Current Affairs - India And Its Bilateral Relations
First-ever Security, Defence Dialogue between India-EU
India held the first-ever Security and Defence Consultations with European Union on 10th June 2022 at Brussels, capital city of Belgium.
- The two sides reviewed the entire gamut of their defence relations and evolving security situation in Europe, India’s neighbourhood and the Indo-Pacific.
India-Vietnam MoU on Logistics Support
During the recent visit of Indian Defence Minister to Vietnam, the two countries signed the 'Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030', which will significantly enhance the scope and scale of existing defence cooperation.
- Also, a Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Logistics Support was also inked.
India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement
On 2nd April, 2022, India and Australia signed the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA). The negotiations for India-Australia ECTA were formally re-launched on 30 September 2021 and concluded on a fast-track basis by the end of March 2022.
5th India-Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade & Investment
On 11th March, 2022, India and Canada held the fifth Ministerial Dialogue on Trade & Investment (MDTI) in New Delhi.
- The robust trade and economic relationship between India and Canada was highlighted and both countries resolved to further strengthen the bilateral ties and economic partnership.
First India-Central Asia Summit
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi hosted the first India-Central Asia Summit in virtual format on 27 January 2022, which was attended by Presidents of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Republic of Uzbekistan.
- This first India-Central Asia coincided with the 30th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Central Asian countries.
India-Sri Lanka: 5th Joint Committee on S&T Cooperation
At the India-Sri Lanka 5th Joint Committee on S&T Cooperation held on January 20, 2022, India and Sri Lanka extended the existing cooperation in science and technology.
Key Highlights
- Both countries mutually agreed to extend the Programme of Cooperation (POC) for another 3 years and identified new areas such as waste-water technologies, industry and biotech, sustainable agriculture, aerospace engineering, robotics, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence to be included in the POC.
India-China: Bilateral Trade Crosses 125 billion USD in 2021
In 2021, the bilateral trade between India and China stood at 125.66 billion USD, up 43.3% from 2020.
- China’s exports to India were 97.52 billion USD while China’s imports from India were 28.14 billion USD in 2021.
Third Meeting of India-Central Asia Dialogue
The 3rd meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue was held in New Delhi on 19th December 2021 under the chairmanship of the External Affairs Minister of India.
- Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Republic of Uzbekistan took part in the meeting.
India-Oman sign MoU on White Shipping Information Exchange
- On 27th September 2021, Admiral Saif bin Nasser bin Mohsen Al-Rahbi, Commander of Royal Navy of Oman (CRNO) and Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Indian Navy signed an MoU for exchange of White Shipping Information.
- The MoU was signed at Maritime Security Center (MSC), Muscat during the ongoing visit of the CNS to Oman.
18th Conference Of Parties Of CITES
- The 18th Conference of the Parties (CoP18) of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was held between 17-28 August in Geneva, Switzerland.