One of the first foreign policy announcements made by Stefan Lofven upon taking over as Prime Minister of Sweden early this month was that Sweden would be the first country in European Union (EU) to recognise Palestine. On Thursday, Sweden officially recognised the state of Palestine, a move welcomed by Palestinians but roundly derided by […]
Singapore is the best country in the world to do business: World Bank
Singapore is the most business-friendly economy in the world, according to the latest annual study by the World Bank, “Doing Business 2015: Going Beyond Efficiency”. This is the ninth consecutive year the Southeast Asian country has been ranked the best country to do business. The top 10 countries in terms of business business-friendly regulatory environments […]
India to supply naval vessels to Vietnam
In a subtle message to China, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that India would supply naval vessels to Vietnam. This would be India’s first significant military transfer to Hanoi. The development is notable as it comes at a time when Vietnam is tied in a territorial dispute with China on the south […]
Dilma’s Dilemma
Having won the tightly-contested the Presidential election, albeit by a narrow margin, Dilma Rousseff has her task cut out. In her second term as Brazilian president, Dilma has the tough job of perking up the country’s stagnant economy in her four-year term. Acknowledging the challenge ahead, Dilma said she should take measures to combat inflation […]
US disrupting world order: Putin
Squarely blaming the US for disrupting the world order by seeking to impose its will on other nations, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday warned that new wars will break out if Washington doesn’t learn to respect the interests of other countries. Putin was speaking on “The World Order: New Rules or a Game without […]
India re-elected to UNHRC
In a notable victory, India has been re-elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the term 2015-17, receiving the highest number of votes – 162 – in the Asia-Pacific group. India is already a member of the 47-nation UNHRC and its term is due to end on 31 December, 2014. Along with […]
Geopolitics of the Syrian Civil War
By Reva Bhalla International diplomats will gather on January 22 in the Swiss town of Montreux to hammer out a settlement designed to end Syria’s three-year civil war. The conference, however, will be far removed from the reality on the Syrian battleground. Only days before the conference was scheduled to begin, a controversy threatened to […]
Manmohan Singh’s speech at the 68th UN General Assembly
September 28, 2013 Your Excellency, President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, Let me first of all congratulate you, Mr. President, on your election to the presidency of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly. We wish you every success and we assure you of our fullest co-operation. Mr. President, At […]
Manmohan-Obama joint statement
September 27, 2013 Washington DC The Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh and the President of the United States of America Barack Obama met this morning followed by a working luncheon at the White House. Marking their third bilateral summit, the two leaders reflected proudly on the transformation of United States-India relations during the […]
US eases sanctions on Syria
Seeking to enable relief and reconstruction activities in opposition-controlled areas of Syria, the US has eased economic sanctions on the country, the US Department of State said in a statement to the media. According to the media note, which was reviewed by Diplomatic News, Secretary of State John F. Kerry signed a limited waiver of […]