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India gives warm welcome to Saudi prince, doesn’t mention Pak in statement against terrorism

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India gives warm welcome to Saudi prince, doesn’t mention Pak in statement against terrorism

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Without naming Pakistan or any terrorist outfit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman today (Wednesday, Feb 20) expressed agreement on need to tackle the menace of terrorism and increase pressure on countries supporting it.

Without mentioning Pakistan, the two leaders concurred that eliminating the infrastructure of terrorism was important to punish terrorists and their supporters.

Arriving after a trip to Pakistan, where he signed deals worth USD 20 billion, Mohammed Bin Salman, or MBS as he is popularly called, received a warm welcome in India. PM Modi broke protocol to personally welcome the Saudi Prince with his usual hug by the steps of the Prince’s plane.

MBS only had to do a token gesture, reportedly on India’s insistence, of first going back to Riyadh from Pakistan instead of coming here directly to satisfy India’s sensibilities.

Addressing a press conference after bilateral talks, PM Modi said, “The barbaric terrorist attack in Pulwama last week is another cruel sign of the world from the anti-humanity threat. To tackle this menace effectively, we agree that there is a need to increase all possible pressures on countries supporting terrorism in any way.”

MBS said terrorism and extremism are a common threat to both countries, adding that Riyadh will cooperate with New Delhi on every aspect, including intelligence sharing. He said: “The common concern is terrorism and extremism. We will cooperate with India and neighboring states to ensure future generations are safe. We applaud India’s role in this matter.” Saudi Arabia, he said, will help India on this front through intelligence sharing.

Not to put too fine a point on it, even Pakistan would have issued such a statement.

India is trying to isolate Pakistan on an international level for harbouring terrorists, including the Jaish-e-Mohammed, which claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. The government said it has “incontrovertible evidence” of Pakistan’s involvement in the attack.

Saudi Arabia has vowed to “de-escalate” rising tensions between Pakistan and India during the high-profile summit in Islamabad. A joint statement said during the talks, Pakistan and Saudi stressed that “dialogue is the only way to ensure peace and stability in the region to resolve outstanding issues”.

“They also underlined the need for avoiding politicisation of UN listing regime,” the joint statement said in an apparent reference to India’s effort to include list Jaish chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist under UN rules. Jaish has taken responsibility for Thursday’s attack in Pulwama.

India and Saudi Arabia signed five agreements to increase investment, tourism, housing and information and broadcasting. The countries also decided to expand cooperation in the defence sector.

MBS said that ties with India were in the blood of the Saudi people and that his country will invest around $100 billion in India. “We have common goals in the energy, and agriculture and we will diversify this spirit to other sectors. We have also diversified to petrochemical sector in India. Since 2016 we have invested $44 billion in India,” he said.

The visit is the first from the Saudi dignitary who is known for bringing in a different vision to the oil rich economy which is a crucial energy supplier to India. Prime Minister Modi described Saudi Arabia as one of the most valuable strategic partners of India.

PM Modi and the Crown Prince last met in November 2018 on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires. PM Modi had also visited Saudi in April 2016 and met MBS. He was the Deputy Crown Prince at the time.

From India, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected to leave for China. His three-nation tour of South Asia comes five months after a huge diplomatic crisis following the murder of journalist and fierce critic Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Trump rejects Iran’s 7-day peace plan, says deal can come after US polls

US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s seven-day proposal to end hostilities and indicated that a deal could come after the US midterm elections in November.

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Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s latest proposal aimed at bringing an end to the ongoing conflict, while indicating that a possible agreement could come after the US midterm elections in November.

Iran had proposed a seven-day framework under which hostilities could be brought to an end, the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and negotiations over its nuclear programme could resume.

Iran’s seven-day proposal

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had put forward the proposal through intermediaries. Under the plan, the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened by the end of the seventh day if specified conditions were met, while broader nuclear discussions would restart.

The proposal was based largely on an earlier understanding reached between Washington and Tehran, but Iran sought to implement the latest framework much faster. The earlier arrangement had provided a longer period for negotiations.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important waterway for global energy shipments, making its reopening a key element of any effort to ease the wider conflict.

Trump points to US midterm elections

Trump, speaking at the United Nations, showed no indication that he was ready to immediately resume negotiations on the terms proposed by Tehran.

He called for the economic isolation of Iran and said he believed a deal could be reached after the US midterm elections in November. Trump also said Iran was waiting to see how he performed in the midterm elections.

The remarks came as Iranian officials signalled that they remained open to diplomacy and described the UN General Assembly as an opportunity to revive negotiations.

Nuclear talks remain part of Iran proposal

Iran’s latest plan links the easing of hostilities with the resumption of negotiations over its nuclear programme.

The proposal follows the collapse of an earlier US-Iran arrangement. According to reporting on the latest proposal, the new framework is intended to compress the timeline for implementing commitments that had previously been discussed by the two sides.

For now, Trump’s remarks indicate that Washington is not accepting Tehran’s seven-day framework as presented, while Iran continues to put diplomacy and negotiations forward as part of its proposal.

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Iranian President Pezeshkian at UN says Iranians have been victims of US terrorism

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at the UN General Assembly that Iranians had been victims of US terrorism and insisted that Iran had acted in self-defence.

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of subjecting Iranians to what he described as terrorism while addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

Pezeshkian said Iran had defended itself against attacks and rejected the characterisation of the country as a terrorist actor. His remarks came during a rare wartime appearance at the UN as tensions between Iran and the United States remain high.

Pezeshkian accuses US and Israel of attacks

Speaking at the General Assembly, Pezeshkian said Iranian civilians had been targeted by attacks and described the actions against his country as aggression.

“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” he said, according to the report.

Pezeshkian also accused the United States and Israel of attacking Iran, while maintaining that Tehran’s response was an act of self-defence.

The Iranian president displayed photographs of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolchildren who, according to his account, were killed during the early days of the conflict.

Iran’s message at the UN

Pezeshkian’s address came against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and heightened tensions in the region.

Iranian officials had indicated ahead of the UN visit that they intended to highlight what Tehran considers attacks against its people and raise concerns over the international response to the conflict.

The Iranian delegation’s visit to New York also comes amid restrictions imposed by the United States on the delegation’s movement and other aspects of its stay, according to reporting ahead of the address.

Pezeshkian says Iran defended itself

Pezeshkian’s central message at the UN was that Iran’s military actions should be viewed as a response to attacks rather than terrorism.

His description of the conflict and the allegations against the United States and Israel represent the Iranian government’s position. They should therefore be attributed to Pezeshkian rather than presented as independently established facts.

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PM Modi’s Canada visit could help wrap trade talks, says Canada PM Mark Carney

Canadian PM Mark Carney said he is looking forward to hosting PM Narendra Modi, with both countries aiming to conclude their ongoing trade negotiations.

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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he is looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as India and Canada continue efforts to advance their bilateral relationship and conclude ongoing trade negotiations.

The two countries have been working towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with both sides previously setting a target to conclude the negotiations in 2026.

Carney and Modi have held discussions on strengthening economic ties between India and Canada, including trade and investment. Their engagement has gained momentum following Carney’s visit to India earlier this year.

India-Canada trade talks

India and Canada formally resumed efforts towards a broader trade agreement after a period of strained bilateral ties. The two sides have committed to advancing negotiations on a CEPA covering their economic relationship.

In June, Carney and Modi reviewed progress in bilateral economic cooperation during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France. They expressed satisfaction with the progress in CEPA negotiations and reaffirmed their shared objective of concluding the talks in 2026.

During Carney’s visit to India in March, the two leaders had also agreed to accelerate negotiations on the CEPA and work towards finalising the agreement during 2026.

Modi’s proposed Canada visit

Carney had invited PM Modi to visit Canada in 2026, and the two leaders agreed to remain engaged through diplomatic channels to work towards a mutually convenient date for the visit.

The proposed visit comes as New Delhi and Ottawa seek to build on renewed diplomatic and economic engagement, with trade negotiations remaining a key part of the relationship.

The focus on completing the trade talks comes as both countries look to expand commercial ties and establish a broader economic framework through the proposed CEPA.

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