Envoys of 5 countries present credentials to President Murmu

The envoys who presented their credentials include Dr Iraj Elahi, ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Jan Thesleff, ambassador of Sweden, Joyce Kakuramatsi Kikafunda, high commissioner of the Republic of Uganda, Nguyen Thanh Hai, ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and Didier Vanderhasselt, ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium, read a statement issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan.

India’s Middle East policy counts on a strong and robust relationship with Iran. External affairs minister Jaishankar visited Iran in 2021 and was the first foreign dignitary to meet with President Ebrahim Raisi. Both sides also hold regular foreign office consultations.

Both sides also enjoy a robust trade relationship. For example, a Trilateral Agreement on Trade, Transport and Transit between India, Iran and Afghanistan were signed in 2018. India and Iran also have 13 agreements in the fields of health, medicine and the building of Chabahar Port among others. Both sides also coordinate on a range of other issues like maritime affairs, counterterrorism among others.

India’s collaboration with Sweden relies on the bedrock of the innovation economy. Both sides have concluded a number of agreements that run from science and renewable energy to space exploration and defence. The Departments of Science and Technology from both countries cooperate closely. Bilateral trade in goods and services has increased steadily at stood at USD 4.6 billion in 2021. This made India Sweden’s third largest trading partner in Asia.

There is also a high degree of political cooperation. Since 2014, there have been 10 interactions at the head of state/head of government level. India has also hosted King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

India first established its diplomatic presence in Uganda in 1965. Since then, Uganda has grown into a key partner in New Delhi’s outreach to Africa. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the country in 2018 and concluded a series of Memorandums of Understandings (MoUs) on defence cooperation, cultural exchange and visa mobility. India has also extended support for Uganda’s energy sector by providing lines of credit for the construction of electricity lines as well as for agricultural production. Uganda is also a regular attendee of the India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS). Both sides also began their first-ever foreign office consultations in 2018.

Vietnam has rapidly emerged as one of India’s most promising partners in Southeast Asia. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Mr Nguyen Xuan Phuc held the first-ever India-Vietnam Virtual Summit on 21 December 2020, during which they adopted a historic “Joint Vision for Peace, Prosperity and People” to guide the future development of bilateral relations. On the sidelines of the virtual summit, the foreign ministers of both countries also signed a plan of action for the period 2021-23 to implement the joint vision.

The Indo-Vietnamese relationship is breaking new ground in trade and defence. During the financial year 2021, bilateral trade between India and Vietnam reached US$ 11.12 billion with plans to grow that number to $15 billion.

India has also helped Vietnam with its defence modernisation plans. New Delhi has supplied defence equipment like coast guard vessels. India has also offered a $500 million defence line of credit to Vietnam. Both sides hold a regular maritime security dialogue at the joint secretary level.

Belgium was among the first countries in Europe to establish diplomatic ties with a newly independent India in 1947. EAM Jaishankar has met his counterpart from Belgium besides senior political figures from the country. This is in line with the long-standing political relationship between the two countries. Belgium supports India’s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Prime Minister Modi also visited the country in 2016 and dwelt on terrorism cooperation. MoUs on shipping cooperation and biotechnology exist between both countries.