Most of the issues in the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks have been resolved or are at an advanced stage of talks, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce L. Satya Srinivas said on Monday. The 14th round of the FTA negotiations, which began in January 2022, is currently underway. The two countries are also moving forward with discussions on the proposed Bilateral Investment Treaty.
Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) signed an agreement with Argentina’s state-owned enterprise CAMYEN on 15 January for a lithium exploration and mining project. This is the first such project by a government company of India. Under the agreement, KABIL will start the exploration and development of 5 lithium brine blocks in the Catamarca province of Argentina. It will also set up a branch office in the province.
According to reports, newly-appointed Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud will visit India in February for his maiden foreign trip. On Monday, Mahmud said that he had accepted an invitation from his Indian counterpart, S. Jaishankar. He also met the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, on Monday. This was his first meeting with any foreign envoy after assuming office.
On Monday, Indian PM Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone conversation wherein they discussed progress on a number of issues of bilateral cooperation. According to a statement released by the PM’s Office, the leaders “agreed to develop a roadmap for future initiatives to further strengthen the India-Russia Special & Privileged Strategic Partnership.” Modi expressed his best wishes for Russia’s BRICS Presidency in 2024 and pledged India’s full support.
Former US President Donald Trump won the first Republican presidential contest of 2024 in Iowa on Monday. Trump won the Iowa caucuses by a 30-point margin. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis finished second to Trump, with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley came in third place. In his victory speech, Trump called for unity and even praised his rivals. “It’s time now, for everybody, our country, to come together,” he said.
The US condemned Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for launching missile strikes near the US Consulate in Erbil in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region on Monday night. National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Adrienne Watson stated that US officials had read the report of the IRGC’s claims that it targeted an Israeli “espionage centre” and other targets but that no American troops or facilities were targeted. “We will continue to assess the situation, but initial indications are that this was a reckless and imprecise set of strikes. The US supports the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Iraq,” Watson remarked.