NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar landed in Kuwait for a day-long visit today. A busy diplomatic schedule awaits the government, with Prime Narendra Modi’s much-awaited visit to Ukraine scheduled for August 23. The same day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will reach the US to discuss pending technology arrangements in the military equipment sector.
The PM will visit Poland and Ukraine between August 21 and 23. He will go to Kyiv from Warsaw. Modi’s Moscow visit on July 8 and 9 received widespread criticism from the US and its allies. The US had also asked Modi and India to use their ‘good relations’ with Russia to end war in Ukraine.
Last week, India’s Deputy National Security Advisor (NSA) Pavan Kapoor met Head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Office Andriy Yermak in Kyiv. “Yermak expressed hope that the Indian PM will be able to make efforts in bringing peace,” the Ukrainian side had said.
Modi had last met Zelenskyy in June on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy.
When Modi will be in Ukraine, Rajnath Singh will reach US for five days where he is expected to take up the issue of delay in supplies of the F404 engines to be supplied by US firm General Electric for the Tejas Mark1A jets of the Indian Air Force.
Rajnath, at a meet with his counterpart Llyod Austin, is also expected to push for cutting-edge military technology, including military-grade semi-conductors to guide long range missiles and new artificial intelligence backed situational awareness equipment.
In Kuwait, the EAM called on Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah and thanked him for ‘guidance and insights’ on taking India-Kuwait ties to a higher level. “We share centuries-old bonds of goodwill and friendship. Our contemporary partnership is expanding steadily,” the minister posted on X.
Between August 18 and 23, India will be hosting Foreign Minister of Nepal Arzu Rana Deuba, Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa will be here for the India-Japan 2+2 meet.
The Nepalese Foreign Minister arrived in New Delhi today for a five-day visit. “Nepal is a priority partner of India in its Neighbourhood first policy, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim will be on three-day state visit to India from Monday. Modi and Ibrahim will hold bilateral discussions on Tuesday. Malaysia is one of the six countries locked in the dispute to define the territorial waters of the hydro-carbon rich South China Sea. Last year, India-Malaysia agreed to amend the Defence Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 1993. A key aspect within this is setting up common training, maintenance, technical support for the Russian-origin Sukhoi-30 jets, used by both Malaysia and India.