Shubhajit Roy

New Delhi has once again steered clear of criticising Myanmar’s military, called Tatmadaw, as it has been wary of Beijing’s growing influence and the high stakes involved to maintain peace and security along the India-Myanmar border.

Stressing that the Quad is “central” to the Indo-Pacific, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he has already spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about it.

Indicating the frank conversations he had with his Bangladesh counterpart, Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen, Jaishankar said: “Our comfort levels are now so high that we have shown that there is no issue that we cannot discuss and resolve through amicable dialogue.”

The WCT is strategically located next to a $500-million Chinese-run container jetty within Colombo’s sprawling port.

In first remarks on thaw, Pak PM says onus for further progress lies on India.

THE UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Friday said that attempts to curb freedom of expression on social media are “disturbing departures from essential human rights principles”.

The statement from the MEA outlined an incremental approach and made it clear that disengagement, followed by de-escalation, will lead to peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and eventually normalisation of ties.

Sources told The Indian Express that while Doval had met his counterpart Moeed Yusuf, the Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on security affairs, in a third country, he had also kept communication channels open with Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.

The Centre has said the disengagement in the North and South Bank is a “significant first step” and the two sides will work towards a mutually acceptable resolution of the “remaining issues”.

India will also support development of other infrastructure needed for the harbour, support the development of communications resources and radar services, and provide training.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, and later said that they “discussed the progress” on Australia’s “News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code Bill 2020”.

During their visit to J&K, the envoys met civil and military authorities, some leaders elected in the recent District Development Council elections, and selected civil society representatives, the spokesperson said.

This is the third meeting of Quad Foreign Ministers, after September 2019 and October 2020, since the mechanism at the level of officials was revived in 2017.

Official sources later said “all countries, including Pakistan, supported the PM's proposals”. They sought a structured discussion for regional cooperation on these proposals to take them forward, sources said.

It said that the former RBG Brigadier Thinley Tobgay allegedly had “illegally obtained some documents from the RBA on the procurement of United Nation vehicles” and was attempting to use the documents to “undermine the COO”.

In December, Trudeau's statement on the farmers’ protests had led to New Delhi summoning the Canadian envoy and warning that such “actions” could have a “seriously damaging impact” on bilateral ties.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's measured tone in Parliament Thursday underscored the need to avoid any kind of chest thumping from the ruling establishment pending the resolution of unresolved issues.

The leaders looked forward to meeting each other in international fora later this year, and continuing their discussions on all issues of mutual interest.

Modi broke down several times during his 13-minute speech, as he recalled his close association with Azad. “At a personal level, I would request him to not consider that he is not in the House. My door is always open for all of you... I will always expect, and value, your views,” Modi said.

The exercise is being managed by Israel’s Foreign, Health and Transportation ministries. The diplomats are being quarantined in a hotel until they receive the vaccine, and will stay there under observation for a few days.

This conversation comes in the backdrop of reports in the Japanese media that the US is planning to hold a Quad summit through video-conferencing.

Sources told The Indian Express that the US Congress members had discussed a “range of issues”, including the farmers’ issues.

Responding to questions from reporters in Vijayawada, Jaishankar said: “You know the events of what happened last year. After that, we have deployed troops in very large numbers to meet the challenge which has come from the massing of Chinese troops out there.”

Biden admin calls for talks; MEA points to ‘ongoing efforts to resolve the impasse’