[NATIONAL]

PM Modi holds bilateral talks with Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, and Iceland counterparts ahead of the 2^nd India-Nordic summit

Ahead of the India-Nordic summit set to take place on Wed, PM Modi, who is on the final leg of his 3-day Europe visit, holds bilateral talks with Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Store in Copenhagen, Denmark. PM Modi meets Iceland PM Katrin Jakobsdottir; discusses boosting ties in trade, energy, and fisheries. PM Modi reviews India-Sweden bilateral partnership with counterpart Magdalena Andersson. PM Modi will also hold bilateral meetings with the Prime Ministers of Iceland and Finland. “On the side-lines of the Summit, I will also meet the leaders of the other four Nordic countries and review the progress in India’s bilateral relations with them,” PM Modi had said. The 2^nd India-Nordic summit will see the participation of the PMs of Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, and Norway, and will follow up on the first summit that took place in Stockholm, Sweden in 2018. (here)

India hopes to conclude FTA negotiations with EU soon: PM Modi in Denmark

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen on Tue, during which he expressed hope that the negotiations on the India-EU Free Trade Agreement will be concluded at the earliest. On 8 May 2021, the EU and Indian leaders’ agreed to resume negotiations for a “balanced, ambitious, comprehensive and mutually beneficial” trade agreement, and to launch separate negotiations on an investment protection agreement. PM Modi and his Danish counterpart held delegation-level talks in Copenhagen to review progress in the Green Strategic Partnership between the two countries. They also discussed India-EU relations, Indo-Pacific, and the ongoing Ukraine conflict. (here) A sum of 9 agreements was signed/ announced during the visit of the PM to Denmark (here). PM Modi on Tue asked 1000 Indian diaspora in Denmark to work as “Rashtradoot” (representatives of the nation) and urged them to invite at least their 5 peers to India under the “Chalo India” banner. PM Modi and the Danish PM on Tue interacted with top CEOs of India (13) and Denmark (17) and during the meeting, PM Modi invited Danish businesses to invest in India, said Foreign Secy. PM Modi on Tue attended a dinner hosted by the Queen of the Kingdom of Denmark, Margrethe II at the Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen.

With the EU trying to move away from Russia and China, Modi’s visit is India’s chance to boost ties

ThePrint-Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Germany, Denmark, and France is expected to help transform India’s relationship with Europe, as it comes at a time when the EU is looking to wean itself away from Russia and China and lean more on the Indo-Pacific region. Modi’s trip saw the first instance of a joint statement involving India mentioning Russia for the Ukraine invasion, though it came from Germany’s perspective. Europe sees it as a ‘big shift’.

The Modi-Scholz meeting- During the first meeting between PM Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that took place in Berlin Mon, both sides also affirmed the “deepening of strategic cooperation between India and EU”, the statement read. They also “unequivocally condemned civilian deaths in Ukraine” while “reiterating the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities”. “the Indo-Pacific belongs to the most dynamic global regions.… Thus, Germany is going to maintain and further intensify, its commitment on the ground. India is amongst one of our very important partners here,” Scholzsaid. Before this meeting, Scholz was in Japan to meet PM Fumio Kishida, on his first trip to Asia, which didn’t include China.

Denmark seeks India’s help to tell Putin to stop the war -In Denmark, PM Modi and his counterpart discussed ways to take their ‘Green Strategic Partnership’ forward by way of enhancing energy ties in new and renewable sources. (more)

France military firm quits India submarine project before PM Modi’s visit 

French company Naval Group on Tue said it is unable to participate in the Centre’s P-75I project, under which 6 conventional submarines are to be domestically built for the Indian Navy, due to conditions mentioned in the request for proposal (RFP) related to air-independent propulsion (AIP) system. The announcement comes a day before PM Modi visited Paris where he is scheduled to meet recently re-elected French President Emmanuel Macron. The ₹43,000 crore contract will be awarded by the Ministry following a detailed evaluation of the responses sent by the two strategic partners. In Jun last year, RFPs were issued to two shortlisted Indian companies (called strategic partners)- private company Larsen and Toubro and state-run Mazagaon Docks Limited, which in turn have to tie up with one of the 5 shortlisted foreign companies and then respond to the RFP, according to the Ministry. Naval Group India, said, “Due to certain conditions in the RFP, the 2 strategic partners could not forward the request to us and a few other Foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers and thus we have not been able to place an official bid for the project.” (here)

PM Modi to visit Lumbini in Nepal on Buddha Jayanti

ANI (sources) -Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, in the Bhairahawa district of Nepal on Buddha Jayanti (May 16^th). The visit of PM Modi to Nepal comes less than a month after his Nepali counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba visited India, who is also expected to accompany PM Modi. Only a visit to Lumbini is on the agenda. There won’t be bilateral talks or other engagements in less than a day. PM Modi will take part in a lamp-lighting ceremony at the Maya Devi Temple which also is the birthplace of Gautam Buddha. PM Modi will fly to Kushinagar International Airport from Delhi and then take a chopper to Lumbini. This would be PM Modi’s first visit to Nepal after his re-election in 2019, while 4 times in the last one. (here)

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio to visit India from May 4-6

ANI – Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio will pay an official visit to India from May 4-6, 2022 to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. This will be Di Maio’s first visit to India, and will be accompanied by a high-level official and business delegation, the MEA said in a press release. During the visit, External Affairs Minister, Dr. S Jaishankar, will hold bilateral talks with the Di Maio on 6 May and will review the progress in implementation of the Action Plan 2020-24 launched at the Virtual Summit in Nov 2020 and also exchange views on regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest, added the release. Di Maio will also meet with Commerce and Industry Minister and co-chair a business round-table. Before reaching Delhi, he will visit Bengaluru where he will be meeting with the Chief Minister of Karnataka, B Bommai. (here)

RBI raises repo rate by 40 basis points to 4.40% with immediate effect

ANI – In a surprise move, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wed increased the policy repo rate by 40 basis points to 4.40% with immediate effect, 1^st time after May 2020. Addressing a press conference, RBI Governor said the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has unanimously voted to increase the policy repo rate by 40 basis points or 0.40%. The repo rate is the interest rate at which the RBI lends short-term funds to banks. The decision was taken in the unscheduled meeting of the MPC. “The MPC continues to be accommodative while focusing on withdrawal of accommodation to ensure that inflation remains within the target going forward,” the RBI Governor said.

Coast Guard DG inaugurates jetty at Fort Kochi, says will ensure seamless ICG operations

ANI – Director General of Indian Coast Guard VS Pathania on Tue inaugurated the first-ever coast guard jetty at the ICG headquarters at Fort Kochi and said that it would ensure seamless ICG operations in the sea areas of Kerala and Lakshadweep Islands. With the hub of maritime activities growing manifold at Kochi, the coast guard has increased its assets and as 4 Offshore Patrol Vessels, 3 Fast Patrol Vessels, 2 Interceptor Boats, and 2 Auxiliary Barges are based at Kochi. Port of Kochi being strategically located demands ICG presence and accordingly, Cochin Port Trust has constructed an ICG Jetty (220×15 m) in the harbor with a maintained depth of 7 m and the same would facilitate swift deployment of ICG ships. (here)

Prevent prisons from becoming breeding ground for anti-national deeds: MHA to states, UTs

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has written to all the states, Union Territories as well as prison authorities to prevent prisons from becoming breeding grounds for anti-national activities. The MHA has suggested conducting a regular inspection of prisons. The states and UTs have been requested to strengthen the prison administration and ensure the security of prisons, improve the medical facilities in jails to reduce the requirement of referral of inmates outside the prison complex. To discourage complacency and corrupt practices, the order emphasizes that prison staff may be rotated regularly. Despite constant follow-up by the MHA, many states are yet to confirm the status of adoption of the Model Prison Manual, 2016 in their jurisdictions. (here)

Scindia meets Canadian counterpart, discusses open skies policy

An open skies policy between India and Canada featured prominently in discussions during a meeting on Tue between Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and his Canadian counterpart. Scindia, who is on an official 3-day visit to Canada, met with Canada’s minister of transport Omar Alghabra in Ottawa. This was the first bilateral visit by an Indian Cabinet Minister to Canada in over two years. The last was by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Dec 2019 when he met then Canadian foreign minister François-Philippe Champagne. An open skies framework involves unlimited direct and indirect flights between the countries. Among the next steps is an MoU “to be signed on civil aviation cooperation, which will talk about MROs (maintenance, overhaul, and repair), helicopter emergency medical services, aircraft manufacturing, pretty much across the board,” he said. (here)

Multiple claims/counter-claims on Rahul Gandhi seen with a Chinese envoy in a pub in Nepal

After a political slugfest erupted over the viral video of former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in which he was seen at a nightclub in Kathmandu. Some media outlets claimed that she was not Hou Yanqi, a Chinese envoy to Nepal while others claim that the lady with Gandhi was Hou. However, all the fact-checkers had fragile arguments to prove anything whether she was or someone else. If she would be Hou, then the chaos will erupt in Indian politics, as Hou had a significant role in recent developments in Nepal, and was unfavorable to India.

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Pakistan, UAE agree to boost economic ties in fields of trade, energy: joint statement

A team of economic experts from the United Arab Emirates has met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and expressed the resolve to strengthen “bilateral economic cooperation” between the two countries, especially in the fields of trade, energy, infrastructure, and petroleum. The delegation arrived in Pakistan on May 3 to discuss the implementation of decisions made by the leadership of Pakistan and the UAE during the PM’s recent trip to the Middle East. the PM Office, release read that in the meeting with the experts on Tue, PM said that Pakistan attached the “highest priority to its brotherly relations” with the UAE and was desirous to “strengthen the relations to the next level, especially on the economic front“.(here)

PM Shehbaz ‘strongly denounces’ Indian ban on Eid prayer gatherings in occupied Kashmir

Dawn- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wed “strongly denounced” a ban on Eid prayer gatherings by Indian authorities in certain areas of occupied Jammu and Kashmir. According to the Indian online news portal ThePrint, authorities did not allow Eid prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in the Nowhatta area of Srinagar after the management committee refused to accept the conditions posed by the administration. [Dawn picked one line of the whole story, “Authorities did not allow Eid prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area..” while didn’t read the very next line “Reports of Eid congregational prayers were received from all district headquarters and major towns of the Valley, the officials said.”] (here)

Restrictions on freedom of speech undermine Pakistan’s image, ability to progress: US

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that the US govt is aware of the curbs on media outlets and civil society in Pakistan and such restrictions on freedom of speech undermine the country’s image and ability to progress. The senior US official’s statement came in response to a question from a Pakistani journalist during a press briefing on World Press Freedom Day. “..Has the State Department ever taken up this issue in bilateral talks with Pakistani authorities?” the journalist asked. “The short answer is yes. We take this up in our engagements with Pakistani counterparts,” Blinken replied. (here)

Chinese researchers set up the world’s highest weather station on Mount Everest to study the roof of the world

SCMP-Chinese scientific researchers set up the world’s highest automatic weather station on Mt Everest, (Qomolangma), on Wed. The weather station will be the first to use high-precision radar to measure the thickness of snow and ice on the peak of the world’s highest mountain, which is on the China-Nepal border. 12 members of the team carrying scientific research equipment left the temporary camp at an altitude of 8,300 m at 3 am on Wed and started the final-stage “summit moment”, establishing the station shortly before 1 pm. ‘Summit Mission’ project involves 5 scientific research teams, 16 scientific groups, and more than 270 researchers (here)

Trade war: the US looking at lifting tariffs on Chinese goods, American officials say

Washington’s trade office told US businesses on Tue that it had begun a statutory process that could ultimately end up removing tariffs on Chinese goods. The notification, part of a legal requirement to review the tariffs 4 years after they were first put into place, puts the burden on US businesses benefiting from those tariffs to speak out and say that they want the policy to continue, the office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) said. “The office of the US Trade Representative is today commencing the statutory process required leading up to the four-year anniversaries of the tariff actions,” the announcement said. Businesses that want the tariffs to continue are told to notify the office. (here)

Blinken’s China policy speech unlikely to offer an olive branch to Beijing

Washington’s top diplomat Secretary of State Antony Blinken will deliver a major policy address on Thu to outline President Biden’s way forward in dealing with China. The speech, hosted by the Asia Society on the campus of the George Washington University, comes amid frustration in the Biden administration over the Chinese government’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It also follows a recent State Department report that called Beijing out for alleged human rights abuses. No details have been provided ahead of the speech but Blinken is expected to outline a ‘no surprises’ strategy which avoids concessions (here)

Taiwan flags risk of Stinger missile delays, says pressing the U.S.

Reuters – Taiwan’s Defence Ministry on Tue said deliveries of shoulder-fired Stinger anti-aircraft missiles could be delayed, saying they were pressing the US to deliver on schedule as the war in Ukraine pressures supplies. The missiles are in hot demand in Ukraine, where they have successfully kept Russian aircraft at bay, but U.S. supplies have shrunk, and producing more of the anti-aircraft weapons faces significant hurdles. The US approved the sale of 250 Raytheon Technologies’ (RTX.N) Stinger missiles to Taiwan in 2019. Taiwanese media has reported Taiwan is expected to complete the delivery by 2026. Chu Wen-wu, deputy head of Taiwan’s army planning department, said those deliveries may get held up.

Sri Lanka in talks to extend World Bank aid, plans new budget: Finance minister

Sri Lanka’s finance minister said on Wed the country was in talks with the World Bank to extend its support by $300 million to $700 million. The island nation’s budget was currently unsustainable, Ali Sabry told a parliament session, adding he expected to bring in a new budget.

Maldivian youth protests against the ‘India Out’ campaign in front of Yameen’s residence

ANI -A group of Maldivian youth demonstrated in front of the residence of former President Abdulla Yameen who is running an anti-India “India-Out” campaign. The protest has rattled the opposition party Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and Yameen himself. Within a week after they launched the movement in the name of Maldives Youth Force (MYF), the opposition party PPM has come out with a series of press releases and press conferences against this young movement. All these days Yameen and PPM have been running the India Out campaign unopposed since the ruling party Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is busy with their internal rivalry politics. This young movement has activists from MDP and supporters of former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb’s party Maldives Third-Way Democrats (MTD) that has publicly opposed the “India Out” campaign. (here)

Hoax bomb threat call allegedly from Pakistan disrupts flight operations at Nepal airport

ANI – Domestic flights have resumed at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu after a hoax bomb threat call allegedly from Pakistan created panic, forcing authorities to vacate the premises. As per the Nepal airport officials, 2 calls were made to the Terminal Duty Office (TDO) warning about a possible bomb blast inside the terminal within two hours of the first call. “TDO was called for the first time at 9:40 am followed by another call from an international number. The same person made the second call claiming 6-7 bombs has been implanted inside the domestic terminal that would explode within 2 hours which prompted us to inform airport authorities, security forces, and a thorough search of all the areas of the terminal was done by the bomb disposal team, Airport authority told reporters. (here)