India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar met the Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore,  Gan Kim Yong on Sunday evening in Singapore. The External Affairs Minister expressed his happiness at the steady progress in various bilateral initiatives.

The Minister looked forward to the 3rd India Singapore Ministerial Roundtable or ISMR . Earlier, Dr. S. Jaishankar met his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan and exchanged views on several key issues. Following the Singapore leg, Dr. Jaishankar will proceed to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization foreign ministers’ meeting and also to hold bilateral talks with the leaders on the sidelines of the meeting.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Sunday in Beijing. Wang, welcomed Lavrov to China to attend the Meeting of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States.

China is willing to work with Russia and other member states to prepare for the Tianjin Summit, and promote the development of the SCO to a new level, Wang said. Lavrov expressed willingness to work with China to deepen cooperation in various fields under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, and promote continuous new achievements in Russia-China relations.

Russia will continue to fully support China in holding the rotating presidency of the SCO, enhance communication and collaboration within the framework of the SCO and others, and ensure the complete success of the Tianjin Summit, Lavrov said. The two sides also exchanged views on such issues as the Korean Peninsula, the Ukraine crisis and the Iranian nuclear issue.

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Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in court in Tel Aviv for a new hearing in his long-running trial for corruption charges. Netanyahu faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of public trust in three separate cases and he is the first sitting prime minister of Israel to face a criminal trial.  In the trial that has been delayed many times since it began in May 2020, Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing.

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Iran said Saturday its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency "will take on a new form", expressing a desire for a diplomatic solution to resolve concerns over its nuclear programme.

Iran's 12-day war with Israel last month, sparked by an Israeli bombing campaign that hit military and nuclear sites as well as residential areas, rattled its already shaky relationship with the UN nuclear watchdog. The attacks began days before a planned meeting between Tehran and Washington aimed at reviving nuclear negotiations, which have since stalled.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that Iran's cooperation with the IAEA "has not stopped, but will take on a new form", after the Islamic republic formally ended cooperation with the UN watchdog in early July.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Beijing on Sunday, reaffirming the two countries' commitment to deepening strategic cooperation and jointly addressing challenges posed by a rapidly changing global landscape.

Wang emphasized that both sides consistently approach bilateral cooperation from a historical, strategic, and long-term perspective. The two top diplomats agreed on the importance of maintaining close communication to ensure the timely implementation of consensus reached by their respective heads of state. 

Lavrov, for his part, reaffirmed Russia's commitment to advancing cooperation across various fields under the strategic guidance of the two presidents. He expressed full support for China's Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) chairmanship and pledged to strengthen coordination within the SCO framework to ensure a successful Tianjin Summit.

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EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Sunday announced a "political agreement" to conclude a long-awaited free trade deal, as US leader Donald Trump upends global commerce.

The 27-nation European bloc and Southeast Asia's largest economy have been negotiating since 2016 to agree a deal that is expected to increase trade and investment. A European Commission statement called Sunday's agreement a "decisive milestone" towards striking the deal -- which is to be concluded in September by EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic and Indonesia's chief economic minister Airlangga Hartarto.

Prabowo called the announcement in Brussels a "breakthrough". He said, "After 10 years of negotiations, we have concluded the agreement to have a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which basically is a free trade agreement ".

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The first state visit of His Majesty Emperor Naruhito and Her Majesty Empress Masako of Japan, undertaken at the invitation of the President of Mongolia, Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, has officially concluded.

During the state visit, President Khurelsukh and Emperor Naruhito held an official meeting and exchanged views on deepening friendly relations and strengthening cooperation between the peoples of Mongolia and Japan. Their Majesties attended the opening ceremony of the National Naadam Festival and participated in various official events as guests of honor.

This historic visit contributed significantly to the enhancement of the “people-centered” Special Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity with Japan—a country that shares common values with Mongolia and is regarded as a “third neighbor.”

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday briefed the media on China-ASEAN cooperation during his attendance of the ASEAN Plus foreign ministers’ meetings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Wang said that against the backdrop of rampant unilateralism and protectionism at present, China and ASEAN countries have demonstrated a strong desire to support each other, unite and cooperate, and jointly meet challenges.

He also said the meetings achieved a series of outcomes.  Wang pointed out that China puts forward the building of a community of shared future with neighboring countries and promotes the modernization of these countries.

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France and New Caledonia on Saturday announced on Saturday a "historic" accord in which the overseas territory would remain French, but be declared a new state. The 13-page agreement announced Saturday calls for a New Caledonian nationality, and the possibility for residents there to combine that status with the French nationality.

President  Macron had called for talks to break a deadlock between forces loyal to France and those wanting independence, asking New Caledonian elected officials, as well as political, economic and civil society leaders to gather near Paris to hammer out a constitutional framework for the territory.

After 10 days of talks, the parties agreed that a "State of New Caledonia" should be created. The referendum was the last of three since 2018, all of which rejected New Caledonian independence.

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North Korea Leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met on Saturday in "an atmosphere full of warm comradely trust", North Korea's official KCNA news agency reported.

Russia's foreign ministry posted a video on Telegram of the two men shaking hands and greeting each other with a hug, and said the talks were held in Wonsan, a city on North Korea's east coast where a massive resort was opened earlier this month. Lavrov's visit to North Korea was the latest in a series of high-profile trips by top Moscow officials as both countries deepen military and political ties. 

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