Tag: talks

Nitish meets Patnaik, both claim no talks held on alliance for 2024 poll

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Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar met here for more than an hour on Tuesday but later claimed that there was no discussion on politics or any alliance for the 2024 general election.
Kumar, also the JD(U) supremo, callled on Patnaik, who is the BJD president, at his residence ‘Navin Niwas’ here amid speculation that the two non-BJP and non-Congress leaders will discuss the proposed partnership among the non-BJP parties ahead of the 2024 general election.
The speculation on an emerging alliance at the national level ahead of the poll had its roots in Nitish Kumar’s earlier meetings with AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party leader Akilesh Yadav and others. Kumar had also made it clear that he was in the process of uniting the non-BJP leaders.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is now likely to call on Maharashtra stalwarts Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray later this week, sources in the JD(U) said in Patna.
The Bihar chief minister also had his lunch with Patnaik at his home.
However, both the leaders after the hour-long meeting said that being old friends they talked of matters other than politics fuelling curiosity.
The meeting between the two took place ahead of Patnaik’s proposed three-day trip to Delhi from Wednesday, while the JD(U) in a tweet later claimed that Nitish Kumar has become the leader of the united-Opposition against the BJP-led NDA.
“Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has become the leader of opposition unity, went to Odisha and met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik uniting opposition parties without personal ambition,” the JD(U) tweeted in Hindi.

Patnaik, however, refuted speculations about any political understanding between the two leaders. “No discussion was held on any alliance today. I am delighted that Nitish ji came to Bhubaneswar. We are old friends and colleagues ever since we served in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s cabinet,” he told reporters.
He said the Odisha will provide 1.5 acres to Bihar government free of cost in Puri for building facilities for tourists coming for darshan of Lord Jagannath.
He shared some photographs from the meeting and tweeted, “Glad to meet #Bihar Chief Minister Shri @NitishKumar in #Bhubaneswar. #Odisha shares a special bond with Bihar and the people of the neighbouring state. Hope he had a pleasant and fruitful stay in Odisha”.
Kumar said, “Our relation with his (Naveen) father Biju Babu (Patnaik) and Naveen ji is a very old one. We could not meet due to the pandemic. No political discussions were held (during the meeting). We have good relations and there is no need to discuss any politics.”
Earlier in the day, Kumar was welcomed at the Biju Patnaik International Airport by state minister Ashok Chandra Panda and BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra.
Both Kumar and Patnaik lead their respective parties and it was expected that they would discuss politics ahead of the 2024 polls and work towards unity among regional parties.
Kumar is opposed to BJP, with which his party broke its alliance in August 2022, and has claimed that the JD(U) maintains an equal distance the saffron party and Congress.
Banerjee had met Patnaik in March in Bhubaneswar.
Odisha BJP general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan said the meeting between Patnaik and Kumar will not have any impact on the party.
“Naveen Patnaik always does whatever is in his interest. If he thinks that joining the third front will help him, he might do so and if he thinks it won’t, he will not join it,” he said.
BJD MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik said, “Kumar wants a reformative and alternative front in the country. He may discuss the matter with Naveen Patnaik. But Patnaik has already made it cleared that BJD will maintain equidistance from both Congress and the BJP.”
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#Nitish #meets #Patnaik #claim #talks #held #alliance #poll
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 9, 2023
Jaishankar holds talks with Israel foreign minister on cooperation in defence

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New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday held wide-ranging discussions with his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen, focussing on cooperation in areas of defence, agriculture and water.
“Productive and wide-ranging discussions with Foreign Minister @elicoh1 of Israel this afternoon. The main pillars of our strategic partnership – agriculture, water, defence & security – are taking our ties forward. New agreements in water & agriculture today underline the potential to do more,” Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting with Cohen.
He also informed that discussions were held in cooperation in high-tech, digital and innovation and also connectivity, mobility tourism, finance and health sectors.

Both the leaders noted the progress in I2U2 and cooperation in multilateral fora. They also exchanged perspectives on their respective regions, Ukraine and Indo-Pacific.
The two leaders also initiated an agreement in the area of mobility.
Cohen on his part said that he had an “excellent meeting with the Foreign Minister of India – @DrSJaishankar. We are strengthening ties with the most populous country in the world, and expanding cooperation in the fields of cyber, agriculture and water”.
“Our cooperation will strengthen Israel’s position in the world and stability in the Middle East,” Cohen tweeted.
The Israel Foreign Minister, who arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday on a scheduled three-day visit, cut short his trip and is returning back to Tel Aviv on Tuesday night owing to some pressing concerns.

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#Jaishankar #holds #talks #Israel #foreign #minister #cooperation #defence
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 9, 2023
Sudan army sends envoys to Saudi Arabia for truce talks

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Khartoum: The Sudanese Army said that it has sent negotiators to the Saudi port city of Jeddah to discuss the humanitarian truce as part of a Saudi-American initiative to end the conflict in the African country.
As part of the Saudi-American initiative, a delegation of the Sudanese Armed Forces left for Jeddah to discuss the details relating to the truce, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement issued on Friday by the Sudanese army.
“This tends to secure and prepare the suitable circumstances to deal with the humanitarian aspects for our citizens under the current conditions,” the statement added.

Earlier this week, both the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend the truce for seven days.
The RSF has not officially confirmed that it had sent negotiators to Jeddah, though local media reports said so.
Sudan has been witnessing deadly armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF in the capital city of Khartoum and other areas since April 15, with the two sides accusing each other of initiating the conflict.
According to UN statistics, thousands of Sudanese citizens have been displaced or forced to seek refuge in safe areas in Sudan and neighboring countries, including Egypt, Ethiopia and Chad.
So far, the deadly clashes have left 550 people dead and 4,926 others wounded, according to the Sudanese health ministry.

(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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#Sudan #army #sends #envoys #Saudi #Arabia #truce #talks
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 6, 2023
Biden calls McCarthy ‘honest’ and himself wise as debt ceiling talks heat up

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Biden declined the chance to take a personal jab at House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, choosing instead to call him an “honest man.” The two have negotiated formally just once, though McCarthy has been pushing for a followup, and Biden will meet with him and the three other main congressional leaders next week. Instead of teeing off on the speaker, Biden criticized the deal McCarthy cut with his fellow House Republicans to get a debt ceiling hike through their chamber.
“I think he’s in the position, well, he had to make a deal and that was pretty — you know, 15 votes. Fifteen votes that where he had — just about sold away everything that he — at the far, far right,” he said. “There’s the Republican Party and there’s the MAGA Republicans, and the MAGA Republicans really have put him in a position where in order to stay speaker he has to agree — he’s agreed to things that, maybe he believes, but are just extreme.”
No workarounds… yet
The president said he wasn’t ready to try a workaround for raising the debt ceiling, at least not yet. Pressed by Ruhle as to whether he would argue that the debt limit was unconstitutional (as his aides are reportedly considering), he said he had not “gotten there yet.”
“Here’s the deal, I think that — first of all, this is not your father’s Republican Party. This is a different group. And I think that we have to make it clear to the American people that I am prepared to negotiate in detail with their budget,” he said. “How much are you going to spend? How much are you going to tax? Where can we cut?”
Age is but a number
It wasn’t all budget and debt talk. Ruhle also pressed Biden about running for a second term when he would be nearly 82 at his reelection. She noted that no one at a Fortune 500 company would consider hiring a CEO at that age. So why, she asked, would voters give him a job?
“Because I have acquired a hell of a lot of wisdom and know more than the vast majority of people,” said Biden. “And I’m more experienced than anybody that’s ever run for the office. And I think I’ve proven myself to be honorable as well as also effective.”
All the president’s troops
Biden has faced criticism — from both the right and left — for his administration’s decision to send 1,500 active-duty troops to the southern border ahead of next week’s lifting of the Trump-era health policy known as Title 42. Biden defended the move in the interview, saying more resources are needed to address the influx of migrants and that he has sought help from Congress.
“We’re in a situation now where those 1,500 [troops] at the border, they’re not there to enforce the law, they’re there to free up the border agents that need to be on the border,” Biden said. “And we’re having another thousand people coming in. There are asylum judges to make judgments, to move things along.”

To Hunter’s defense
The president’s son, Hunter Biden, has been embroiled in legal problems. Prosecutors are reportedly close to determining whether the younger Biden will be charged with gun and tax violations, and his defense team has reportedly met with prosecutors.
Biden argued to Ruhle that any federal charges filed against Hunter would not affect his presidency.
“It will not because he has done nothing wrong. And I’m proud of him,” he said.
Beat the Press
When Ruhle pointed out that “sentiment in this country … is not very good,” Biden complained of the negative coverage in the press.
“All they’ve heard is negative news for years,” he said. “Everything is negative. And I’m not being critical of the press. If you turn on the television, the only way you’re going to get a hit is if there’s something negative.”
2020 rematch?
When asked about his past remarks about the “soul of America,” Biden took the opportunity to take a jab at former President Donald Trump, whom he defeated in 2020 — and who currently leads in Republican primary polls. But Biden did not identify Trump by name.
“We can’t let — we cannot let this election be one where the same man who was president four years ago becomes president again,” he said.
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#Biden #calls #McCarthy #honest #wise #debt #ceiling #talks #heat
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

May 6, 2023
UN envoy to Yemen holds constructive talks with Houthi militia

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Sanaa: UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg announced that he had “positive engagements” with the Houthi militia in capital Sanaa, calling on concerning parties to take bold steps to end the years-long war in the country.
Speaking to reporters after concluding his two-day talks, Grundberg said the discussions were “frank, detailed and constructive”, reports Xinhua news agency.
He said he was encouraged by the “positive and constructive atmosphere” and looked forward to holding further talks with the rebel group, Yemen’s internationally recognised government, as well as Saudi Arabia and Oman.

“Moving forward, any agreement needs to deliver tangible benefits for all Yemenis. It should durably stop the violence through a cease-fire that ensures the safety of the Yemeni people,” Grundberg said, adding that any agreement should pave the way for an “inclusive, Yemeni-owned political process under the UN auspices”.
The UN envoy called for increasing aid access through the Sanaa airport and Hodeidah ports, resuming oil exports, and opening key roads.
After a year of relative calm in Yemen, Grundberg urged all sides to take “bold steps” to end the conflict that has ravaged the country for over eight years.
Grundberg arrived in Sanaa on Monday to meet with high-ranking leaders of the Houthi group.
The envoy’s visit comes after two diplomatic delegations from Oman and Saudi Arabia visited the city in early April and held direct talks with Houthi representatives, which the militia described as “serious and positive” and made progress on some issues.

Yemen has been embroiled in a years-long military conflict after the Houthi militia took control of several northern cities and ousted the government from Sanaa in 2014.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in a staggering number of casualties and has plunged the Arab world’s poorest country into humanitarian crises, including widespread famine.
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#envoy #Yemen #holds #constructive #talks #Houthi #militia
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 4, 2023
Sharad Pawar hasn’t relented; no talks yet on new NCP chief: Praful Patel

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Mumbai: Senior NCP leader Praful Patel on Wednesday said there was no question of picking Sharad Pawar’s successor as party chief until there was a final decision on his announcement to quit the post.
Pawar has not relented despite repeated appeals from Nationalist Congress Party leaders and supporters that he withdraw his decision to step down, Patel told reporters here.
“Pawar yesterday said there should be a generational change. May be he wanted a new generation to step forward. None of us knew about it beforehand. He has asked for some time and we should grant him that,” Patel said.

NCP MLA from Thane Jitendra Awhad said he had resigned as the party’s national general secretary following Pawar’s announcement that he was stepping down as the party supremo.
Earlier in the day, there was also speculation about Pawar’s daugher Supriya Sule emerging as the choice for national president and his nephew Ajit Pawar as Maharashtra unit chief.
Some reports also suggested that Praful Patel, who is the NCP’s national vice president, could be the new party chief, but he ruled out the possibility.
The party committee, which Pawar himself set up on Tuesday to decide on his successor, did not meet on Wednesday, he said.
He also denied that Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil was upset with the party and he was not invited to the meeting of top leaders in Mumbai.

When asked by reporters in Pune, Patil said he had a word with Supriya Sule who said there was no such meeting.
“If the situation arises, the committee will decide on Pawar’s successor and the decision will be unanimous,” Praful Patel said in Mumbai.
“He sought time to think over his decision after the party asked him to reconsider it, and till the final decision is arrived at, there is no question of deliberating on his successor,” he said.
“There is no vacancy,” he said, adding, “whether Pawar remains president or not, he is the party’s identity and soul.” The party was trying to persuade Pawar to reconsider his decision, Patel said, adding that workers should have patience and stop resigning from their posts en masse in protest against Pawar’s decision.
The `Vajramooth’ rallies of the Maha Vikas Aghadi — the alliance of the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) — were postponed due to the hot summer conditions and it was decided on Sunday when a rally was held in Mumbai, Patel said.
“It has nothing to do with Pawar stepping down as NCP chief,” he said.
Awhad, a former state cabinet minister, said he and all office-bearers of Thane NCP have resigned after Pawar’s announcement.
Jayant Patil told reporters in Pune that he was among several people who had joined the NCP after being inspired by “Pawar saheb’s” leadership.
Asked if he would work under Supriya Sule, Patil said whatever decision the party takes, everyone has to accept it.
To a question if he felt sidelined in the party, Patil, a former state cabinet minister, said, “This is a big question. I don’t think there is any need to answer it today.” Pawar (82) on Tuesday dropped a bombshell by saying he is stepping down as chief of the NCP which he founded and helmed since 1999.
The announcement, made at an event, stumped leaders and workers of the 24-year-old party. Many party workers were seen crying and pleading that Pawar should revoke his decision.
Later in the day, Ajit Pawar announced that his uncle will need two to three days to “think over” his decision.
On Wednesday, Sharad Pawar stuck to his daily routine of meeting people including party functionaries.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole hit out at ally Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, saying he should stop “interfering in other parties’ affairs”.
On Tuesday, Raut had said decisions in the Congress are ultimately taken by Rahul Gandhi though Mallikarjun Kharge occupies the post of the grand old party’s president.
“Sanjay Raut is not a spokesperson of Congress. How can he raise question marks over the capability of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge? It is wrong to level false allegations against the Gandhi family,” he said.
“I would suggest that he (Raut) should not interfere in our party’s affairs,” Patole added.
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#Sharad #Pawar #hasnt #relented #talks #NCP #chief #Praful #Patel
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 3, 2023
Pak govt, Opposition hold talks to end deadlock over holding elections

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Islamabad: After much bickering and dithering, Pakistan’s political leaders on Thursday began talks to end the deadlock over holding elections in the country.
The government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the main opposition party led by Imran Khan, have been wrangling over the issue of whether to hold elections on the same date in the country or first go for polls in the provinces of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa only.
The government has nominated senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders – Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, Law Minister Azam Tarar and Ayaz Sadiq – and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders Yousaf Raza Gillani and Naveed Qamar as members of the committee holding the talks, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Kishwar Zehra is also a part of the government-nominated committee.
PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Barrister Ali Zafar and senior leader Fawad Chaudhary are representing their party.
Importantly, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), the ley government ally and coalition partner, has decided to skip the talks.
Speaking to the media ahead of the talks, Qureshi said that the “one-point agenda of the talks was elections”.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in his address to parliament also said that the two sides would discuss the date for holding elections in the entire country.

The talks began following the invitation by Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani to the rival groups to come forward for parleys to end the ongoing unrest and uncertainty in the country.
The Supreme Court had also asked the government and the PTI to sit together for talks but the advice was not heeded to and the court in its hearing of a case on Thursday observed that it would not push them for talks.
Though it is not clear how long the negotiations would go on, time is limited as the Supreme Court had already given May 14 for elections in Punjab and the two sides should agree sooner on a new date to postpone the Punjab polls.
The PTI is determined to press for polls in the provincial legislatures, but the government maintains its stance on simultaneous elections across the country.
The National Assembly will complete its five-year term in August this year. According to the Constitution, elections shall be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the lower house. This means that the election must be held by mid-October. The last general election was held in July 2018.
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#Pak #govt #Opposition #hold #talks #deadlock #holding #elections
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 27, 2023
Geeta Kapur talks about Sonali Bendre, Indian dance going global

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New Delhi: Ace choreographer Geeta Kapur, who is seen among the panel of judges with Terence Lewis and Sonali Bendre on the dance reality show, ‘India’s Best Dancer Season 3’, shared how she felt about judging the show along with Sonali whom she had previously choreographed.
Geeta also talked about the newness she is looking at in the third season and her friendship with Terence.
Talking about working with Sonali, she said: “Working with such an artist is always a humble experience. Sitting next to her is a mix of unreal and surreal because I feel like I really came to this place to sit next to her. I will say that I am always humbled to sit next to those who are so great in their own way, and I feel like I didn’t get there, but I have the opportunity to sit next to them.”

After having judged the previous seasons of ‘India’s Best Dancer’, she was asked what new she is looking at the contestants in this season.
She said: “I think many dancers get lost in just learning art or dance forms and lose their personality somewhere in between when we watch our Bollywood movies and look at ionic characters like Madhuri Dixit or SRK. That’s why I want to see a dancer who also brings out his unique personality through the dance form.”
Speaking about judging the show with Terence again and her friendship with him, she said: “The equation is different because we are friends, we grew out of two random people who came from two different places and are now very close. We did so many shows together and also created a nice bond. We try to create a nice bond in the meeting and I like to sit in the panel and love pulling his leg. He doesn’t mind me joking with him.”
When it comes to the global dance scene, how do you map Indian dance styles?
She replied: “I am happy to say that we are now on the world map because people welcome us, our artistes and our dance form. And we are really happy to see our culture projected all over the world.”

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#Geeta #Kapur #talks #Sonali #Bendre #Indian #dance #global
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 27, 2023
Bangladesh Army chief to hold talks with India’s military brass

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New Delhi: Bangladesh Army Chief Gen SM Shafiuddin Ahmed will embark on a three-day visit to India beginning Thursday with an aim to bolster bilateral military cooperation.
Gen Ahmed is set to begin his visit to India by paying tributes to the fallen heroes at the National War Memorial in New Delhi, officials said.
The visiting general will also be accorded a guard of honour at the South Block lawns in the Raisina Hills.

Later in the day, Gen Ahmed is expected to hold wide-ranging talks with Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande.
Gen Ahmed is also likely to meet Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari.
Gen Pande visited Bangladesh in July last year during which both sides vowed to expand their military cooperation. It was his first trip abroad after taking the reins of the 1.2 million strong force.
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#Bangladesh #Army #chief #hold #talks #Indias #military #brass
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 26, 2023
Iran, Oman hold talks reviving 2015 nuclear deal

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Tehran: Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said his country and Oman held consultations on restoring a 2015 nuclear deal and removing the sanctions on Tehran.
Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in an address to reporters following his meeting with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad al-Busaidi in Muscat, reports Xinhua news agency.
The Iranian top diplomat said that Oman has always played a “constructive” role in the nuclear talks.

Over the past years, Oman has sought to mediate between Iran and the US to help bring the nuclear talks to fruition.
Amir-Abdollahian noted that in the meeting with his Omani counterpart, the two sides agreed to soon hold the meeting of the joint economic commission.
He added that, based on the official invitation extended by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, the two ministers discussed the date for the trip.
Heading a political delegation, Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Muscat on Tuesday for talks on bilateral, regional and international issues with Omani officials.
Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear program in return for the removal of the sanctions on the country.

The US, however, pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and reimposed its unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to reduce some of its nuclear commitments under the deal.
The talks on the JCPOA’s revival began in April 2021 in Vienna, Austria.
No breakthrough has been achieved after the latest round of talks in August 2022.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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#Iran #Oman #hold #talks #reviving #nuclear #deal
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 26, 2023