(Current Affairs) India and The World | October + November: 2014

India & The World

Great expectations from Modi s Japan trip

  • India has “great expectations” from Prime Minister NarendraModi’s five-day visit to Japa, his first bilateral trip outside the subcontinent.

  • Underlining the importance of INDIA & THE WORLD the East Asian region, Mr. Modi’s visit to Japan will be followed by a Vietnam trip by President Pranab Mukherjee in September.

  • External Affairs Minister SushmaSwaraj just concluded a visit to Vietnam.

  • Top business leaders, including Mukesh Ambani, GautamAdani and Kumar Mangalam Birla, will travel separately to Japan in visits timed to coincide with high-level business interactions Mr. Modi will initiate with his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe.

India, Pakistan hold third flag meeting

  • Officers of the Border Security Force and the Desert Rangers of Pakistan held their third flag meeting along the international border that has witnessed relentless ceasefire violations in the past month and a half.
  • While the BSF complained about regular ceasefire violations, the Pakistani Rangers denied the charge and drew attention to the loss of life and property in BSF shelling.
  • Committed to working with Modi government, says Singapore PM
  • Singapore Prime Minister Lee HsienLoong re-affirmed his commitment to working with newly elected leaders in India and Indonesia.
  • “There are new leaders in Indonesia and India. How their countries fare will affect the entire region. I look forward to working with them,” said Mr. Lee referring to Indian Prime Minister NarendraModi and Indonesian President JokoWidodo in his annual National Rally speech.
  • Highlighting Singapore’s concern about global uncertainties, Mr. Lee said: “The world is in flux. Conflicts far away could affect us.”

Japanese investment in smart cities high on Modi agenda

  • During his visit to Japan, from August 31 to September 3, Prime Minister NarendraModi is hoping to seal several bilateral agreements.

  • According to diplomatic sources, these will include infrastructural investment for the government’s “smart cities” initiative, with Japan proposing project development agreements on high-speed railways, more industrial corridors, and road-links and rail-links through the north-eastern States to ASEAN countries as well.

  • The one aspect of the new government’s foreign policy that has moved from the past is the tougher language of discourse with leaders.

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