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India, Mongolia to Enhance Bilateral Ties and Energy Cooperation

PM Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping are scheduled to hold a summit in Wuhan city in China from 27 April to 28 April.

The Quint
Politics
Updated:
External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj arrived in Mongolia on Tuesday, 24 April (right) while defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held bilateral meeting with her Chinese counterpart.
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External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj arrived in Mongolia on Tuesday, 24 April (right) while defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held bilateral meeting with her Chinese counterpart.
(Photo: The Quint)

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Sushma Swaraj 4-Day Visit to China

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in China on 21 April on a four-day visit to take part in the foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

This was their first meeting after Wang Yi was elevated as state councillor last month which makes him the top diplomat of the country in the Chinese hierarchy. He also continues to be foreign minister.

In her initial remarks, Swaraj congratulated Wang on being elevated as state councillor and the special representative for the India-China boundary talks.

Their meeting is part of efforts by the two countries to step up the pace of high-level interactions to improve relations, official sources told PTI before the meeting.

Following the Dokalam standoff last year both countries increased dialogue to scale down tensions and improve relations with talks at various levels.

Swaraj and Wang are meeting in the immediate backdrop of the recent meeting between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and top official of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) Yang Jiechi in Shanghai.

(With inputs from PTI.)

India-China Cooperation on Terrorism and Climate Change

Swaraj and Yi addressed a joint press conference and discussed a host of bilateral issues and ways to step up the pace of high-level interactions to improve the relationship.

Addressing the press conference, Swaraj said that the two countries had agreed to work together on issues like terrorism, climate change, sustainable development, and global healthcare.

She also added that China had confirmed to share data on the Sutlej and Brahmaputra rivers, calling it a ‘welcome move.’

China has confirmed data sharing on Sutlej and Brahmaputra rivers in 2018. As it directly affects lives of people living there we welcome this. Also Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will resume this year through Nathu La pass.

You can read the full statement here.

PM Modi to Visit China

Addressing a joint press statement with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold informal summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan on 27 and 28 April.

China's Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui told reporters that he hoped an informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping later this week in the Chinese city of Wuhan will enhance "good chemistry" between the two leaders and strengthen bilateral ties.

“The summit will highlight the personal friendship and enhance the good chemistry between the two leaders. I believe with the guidance of our two leaders and through joint efforts of the Chinese and Indian people including you and me, China-India relations will turn a new page,” Luo said in a video message while making a debut on Twitter.

Students Can Make Ties Stronger: Swaraj on Sidelines of SCO

Speaking on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organistaion, Sushma Swaraj asserted that it is important for the students of China to make friendship between the two nations stronger.

“Even two foreign ministers cannot make the friendship of our countries more strong than the students of China, who love the Hindi language,” she said. At the event in Beijing, Swaraj said:

The way our relations are strengthening today, it has become all the more important for Chinese students to learn Hindi and Indian students to learn Mandarin, so that you do not face language barriers when you go to India or they come down to China.
Sushma Swaraj stresses upon the importance of language in strengthening Indo-China ties.(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@MEAIndia)

Sushma Swaraj Meets Foreign Counterparts in Beijing

Sushma Swaraj met Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov in Beijing. The two leaders exchanged views on enhancing bilateral cooperation in trade & investment, pharma, IT, tourism and culture, as well as on the regional situation.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov in Beijing. (Photo Coutesy: Twitter/@MEAIndia)

Earlier during the day, she met Kyrgyzstan Foreign Minister Erlan Abdyldaev to discuss cooperation in trade & investment, IT, defence, films, HRD, culture & other areas.

(Photo Coutesy: Twitter/@MEAIndia)

Day 2: Sushma Swaraj Meets Vice President of China

On Day 2 of her visit, Sushma Swaraj met Wang Qishan, Vice President of China at Zhongnanhai, the Chinese leadership compound in Beijing.

Sushma Swaraj met Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan.(Photo Coutesy: Twitter/@MEAIndia)

Indians, Chinese Should Learn Each Others' Language

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj asks Indians and Chinese to learn each other's language to overcome communication barriers, reported All India Radio News.

Sushma Swaraj Meets Xi Jinping

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, reported ANI.

Sushma Swaraj and Xi Jinping.(Photo: ANI)

Nirmala Sitharaman Arrives in China

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrived in China late on 23 April to take part in the preparatory meeting ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit to be held in June.

Day 3: Foreign and Defence Ministers Meet in Beijing

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@MEAIndia)

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attend the meetings of the defence and foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), reported PTI.

Both meetings are being held in concurrence.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@DefenceMinIndia) 

Sitharaman who arrived here last night attended the defence ministers' meeting and Swaraj took part in the foreign ministers' meeting.

The two meetings were being held as part of the preparations for the SCO summit to be held in the Chinese city of Qingdao in June.

Terrorism Is an Enemy of the Basic Human Rights: Sushma Swaraj in Beijing

Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting, External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj emphasised that India is committed to work with SCO.

She spoke of the various challenges that the world is facing today. Addressing the issue of terrorism she said:

There are a number of challenges that are being faced by the world today, foremost being the threat of global terrorism and the imminent need to build a strong security architecture to combat it. Terrorism is an enemy of the basic human rights: of life, peace and prosperity.

Swaraj asserted that the fight to combat terrorism is not just to eliminate terrorism but to take strong actions against the states that encourage, support and finance terrorism and provide sanctuary to terrorists and terror groups.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@MEAIndia)
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Swaraj Calls for Rejection of Protectionism

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@MEAIndia)

Stressing upon the importance of a more open, inclusive, equitable and balanced economic globalisation, Swaraj went on to say that protectionism in all its forms should be rejected.

We must promote liberalisation and facilitation of trade and investment to inject greater impetus into the world economy. In this respect, we must continue to diversify cooperation in the fields of innovation and digital economy, science and technology, energy, agriculture, and food security amongst others.
Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister

Read the full statement here.

"Any Support to Terrorism Not Tolerable": Sitharaman at SCO Meet

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@DefenceMinIndia) 

“A young and dynamic India, with an economy growing at 7-8% per year, joins the SCO, seeking to usher in a new phase of cooperation,” Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said while addressing the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting in Beijing.

The defence minister talked about the decentralisation of power, global terror and how the SCO will help strengthen India’s bilateral ties while urging Asian nations to work towards peace and stability. She also said that India will attend the Peace Mission joint military exercise being organised by SCO in Russia later this year.

I invite everyone to work actively with India towards a partnership of peace and shared prosperity. Our shared neighbourhood faces range of issues such as cross-border terrorism, extremism, cyber security and narcotics trafficking. These issues require solutions based on cooperative frameworks that involve all countries and stakeholders.
Nirmala Sitharaman

Sitharaman also said that any kind of support to terrorism is no longer tolerable.

Power has become decentralised. New centres of influence have developed, especially in Asia, leading to geo-strategic rivalries. Arguments of political convenience to provide an alibi for terrorist organisations that support terrorism through material support or otherwise are no longer tolerable.

Sitharaman also spoke about the situation in Afghanistan as a recent bomb blast in a voting centre in Kabul killed more than 50 people.

India is committed to assist Afghanistan in regaining stability, including cooperation in building capabilities of Afghan security forces.

Nirmala Sitharaman Holds Bilateral Meeting With Chinese Defence Minister

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@DefenceMinIndia) 

India and China’s defence ministers held a bilateral meeting with Chinese after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet in Beijing.

Sushma Wraps Up China Visit, Arrives in Mongolia

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in Mongolia on Tuesday after wrapping up her visit to China. She was received by Deputy Foreign Minister of Mongolia B Battsetseg.

Sushma Swaraj’s visit will be the first visit of an Indian external affairs minister to Mongolia in the past 42 years.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj gets on her plane to Mongolia after wrapping up her visit in China.(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@MEAIndia)

India Declines to Endorse China's BRI at SCO Foreign Ministers Meet

India did not endorse China's controversial Belt and Road Initiative at the recently concluded Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers' meeting while the rest of the eight-member bloc backed the pet project of President Xi Jinping, PTI reported.

"The foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan reiterated their support for the 'Belt and Road Initiative' proposed by China," said a joint statement issued by SCO Foreign Ministers at the end of their one-day meeting.

The parties support the use of the potential of countries, international organisations and multilateral institutions in the region to establish a broad, open and mutually beneficial partnership in the SCO region.
A joint statement issued by SCO Foreign Ministers.

India, Mongolia to Enhance Bilateral Trade, Investments

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@MEAIndia)

India and Mongolia , on Wednesday, discussed economic cooperation in areas such as infrastructure development, energy, services and IT and agreed to explore possibility of launching direct air connectivity between New Delhi and the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during a joint media briefing with Mongolian Foreign Minister D Tsogtbaatar, after the 6th Session of the Indian-Mongolia Joint Committee on Cooperation in Ulaanbaatar, said the two countries agreed to explore ways to identify new areas of cooperation in all sectors of mutual interest and to enhance bilateral trade and investments.

Swaraj, the first Indian foreign minister to visit the resource-rich country in 42 years, said India sees Mongolia as a factor of stability in East Asia and believes that Mongolia’s social and economic development is important for peace and prosperity in the region.

During the Indian-Mongolia Joint Committee on Cooperation, the two sides discussed pressing global challenges, particularly the scourge of terrorism and agreed to collaborate bilaterally and in international arena to thwart the designs of those who extend support to terrorist outfits.

Agreed minutes of India-Mongolia Joint Committee Meeting agreed between EAM Sushma Swaraj and Mongolian Foreign Minister D Tsogtbaatar.(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@MEAIndia)

The two sides also reviewed the progress in the ongoing collaborative projects, including the refinery project selected by the Government of Mongolia for implementation with the support of USD one billion Indian Line of Credit.

We directed our officials to coordinate follow up action on each side for the expeditious implementation of these projects. Our strong political ties must be complemented by commensurate levels of trade, economy and investment.
Sushma Swaraj

Calling upon the Mongolian business community to "seize economic opportunities arising out of "India's growth", she said the two countries have agreed to remove institutional and logistical impediments to boost trade, tourism and people to people contacts.

"In this regard, we also agreed to explore possibility of launching direct air connectivity between our two capitals," she said.

In the meeting, they discussed economic cooperation in areas such as infrastructure development, energy, services and IT.

India and Mongolia have close cooperation in trade and economy, science, health, agriculture, culture, education, communication and tourism. The two countries are also working closely to ensure security and curbing international crimes and terrorism.

Working With Mongolian Friends to Protect Buddhist Heritage: Swaraj at Kushok Bakula's 100th Birth Anniversary

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/MEAIndia)

The External Affairs Minister on Wednesday, attended the 100th birth anniversary of Kushok Bakula along with other dignitaries. Bakula had served as India's Ambassador to Mongolia from 1990-2000. He also served as a minister in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

In her address at the event, Swaraj spoke about preserving Buddhist heritage and the partnership India and Mongolia share.

India and Mongolia share a unique partnership. The spiritual connection through Buddhism provides strength to our relationship. It is not a partnership of convenience but a relationship of trust and spiritual strength.
Sushma Swaraj

“In our engagement with Mongolia, we are revitalising Buddhism as a strong symbol of our civilisational connection transcending into modern times. In our own small way, we are trying to work with our Mongolian friends to protect and preserve our Buddhist heritage”, she added.

Swaraj Adresses Indians in Mongolia

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/MEAIndia)

Wrapping up her second day in Mongolia, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj addressed the Indian community in Mongolia’s Ulaanbaatar on Wednesday.

Sushma, Sitharaman Did Not Confront China on Doklam: Congress

The Congress on 25 April alleged that India's national security and strategic interests had been compromised in Doklam with the Narendra Modi government maintaining a "conspiratorial silence" on it during the China visit.

Both Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had completely omitted confronting China on creation of full-fledged Chinese military complex in Doklam right upto 10 metres from Indian army post.
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala

He alleged that both omitted confrontation with China over the building of a new road south of Doklam platform to provide easy access to China to Jhamperi Ridge overlooking the Siliguri Corridor, a gateway to North-Eastern states.

The Congress on Wednesday accused the Narendra Modi government of not confronting China about Doklam conflict during visits of two union ministers – EAM Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Both Sitharaman and Swaraj had attended the meetings of the defence and foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) which began at Beijing on Tuesday.

India and Mongolia , on Wednesday also discussed economic cooperation in areas such as infrastructure development, energy, services and IT and agreed to explore possibility of launching direct air connectivity between New Delhi and the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar.

  • Congres accused EAM Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of not confronting China on Doklam issue
  • Working With Mongolian Friends to Protect Buddhist Heritage: Sushma at Kushok Bakula’s 100th Birth Anniversary
    Sushma Swaraj arrived in Mongolia on a bilateral visit to enhance bilateral trade and investments among India and Mongolia
  • India’s Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s held a bilateral with her Chinese counterpart in Beijing on Tuesday
  • PM Modi and Chinese President Jinping are scheduled to hold an informal summit in Wuhan city in China from 27 April to 28 April to enhance ties between the two countries

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Published: 23 Apr 2018,10:23 AM IST

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