International Relations
Bilateral ties, multilateral forums, treaties and India's foreign policy
India-EU FTA: Quality compliance must for Indian exporters but trade restrictiveness can be challenged
The India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was concluded on 27 January 2026, ending nearly two decades of on-again, off-again negotiations; the provisional text...
Russia holds massive drills of nuclear forces as Ukraine steps up drone attacks
Russia launched a three-day exercise involving its nuclear forces, practising the "preparation and use of nuclear forces under the threat of aggression." The...
West Asia crisis, weather headwinds to moderate India’s FY27 growth: Rating agencies
Two leading domestic rating agencies have trimmed their FY27 (2026-27) GDP growth forecasts for India, citing two converging headwinds: elevated crude oil pr...
National security linked to economic growth; strategic self-reliance a must: Gen. Dwivedi
At a seminar titled 'Security to Prosperity', organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies on May 19, 2026, the Chief of Army Staff articulated a new str...
Xi Jinping hosts Vladimir Putin in Beijing days after Trump: what to know
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on May 19–20, 2026, for a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping — less than a week after US Pr...
Trump suggested a US-Russia-China alliance to take down Int’l Criminal Court when he met Xi—FT report
During a visit to Beijing in May 2026, the US President reportedly proposed that the United States, China, and Russia coordinate efforts to undermine and ult...
Pondage, power and Pakistan—India versus ‘Indus’ court at The Hague
On May 15, 2026, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) issued a supplemental award on "maximum pondage" — the amount of water that can be held in reservoi...
Waiver or no waiver, Russian crude remains centrepiece of India’s oil imports strategy
Despite US pressure and punitive tariffs, Russian crude oil continues to be a core pillar of India's oil import strategy, though its share has moderated from...
Donald Trump says held off on new Iran attack, upbeat for agreement
A planned US military strike against Iran was called off after Gulf states — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE — requested a short window of two to three days...
Iran-Israel war LIVE: Israel military issues fresh evacuation warnings for south Lebanon
Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the ongoing Iran-Israel-US conflict have more than halved the UAE's exports of crude oil and natural gas...
India-EU FTA built on 20 key pillars, to boost trade, investment: Commerce Ministry official
Darpan Jain, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce and Industry, outlined the 20 key pillars (chapters) of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement at ...
Vladimir Putin visits Beijing with ‘very serious expectations’, soon after Donald Trump leaves China: What’s cooking?
Russian President Vladimir Putin undertook a state visit to China on May 19–20, 2026 — his 25th visit to China — at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Ji...
India-Bangladesh spar over illegal immigration. New Delhi mum on Dhaka request for consular meeting
India's Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that 2,862 cases of nationality verification are pending with Bangladesh, some unresolved for over five years,...
WHO evaluates vaccines, treatments for Ebola outbreak
On May 17, 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergen...
U.S. to host G20 foreign ministers' meet in Atlanta on October 30-31
The United States Department of State announced on May 19, 2026, that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta,...
Iran war to slow down India’s FY27 economic growth: rating agencies
Multiple rating agencies have revised India's FY27 GDP growth forecasts downward, citing the ongoing Iran war and its impact on global crude oil prices. Bren...
'Our discussion today will further strengthen defence cooperation': Rajnath Singh during bilateral talks in Vietnam
India's Defence Minister met his Vietnamese counterpart, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang, in Hanoi on May 19, 2...
India-EU trade pact to help boost domestic auto manufacturing: Senior official
India and the European Union concluded negotiations for a landmark Free Trade Agreement on January 27, 2026, after nearly two decades of diplomatic effort. A...
Russia’s Vladimir Putin to visit India for Brics summit in September
Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed participation in the BRICS Summit to be held in New Delhi on September 12–13, 2026, with the Kremlin formally ...
India eyes trade pact with Oman amid turmoil, FTA starts June 1
The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Oman, signed in December 2025, is set to come into force from 1 June 2026, marking ...