Yeshi Seli

Against the backdrop of a thaw in India-China bilateral ties, there is an increasing number of Indians who are learning Mandarin. The main lure is the possibility of securing better-paying jobs in corporate roles or even as translators or interpreters. Also, Indian students considering studying in China will find knowledge of Chinese useful. According to estimates, there are 300,000-500,000 Indians (students and professionals) learning Mandarin at present.

Nepalese citizens have been invited to self-nominate for the position of an ambassador. A notification was issued by Nepal's ministry for foreign affairs regarding the same recently, with a seven-page terms of reference (ToR) document outlining the requirements. “The person applying for the position needs to be at least a graduate, should have no criminal record and know a foreign language,” informs a source. “The candidate also has to write an application, saying what makes them competent for the position and also what they would do if approved”. Applicants with post-graduate education will be given preference. Streams of preference include international relations, political science, law, economics and public administration. Academic publications, research work or significant scholarly contributions in areas relevant to Nepal's foreign policy will be given credence. Trade, diplomacy and culture are the favoured areas that are expected to be advocated in the pitch note.

The crude importer's strategic diversification, its eye for a cheaper barrel and its strength in flexibility has seen Venezuela emerge as a major supplier as it looks beyond the Middle East

Azerbaijan Airlines is likely to add Ahmedabad to its map soon, making it its third direct destination to India. The airline already has daily direct flights connecting the nation's capital, Baku, to Delhi and Mumbai. There can be a maximum of 21 weekly flights by the country's respective carriers, states the Air Services Agreement between India and Azerbaijan.

Noida International Airport (NIA), at Jewar, has become operational with the first flight carrying a group of 172 farmers as a goodwill gesture by the government of India. The farmers selected for the inaugural flight were amongst those who had given up their ancestral land to make way for this airport.

The present government of Bangladesh, under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, is likely to uphold the earlier interim government's recommendation to remove 11 India-led projects. Most of these projects were at preliminary stages of implementation, where there were some differences in contractual clauses.

The maiden visit of Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister, Japan, to India coincided with the 16th India-Japan Summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed PM Takaichi as his 'younger sister', and she reciprocated the sentiment by saying that she would develop this relationship as brother and sister. The two leaders held talks on trade, Indo-Pacific affairs, threats of terrorism and also increasing investments by Japan.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has reaffirmed that the Indian passport is not a proof of citizenship but primarily a travel document. “Passports are only issued to Indian nationals and their primary legal purpose is to facilitate international travel, transit through foreign ports and establish an individual's identity abroad,” affirmed an official from the MEA. “Legal citizenship rights are governed by separate legal frameworks in India”.

India and the US are close to announcing a big new defence deal involving Boeing, says US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor. “When foreign leaders show up and meet the President, Boeing is usually on the agenda, because we care about Boeing, we care about taking you to the next level and making sure that these countries are buying the best and most efficient planes in the sky.” The two nations are close to signing a bilateral trade agreement (BTA), he adds.

An increasing number of Indians are heading for Russia to work. According to estimates, close to 70,000 Indians are working across various sectors in Russia, including sectors such as construction, oil & gas, agriculture and city services, amongst others. “Given the historically friendly and trusted relations between Russia and India, there are enough reasons to believe that the overall progress in the labour mobility co-operation would without any doubt lead to the expansion of business opportunities, people-to-people exchanges and, most importantly, the growing awareness in both societies about the modern potential of our countries,” says Roman Babushkin, deputy chief of mission (DCM), Russian Embassy, India.