Jaishankar reviews India-US ties as Doval deepens Vietnam security cooperation

Jaishankar met Indian consuls in the US, while Doval held security talks in Vietnam. The parallel engagements underline India's push to deepen strategic partnerships amid wider regional developments.

In Short

• Pakistan's suspended trade with India has reportedly cost USD 40 billion
• Six Indian tourists were rescued after heavy snowfall stranded them in Nepal
• Bangladesh garment protests shut 670 factories as workers demanded higher wages

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met India’s consuls general in the United States for detailed discussions on India-US relations, while National Security Adviser Ajit Doval held talks with Vietnam’s Minister of Public Security, General Luong Tam Quang, on strengthening security cooperation, Press Trust of India reported.

Other developments reported by PTI included the rescue of six Indian tourists in Nepal, an estimate of Pakistan’s losses from suspended trade with India, protests by garment workers in Bangladesh, a proposed liquefied natural gas project in Pakistan, large withdrawals from cryptocurrency exchange Binance and an Indian-American woman’s election campaign in Georgia.

Jaishankar held an in-depth discussion with India’s consuls general in the US on bilateral relations between the two countries.

In Hanoi on Monday, Doval and General Quang held high-level discussions on ongoing security cooperation between India and Vietnam. They agreed to further strengthen the existing “multifaceted” ties.

Pakistan has suffered an estimated loss of USD 40 billion since trade with India was suspended in 2019 following the Pulwama terror attack and subsequent escalations, the head of a business advocacy group said on Monday, according to PTI.

In Nepal, six Indian tourists were rescued on Monday after they were stranded by heavy snowfall in the Shey-Phoksundo National Park area, police told PTI.

In the US state of Georgia, an Indian-American woman is contesting a local leadership election in an affluent area where the Ku Klux Klan was once dominant and racism was widespread. She said she entered the contest to stand up to her “bully” Republican opponent and help leave behind a better world for children.

A consortium of American companies, backed by US President Donald Trump’s administration, is seeking investment of up to USD 4.4 billion for an integrated liquefied natural gas project in Pakistan, PTI reported, citing a media report on Monday.

Binance recorded a sharp increase in outflows after the largest theft in the cryptocurrency exchange’s history, which has been linked to North Korea. Customers withdrew USD 3.6 billion from the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.

In Bangladesh, garment workers continued protests for higher pay for a second consecutive day on Monday. Authorities deployed additional paramilitary forces after reports of vehicles being vandalised and major roads being blocked. The protests led to the closure of 670 factories.

The developments ranged from India’s diplomatic and security engagements with the US and Vietnam to economic concerns in Pakistan, the rescue of Indian tourists in Nepal, labour unrest in Bangladesh, cryptocurrency withdrawals and an Indian-American candidate’s election campaign in Georgia.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends