci_India A 25% tariff already in place since August 7 is expected to double later this month, with the additional burden attributed by Washington to India’s continued crude oil trade with Russia.  The Trump administration claims these purchases are indirectly supporting the Russia-Ukraine war -- a position India has firmly rejected as “unfounded and coercive.” At the Economic Times World Leaders Forum in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal both made clear that India would not be swayed by geopolitical pressure, and would continue to act in...

India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Thursday, reinforcing New Delhi’s strategic alignment with Moscow in the wake of new U.S. tariffs and sustained criticism of India’s energy trade with Russia.  The two sides reviewed bilateral cooperation, reiterated support for multipolar engagement, and laid the groundwork for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming visit to India. Image Source: EAM Jaishankar Jaishankar, addressing a joint press briefing alongside Lavrov, said the India–Russia relationship had remained one of the steadiest among major global partnerships since the Second World War. “Our leaders met in July last year and then again in Kazan.  These high-level engagements have consistently provided wise and practical guidance to our strategic partnership,” he said. Lavrov confirmed that President Putin’s visit to India is being planned before the end of 2025 and will be accompanied by a substantial pac...

India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday defended India’s continued purchase of Russian oil amid mounting pressure from US President Donald Trump, stating that New Delhi is not the largest importer of Russian energy and that its oil imports from the United States have, in fact, increased. Image Source: EAM Jaishankar Speaking in Moscow after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Jaishankar said he was “perplexed” by criticism from Washington, given that India had consistently been told to act in the interest of global energy stability.  He noted that China and the European Union are larger buyers of Russian oil and liquefied natural gas, respectively. “We are not the biggest purchasers of Russian oil -- that is China. We are not the biggest purchasers of LNG -- that is the European Union,” Jaishankar said.  “Incidentally, we also buy oil from the US, and that amount has increased. So honestly, we are very perplexed at the logic of the argument,” he...

India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Moscow this week for high-level engagements aimed at recalibrating India-Russia economic ties, as both nations navigate a shifting global order marked by Western sanctions, U.S. tariff pressures, and deepening energy interdependence. Image Source: MEA/FM on X At the heart of the talks was a growing imbalance in bilateral trade. India’s increased imports of discounted Russian crude -- which now account for around 44% of its oil supply -- have widened the trade deficit to an estimated $58.9 billion.  Addressing the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission for Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) alongside Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, Jaishankar described the gap as a “serious concern” requiring urgent solutions. “We need to address this imbalance by diversifying trade, removing bottlenecks, and finalising the India–Eurasian Economic Union free trade agreeme...

India and China sought to steady their fraught relationship on Monday as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar hosted Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New Delhi, in a meeting that both sides pitched as an attempt to turn the page from confrontation to cautious cooperation. At the outset, Jaishankar underscored the principle that “differences must not become disputes,” pointedly noting that peace along the border remained the foundation for any forward movement in ties.  Image Source: FM/MEA “This is very important because the basis for any positive momentum in our ties is the ability to jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas,” he said, referring to the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC), where the two militaries clashed in June 2020 in the Galwan Valley. The minister stressed that the process of disengagement and de-escalation “must move forward,” linking stability at the frontier with broader bilateral cooperation.  He also flagged counterterror...

India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said tourism connects nations more than diplomacy; urged industry leaders to see their work as part of India’s global outreach; highlighted heritage and wellness initiatives as drivers of international interest; and pointed to infrastructure growth, government schemes, and India’s G20 Presidency as catalysts for the sector’s expansion. Image Source: FM on X Addressing the FAITH Conclave 2025, Jaishankar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had placed “Tourism, Trade and Technology” at the heart of assessing foreign relations, and that promoting tourism was an ongoing priority in the government’s engagement with the diaspora and international partners. He cited the inclusion of the Maratha military landscapes and Moidams of Assam on the UNESCO World Heritage List, along with earlier recognitions such as Shantiniketan, Jaipur City and Dholavira, and intangible cultural heritage listings including Garba, Durga Puja and Kumbh Mela. These, h...

At a time when U.S. President Donald Trump has been repeatedly threatening steep tariffs on India over its Russian oil trade , India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar pushed back subtly but firmly on Monday, calling for a “fair and representative global order”--not one dominated by a few.   His remarks, delivered at the BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival in New Delhi, served as a diplomatic counterpoint to the rising chorus of Western pressure on India's sovereign trade choices.  Image Source: DeepDownAnalysis on X “We live in complicated and uncertain times,” Jaishankar said. “Our collective desire is to see a fair and representative global order, not one dominated by a few.” Though he refrained from naming countries, the subtext was clear: India is not in the mood to take moral lectures from nations with selective outrage and shifting standards, especially on trade and energy. Jaishankar’s statement comes just 24 hours after Trump accused India of profiting off t...

Amid rising geopolitical and trade tensions, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday dismissed viral social media posts suggesting that India is considering a suspension or review of bilateral agreements with the United States.  Terming them "disinformation", the MEA posted a formal fact-check tagging handles that had circulated the claims and categorically stated: “Disinformation being spread on X.” Image Source: MEA/FM on X The clarification comes just days after U.S. President Donald Trump declared a new 25% tariff on Indian goods and threatened further penalties over India’s continued purchase of Russian crude and arms.  These remarks added another layer to what is already a simmering trade rift between New Delhi and Washington.  POTUS Trump, who previously referred to India as a "tariff king," has now gone further, describing the Indian economy as "dead" and criticising New Delhi’s BRICS involvement. Notably, Trump’s return to office...

In what is being viewed by experts and analysts as a significant push to deepen South-South cooperation and fast-track Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Government of India launched the first tranche of projects under the India UN Global Capacity Building Initiative on August 1, 2025.  Image Source: India at UN Spearheaded by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the initiative was formally unveiled in New Delhi by Secretary (West), Shri Tanmaya Lal, in the presence of the UN Resident Coordinator in India, Mr. Shombi Sharp, Heads of Missions of participating countries, senior UN agency representatives, and key MEA officials. The initiative represents a strategic convergence between India’s decades-long development training legacy and multilateral cooperation frameworks.  It builds upon India’s globally acclaimed Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, which has supported capacity building in over 160 countries since its inception.  As of 20...

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday firmly denied any connection between U.S. trade talks and Operation Sindoor; stated that the request to halt military action came from Pakistan through official military channels; highlighted near-universal global backing for India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack ; and confirmed new diplomatic and strategic measures against Pakistan including a freeze on the Indus Waters Treaty. Addressing the Lok Sabha during a special discussion on India's military response, Jaishankar asserted that there was no linkage at any point between Operation Sindoor and trade negotiations with the United States.  Image Source: LS Secretariat He  countered repeated claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that Washington used trade leverage to bring about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.  “At no stage in any conversation with the U.S. was there any linkage with trade and what was going on,” Jaishankar said.  He also cla...