Indian PM Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni and thanked her for inviting him to the G-7 Summit Outreach Sessions in Puglia in June. The leaders talked about carrying over the significant results of India’s G20 Presidency to the G7 Summit.
Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal rejected the US State Department’s Human Rights Report 2023 on India, calling it “biased.” He said that the report reflects a poor understanding of the country, and India attaches no value to it.
On Thursday, India took a dig at the US over arrests in connection with pro-Palestine student protests across universities in the country, saying that there should be a balance between freedom of expression and public safety. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that democracies should display this understanding in regard to other fellow democracies as “we are all judged by what we do at home and not what we say abroad.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with his Malaysian counterpart Mohamad Hasan on Thursday. Wang said that their collaboration under the Belt and Road Initiative has been productive. He also suggested that they enhance cooperation infrastructure, digital economy, green development, and new energy vehicles. Additionally, he said that Malaysia could learn from China’s experiences in poverty reduction and development.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he plans to visit China in May. This would mark his first foreign trip after extending his rule by six more years.
Hong Kong criticised the EU’s legislative body for “political hegemony and hypocrisy” regarding a non-binding resolution targeting the city’s national security laws and advocating for the unconditional release of media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying. City officials also condemned the European Parliament’s efforts to impose sanctions on Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and other officials, labelling it as “political grandstanding filled with ill intentions.”