International Relations
Bilateral ties, multilateral forums, treaties and India's foreign policy
India, Italy upgrade ties | Special strategic partnership announced: Trade to corridor, defence to ports
India and Italy elevated their bilateral relationship to a Special Strategic Partnership on May 20, 2026, during a summit in Rome — the highest level of bila...
Expert Explains | How UAE’s exit from OPEC presents an opportunity for India’s strategic petroleum reserves
The United Arab Emirates announced its withdrawal from OPEC and the broader OPEC+ alliance, effective May 1, 2026 — the most significant defection in the car...
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to start first India visit on May 23
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit India from May 23–26, 2026 — his first visit to India in his current role — covering Kolkata, Agra, J...
Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping likely to be in New Delhi for BRICS summit in September
The 18th BRICS Summit is confirmed for September 12–13, 2026 in New Delhi, with India holding the BRICS Presidency for the year. The leaders of major BRICS m...
Dragon’s armour: How Xi reshaped China’s military with theatre commands a decade before India’s push
A comparative analysis of China's PLA theatre command restructuring (completed in 2016) and India's still-pending theaterisation provides critical context fo...
MULTILATERAL EXERCISE PRAGATI 2026 COMMENCES AT UMROI, MEGHALAYA
Multilateral military exercise PRAGATI 2026 commenced at the Foreign Training Node, Umroi Military Station, Meghalaya, with participation from 12 friendly na...
Watch: Why WHO is worried about Ebola outbreak | Above the Fold | 20.05.2026
The World Health Organization declared the Ebola disease outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a P...
Italy PM Meloni’s ‘parishram’ pitch steals spotlight at PM Modi press meet in Rome
PM Modi conferred Food and Agricultural Organisation's highest honour, Agricola Medal, for contribution to global food security
The FAO Agricola Medal — the Food and Agriculture Organization's highest honour — was conferred on India's head of government at a ceremony held at FAO headq...
India, Vietnam deepen defence cooperation with focus on maritime security
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a ministerial-level bilateral meeting with Vietnamese Minister of National Defence Phan Van Giang on May 19, 2026. Both s...
Modi and Meloni outline road map for India-Italy strategic partnership
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Italy (May 19–21, 2026), India and Italy published a joint op-ed articulating a road map for an elevated strat...
Commitment to democracy makes India, Nordic nations natural partners: Modi
At the 3rd India-Nordic Summit held in Oslo on May 19, 2026, India and the five Nordic nations (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden) announced the elev...
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin likely to be in Delhi for BRICS meet
India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12–13, 2026, in New Delhi, as BRICS Chair for 2026. Russian President Vladimir Putin is confirmed to atte...
Boosting defence ties, US clears Apache, howitzer support services for India
The United States government, through the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), has approved two Foreign Military Sale (FMS) packages for India totalli...
Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend BRICS summit in New Delhi in September
US extends sanctions waiver for Russian crude again: The move, its impact on India explained
The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License No. 134C on May 18, 2026, extending the sanctions waiver for Russ...
U.S.-China: A temporary truce
Following the May 14, 2026 Trump-Xi summit in Beijing, the United States and China announced a partial trade deal involving agricultural purchases, rare eart...
Putin to travel to India in September to attend BRICS Leaders’ Summit
Russian President Vladimir Putin is confirmed to visit India on September 12–13, 2026 for the 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit in New Delhi, as confirmed by a Krem...
G7 Finance Ministers explore responses to Iran war fallout
G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors met in Paris on 18–19 May 2026 under France's G7 presidency, with the Iran war's economic fallout as a centra...
Highlights: India, Nordic nations agree to elevate ties to Green Technology and Innovation Strategic Partnership
At the third India-Nordic Summit held in Oslo on May 19, 2026, India and the five Nordic nations — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden — agreed to ...