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Indo Pacific Region
India on Thursday announced an assistance of USD 500,000 to the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu to help it deal with destruction caused by a 7.4 magnitude earthquake last month. New Delhi conveyed to Vanuatu its readiness to extend all possible support to people of the country in this time of "difficulty". The earthquake struck near Vanuatu's coast in the South Pacific Ocean on December 17 causing major destruction and loss of lives. "As a close friend and partner under the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation and as a gesture of solidarity with the friendly people of Vanuatu, the government of India extends a relief assistance of USD 500,000 to support relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. It said India has firmly stood by Vanuatu during times of difficulty and devastation caused by natural disasters. "An important pillar of India's Indo-Pacific Oceans' Initiative, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Nove
Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday reaffirmed India's commitment to regional stability and its pursuit for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. The Army Chief made the remarks while speaking virtually at a land forces summit that was held in Japan. The summit brought together army chiefs and senior generals from several nations, including Japan, the United States, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and South Korea. In his address, Gen Dwivedi delved into India's security and strategic perspective in the Indian Ocean Region and emphasised the importance of enhancing multinational defence cooperation. He also underscored India's commitment to regional stability and its pursuit for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. The comments came amid growing global concerns over China's increasing military muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region. The summit provided a platform for exchanging ideas and perspectives on fostering greater multinational defence cooperation, ai
A Project Implementation Agreement has been signed between the Ministry of External Affairs and the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to execute new solar projects in Fiji, Comoros, Madagascar and Seychelles, an official statement said. The agreement was signed on Tuesday, the statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. The Wilmington Declaration released at the Quad Leaders' Summit in Delaware in the US on September 21 stated that the Quad countries will work together, through policy and public finance, to operationalise their commitment to catalyse complementary and high-standard private sector investment in allied and partner clean energy supply chains, it said. "To this end, India has committed to invest USD 2 million in new solar projects in Fiji, Comoros, Madagascar and Seychelles," it added. On November 26, the Project Implementation Agreement (PIA) was signed between the MEA and the ISA to execute the projects in these Indo-Pacific countries. The ISA,
Underlining the need to protect freedom of navigation amid assertiveness of Beijing in the South China Sea, Pedro Sanchez, President of the Government of Spain, on Tuesday said his country and India must contribute in building an Indo-Pacific region that is open and secure. Speaking at an event organised by the Spain-India Forum and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in Mumbai, Sanchez maintained that the rules-based international order is at stake and hence Madrid and New Delhi must defend and work towards strengthening multilateral institutions. He said the world's centre of power has shifted towards Asia where India plays a key role. Sanchez announced that Spain is working to launch a new strategy for Asia which will revitalize his country's relations with the largest continent in the world. The central Indo-Pacific region accounts for 36 per cent of the world's GDP, pointed out the Spanish leader who is on an official visit to India. He said the vital region accounts for .
After four months of deadly unrest in New Caledonia, tensions in the French Pacific territory between the pro-independence Indigenous Kanak people and the white settler communities loyal to Paris are simmering as the vast archipelago east of Australia marks the anniversary of colonization on Tuesday. The communities stand far apart on the territory's future following the Kanaks' revolt in May against President Emmanuel Macron' s voting reform in New Caledonia. The loyalists have called on supporters in the capital, Noumea, to mark the 171st anniversary of the French takeover by honking horns during a radio broadcast of France's national anthem, La Marseillaise. Separately, the National Council of Chiefs of the Kanak people is meeting on the neighbouring Mare Island and is expected to unilaterally declare sovereignty over the Kanak nation on their customary territories. Macron sidelined the controversial voting reform along with the situation in New Caledonia in June after he ...
In yet another gaffe, US President Joe Biden experienced an embarrassing moment during a Quad event in Wilmington, Delaware, when he struggled to introduce Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This brief confusion, captured on camera, has sparked comments on social media. After finishing his speech at the Cancer Moonshot event on Saturday, Biden, 81, appeared to have forgotten the name of the next leader who was going to speak -- and asked his staffers. "So, I want to thank you all for being here. And now, who am I introducing next?" After a pause of a few seconds, he asked, this time in a louder voice, Who's next?" There was an awkward silence in the audience. A staff member finally pointed to the podium, leading to the introduction of Modi by the compere. Distinguished guests, the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, the announcer said, as Modi walked towards the podium. Biden then put his arm around Modi's shoulder and cracked a joke. The embarrassing moment involving the US ...
India has announced a new initiative to award fifty Quad scholarships, worth USD 500,000, to students from the Indo-Pacific. These scholarships will enable students to pursue a four-year undergraduate engineering programme at a Government of India-funded technical institution, said the Wilmington Declaration issued after the fourth in-person Quad Summit. Hosted by President Joe Biden, the Quad Leaders' Summit took place on Saturday in his hometown Wilmington, Delaware. It was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan. "India is pleased to announce a new initiative to award fifty Quad scholarships, worth USD 500,000, to students from the Indo-Pacific to pursue a 4-year undergraduate engineering programme at a Government of India-funded technical institution," the declaration read. According to the declaration, the Quad is committed to strengthening the deep and enduring ties between our people, a
Floods and landslides in Myanmar triggered by last week's Typhoon Yagi and seasonal monsoon rains have claimed at least 226 lives, with 77 people missing, state-run media reported Tuesday. The death toll, reported in the state-run Myanma Alinn, was almost seven times Friday's initial total of 33, with strong prospects of it continuing to rise. The counting of casualties has been slow, in part due to communication difficulties with the affected areas as Myanmar is wracked by civil war. Typhoon Yagi earlier hit Vietnam, northern Thailand and Laos, killing almost 300 people in Vietnam, 42 in Thailand and four in Laos, according to the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance.