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Just after the Raisina Dialogue, New Delhi’s biggest annual foreign policy event, PM Narendra Modi went to European capitals for a series of big meetings, dominated by the Ukraine war and climate change. Three days, three countries and meetings with seven heads of government. While PM Modi certainly packed some pace in his tour of Europe, did the meetings have enough meat? Our diplomatic editor Suhasini Haidar’s comprehensive analysis has everything you need to know about New Delhi’s most recent outreach.
As the Government of India continued its push for better ties with Europe, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio in Delhi on Friday. Chief on the agenda, as has been the case during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tour to Germany, France, as well as to Denmark for the Nordic Summit, was the Ukraine issue and climate change and space cooperation between the two countries.
Why is India’s new push for stronger ties with Europe crucial both? Read The Hindu Editorial: Overcoming differences | On India’s new push for stronger ties with Europe
Top five
What we are reading - the best of The Hindu’s Opinion and Analysis
- Is it the end of the age of soft power in diplomacy? Suhasini Haidar writes on global trends and the concerning ‘Indian example’ in the neighbourhood.
- The LAC crisis has been a wake-up call in how India deals with China, former Northern Command chief Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda (retd.) tells Ananth Krishnan in this detailed interview.
- Watch and read: ‘Entrapment’ or ‘ineptitude’? Sri Lanka debt crisis reignites debate on Chinese lending –Ananth Krishnan probes the popular trope of the ‘Chinese debt trap’ in this data-backed analysis.
- Srinivasan Ramani profiles Sinn Fein, the Irish political party that has emerged the single largest party in a historic poll outcome. Does this mean that the Irish nationalist and democratic socialist Sinn Fein has won a mandate for a rethink on the Irish question?
- What does Sinn Féin’s victory mean for Northern Ireland? Vasundhara Sirnate explains.
China watch
The Asian Games that were set to be held in the Chinese city of Hangzhou in September have been postponed as China continues to battle a spread of COVID-19 cases. While the rest of the world has opened up and returned to some form of normalcy, China remains the only country still closed to the world and following a strict “zero-COVID” approach. China still bars most international travellers.
China has ordered internet platforms to step up governance of how under-18s use their livestreaming services as part of an ongoing regulatory crackdown on the booming sector.
In the neighbourhood
- An island in crisis: As citizens’ protests and workers’ strike action demanding the resignation of the ruling Rajapaksa brothers continue, Sri Lanka’s President declared an Emergency for the second time in five weeks, sparking wide criticism. The move came just after student protests rocked Sri Lankan Parliament. The developments are a consequence of a crippling economic crisis that has left Sri Lanka with reserves below $50 million currently.
- Ahead of Buddha Purnima (birth anniversary) on May 16, the government is planning a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Lumbini in Nepal, the Buddha’s birthplace recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site, sources confirmed to The Hindu.
