Stressing the need for a responsive global order, he said, “The Philippines appreciates India’s advocacy for a reformed multilateral system that promotes inclusivity, transparency and accountability…reports Asian Lite News
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday held talks with visiting Philippines Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and both the leaders underlined their commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations and people-to-people ties.”Hon’ble Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, Mr. Enrique A. Manalo, called on the Hon’ble Vice-President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar at the Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas today,” according to a tweet by the Vice President’s official Twitter handle on Wednesday. “Discussions focused on the shared values and complementarities that form the foundation of the two nations.
Both leaders underlined their commitment towards imparting a renewed impetus to the India-Philippines bilateral relations, and further strengthening of people-to-people ties,” it said.Enrique Manalo arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday for a four-day visit to India.The Philippines Secretary for Foreign Affairs on Wednesday said India and the Philippines are working together to amplify their voices for the developing world in the global discourse, adding that Manila supports New Delhi’s endeavours to enhance not only the effectiveness but also the accountability of the United Nations.”To this day, we (India and the Philippines) are working together to amplify their voices and perspectives of the developing world in all important global discourses,” he said while addressing a Lecture on ‘Shared values and common outlook: The journey of Philippines-India Cooperation.The lecture was hosted by the Indian Council of World Affairs(ICWA).
Philippines foreign minister calls on Indian Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar in Delhi pic.twitter.com/ln9tp4BpaY
Stressing the need for a responsive global order, he said, “The Philippines appreciates India’s advocacy for a reformed multilateral system that promotes inclusivity, transparency and accountability. Through collaboration and constructive engagement, we help shape a more equitable and responsive global order.” (ANI)
Bhutan used to be ruled by the people of Cooch Behar before Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal arrived from Tibet in 1630 to unify Bhutan…reports Asian Lite News
Archery is the national sport of Bhutan. The practice of archery leading to occasional accidents is not unheard of in the Himalayan kingdom. In 2019, a man from Punakha in Bhutan was airlifted to Kolkata with an arrow stuck to his aorta, the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the circulatory system. The man was operated upon at Fortis Hospital in Kolkata. He survived, Pardafas reported.
The website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bhutan states that the Bhutan Government provides free healthcare to all its citizens. The Bhutan Government also refers patients requiring super-speciality treatment outside Bhutan, and most patients are referred to Kolkata, says the website. This is an instance of the closeness of the relationship between India and Bhutan. Between April 11 and 13, this year, Kathok Situ Rinpoche, a senior reincarnate lama from Wangdue Phodrang in Bhutan, of royal descent from his mother’s side, travelled to monasteries in Dzongu and Pakyong in Sikkim and led prayers in newly built Chortens. These are instances of the close spiritual links between Sikkim, Darjeeling and Bhutan.
Clearly, the Global Times commentator wrote on March 30, 2023, that “Bhutan has closer ties with China than with India in terms of not only culture and religion, but also history” had not done the homework.
The Global Times commentator was also unaware of the fact that historically Bhutan had a long-established relationship with its southern neighbour the former kingdom of Cooch Behar. Bhutan used to be ruled by the people of Cooch Behar before Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal arrived from Tibet in 1630 to unify Bhutan.
In 1773, the British intervened at the request of the royal family of Cooch Behar when the rulers of Bhutan installed a king of their own choice in Cooch Behar. Also, for over 150 years from the beginning of the 18th century, the hills of Kalimpong, now in India, were ruled by Bhutan.
He also overlooked the fact that eastern Bhutan is dominated by the Sharchop people who had migrated from the east. They are ethnically close to the Bodo community of Assam in India and outnumber by a ratio of 3:2 the ethnic group Ngalop who had arrived in Bhutan from Tibet.
The Communist Party of China was also overjoyed to read an interview of Prime Minister of Bhutan Lotay Tsering in the Belgian newspaper La Libre that Bhutan would soon demarcate its boundary with China in the Doklam plateau and that the viewpoint of Beijing in Doklam would be accommodated by Thimphu.
On the face of it, the interview of the Prime Minister of Bhutan carried a disconcerting message for New Delhi as the Chinese occupation of the Doklam plateau is strategically unacceptable to India.
By mentioning in the interview that India had an equal stake in the boundary dispute between Bhutan and China in the Doklam plateau, the Prime Minister of Bhutan had recognized for the first time that India had a role in the boundary talks between Bhutan and China and that Bhutan would respect the security concerns of India in Doklam and keep India in the loop.
After the appearance of the interview of the Prime Minister of Bhutan in the Belgian newspaper, The Global Times, the mouthpiece of the CPC, commented on an optimistic note on March 30, 2023, that China and Bhutan would settle their boundary dispute in a few rounds of talks.
Obviously, the hawks in the CPC were eyeing a piece of high ground in the Doklam plateau called Zomphelri Ridge from where they could oversee the vulnerable Siliguri corridor of India.
The Global Times also declared that after the settlement of the boundary between Bhutan and China the controversial Belt and Road Initiative of China, which Beijing has used to gain control of strategic assets in the recipient countries, would be extended to Bhutan.
What Beijing did not bargain for was that within days of the outbreak of the controversy over the interview of the Prime Minister of Bhutan, none other than the King of Bhutan went to New Delhi on a three-day visit between April 3 and 5; accompanied by the Foreign Minister of Bhutan Tandi Dorji.
During the visit, he had long meetings with both Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar; as well as a formal meeting with President of India Droupadi Murmu.
The significance of the low-key visit can be well understood from the fact that in Bhutan the King is not just a ceremonial head of state. He is the constitutional head, wields real power and is the final authority on decision-making in the Himalayan kingdom.
The most significant statement made in the joint declaration issued by Bhutan and India after the visit of the King was that: “His Majesty the King of Bhutan and the Prime Minister of India held discussions on the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and of regional and global issues of mutual interest;” thus indicating in clear terms that the meeting of the King of Bhutan with the Prime Minister of India was neither a courtesy call nor a diplomatic formality, but a forum where the close understanding between New Delhi and Thimphu in the border dispute between Bhutan and China was reaffirmed.
India agreed to step up support to Thimphu for the 13th Five Year Plan of Bhutan to take forward the development partnership between the two countries; thus sending a clear signal to Beijing that its pet BRI which it uses effectively to snare small countries in a debt trap and the arm-twist them has no place in the Himalayan kingdom.
The King of Bhutan and his entourage noted with satisfaction the timely flow of funds from the Indian government to ensure “smooth and uninterrupted progress of projects under the 12th Five Year Plan, with about 90 per cent of India’s committed Plan assistance to Bhutan already released.”
Bhutan also appreciated the Indian gesture of extending the Standby Credit Facility at reduced interest rate and extended settlement period, and for providing an additional currency swap support of USD 200 million. India also agreed to consider favourably the request of Bhutan to extend another Standby Credit Facility for a period of five years.
It was also decided to deepen the bilateral cooperation between India and Bhutan in the area of hydropower. Under this, Bhutan receives a steady stream of revenue from the sale of power from hydro plants which have been jointly developed with assistance from India; with India benefitting from the assured supply of energy.
The role of the hydropower plants in helping Bhutan tide over the economic crisis it faced during the Covid-19 pandemic was appreciated by the King and his entourage. (ANI)
On Thursday, India and China held the 23rd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on their border affairs…reports Asian Lite News.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday said India and China are going through a “bad patch” in their ties because Beijing has taken a set of actions in violation of agreements for which it still don’t have a “credible explanation” and it is for the Chinese leadership to answer where they want to take the bilateral relationship.
“We are going through a particularly bad patch in our relationship because they have taken a set of actions in violation of agreements for which they still don’t have a credible explanation and that indicates some rethink about where they want to take our relationship, but that’s for them to answer,” Jaishankar said in response to a question at a panel “Greater Power Competition: The Emerging World Order” at the Bloomberg New Economic Forum in Singapore.
China continues to encroach upon our land, PM Modi continues to be a mute spectator. pic.twitter.com/GZLW63lCwk
On Thursday, India and China held the 23rd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on their border affairs.
During the talks, the two sides recalled the agreement between External Affairs Minister and the Foreign Minister of China during their meeting in September in Dushanbe that military and diplomatic officials of the two sides should continue their discussions to resolve the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh.
Accordingly, the two sides had candid and in-depth discussions on the situation along the LAC in Western Sector of India-China Border Areas and also reviewed the developments since the last meeting of the Senior Commanders of both sides which was held on October 10, 2021.
In this regard, they agreed on the need to find an early resolution to the remaining issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols so as to restore peace and tranquility, the MEA said in a statement.
The two sides also agreed that both sides should in the interim also continue to ensure a stable ground situation and avoid any untoward incident, the MEA added.
It was agreed that both sides should hold the next (14th) round of the Senior Commanders meeting at an early date to achieve the objective of complete disengagement from all the friction points along the LAC in the Western Sector in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols.
At the WMCC talks, while the Indian delegation was led by MEA’s Additional Secretary (East Asia), the Chinese delegation was led by the Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, the MEA said. (India News Network)
In an apparent reference to the June 15, 2020 Galwan Valley incident in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed during a clash with PLA soldiers, he said: “I don’t think the Chinese have any doubt on where we stand on our relationship and what’s not gone right with it. I’ve been meeting my counterpart Wang Yi a number of times. As you would’ve experienced, I speak fairly clear, reasonably understandably there is no lack of clarity so if they want to hear it I am sure they would have heard it.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi signed the deal which aimed at expanding ties in the next 25 years…reports Asian Lite News
Iran and China have inked a long-term cooperation agreement in Tehran, the state television reported.
The comprehensive agreement signed on Saturday by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, aims to expand bilateral cooperation in various fields in the next 25 years, DPA news agency reported.
The agreement paves the way for billions in Chinese investment in Tehran, and in return, Iran wants to supply oil to Beijing at favourable prices. Military cooperation is also part of the plans.
State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in Tehran. pic.twitter.com/SToC4Jsiru
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani described cooperation with China as strategic and said that the new agreement will deepen this partnership even further. “We want China to be a major trading partner,” he said during his meeting with Wang Yi on Saturday.
Iran is facing a crippling economic crisis due to sanctions imposed by the US in 2018, which have been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. With US President Joe Biden seemingly unwilling to lift sanctions in the short term, the government in Tehran has been aligning itself more closely with Russia and China.
