Lok Sabha Question No. 3406 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-08
Subject: Diplomatic ties with Neighbouring Countries
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Aashtikar Patil Nagesh Bapurao

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 3406

ANSWERED ON - 08/08/2025

## DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES

3406. SHRI AASHTIKAR PATIL NAGESH BAPURAO

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  recent  initiatives  to  strengthen diplomatic ties with neighbouring and strategic partner countries; (b) if so, the details of high-level visits, bilateral agreements, or strategic dialogues held during the last two years;

(c) the measures being taken by Indian missions abroad to safeguard the rights and welfare of Indian citizens, especially migrant workers; and (d)   whether   any   complaints   or   grievances   from   Indians   abroad   have increased   in   recent   years,   if   so,   the   steps   taken   to   address   them effectively?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## (SHRI PABITRA MARGHERITA)

(a) India has entered into multifaceted partnerships with the many countries with the broad objective of enhancing political ties, furthering diplomatic interests, strengthening national security, greater economic links   and   investments   growth,   securing   energy   resources,   promoting SDGs,   deepening   people-to-people   ties,   expanding   cooperation   in technology & innovation, infrastructure development and advancing the interests of the Global South.

India continues to make efforts to deepen defence and maritime security   cooperation,   catalyzed   by   economic   and   developmental assistance, to safeguard its interests and look forward to productive collaboration with other countries in the region and beyond. India also upholds its commitment to the well-being and progress of nations in the region as first responder and a net security provider, based on our 'Neighbourhood First Policy', MAHASAGAR outlook, and on our approach to the extended neighborhood.

(b) High level visits are established means to foster closer relations with foreign countries and promote India's engagements at bilateral, regional and global level. Through such visits India serves its national interest and implements foreign policy objectives. These visits have enhanced understanding of India's perspectives on regional and global issues   among   foreign   partners   at   the   highest   level.   Understandings reached during these visits have enabled India to strengthen relations with partner countries and put forward India's viewpoint and shape the agenda on global issues such as reformed multilateralism, peace and security, transnational crime, terrorism, cyber-security etc. while also offering the world India's own unique solutions to partners for addressing global issues. These visits and the understandings/agreements reached therein enable India to strengthen relations with partner countries across a wide range of sectors. The details of visits undertaken by the foreign dignitaries, Prime Minister as well as External Affairs Minister during the last four months are at Annexure-I, Annexure-II & Annexure-III.

(c) & (d) The Government accords utmost priority to the welfare and safety   of   Indian   nationals   including   Indian   students,   particularly   in conflict-affected   or   politically   unstable   countries.   As   such,   we   have established   mechanisms   like   walk-ins,   emails,   multilingual   24x7

emergency numbers, grievance redressal portals like MADAD, CPGRAMS, eMigrate and social media etc to address the concerns. Further, there are bilateral agreements in place with the Gulf countries to address some specific issues of labour and manpower, and also to promote welfare and protection of Indian workers.

The   Government   actively   monitors   developments   and   issues advisories.  During  emergency or crisis situations, our Missions/Posts abroad proactively help distressed/stranded Indian nationals by providing consular assistance, food, shelter, medicine and return passage to India. The Government is always prepared to take additional steps, including arranging flights for rescue operations. Some of the recent evacuation missions are Vande Bharat Mission, Operation Devi Shakti, Operation Ganga, Operation Kaveri, Operation Ajay, Operation Indravati etc.

## Visits by foreign dignitaries to India since August 2023

|   Sl. No. | Country                                                                                                         | Period of Visit           |
|-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------|
|         1 | H.E. Murat Nurtleu, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan                           | 05 th to 06 th June 2025  |
|         2 | H.E. Santiago Peña President of the Republic of Paraguay                                                        | 02 nd to 04 th June 2025  |
|         3 | H.E. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand                         | 29 th to 30 th May 2025   |
|         4 | H.E. Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco President of the Republic of Angola                                         | 02 nd to 04 th May 2025   |
|         5 | H.E. James David Vance Vice President of the United States of America                                           | 21 st to 24 th April 2025 |
|         6 | H.E. Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy | 11 th to 12 th April 2025 |
|         7 | H.E. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin                                                                             | 08 th to 09 th April 2025 |

## Annexure-I

|    | Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, UAE            |                              |
|----|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|
|  8 | H.E. Gabriel Boric Font President of the Republic of Chile                                              | 01 st to 05 th April 2025    |
|  9 | H.E. Dr. Eduardo Martinez Diaz, Deputy Prime Minister of Cuba                                           | 17 th to 19 th March 2025    |
| 10 | H.E. Mihai Popsoi, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova       | 17 th to 19 th March 2025    |
| 11 | H.E. Xavier Bettel, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Luxembourg | 17th to 19th March 2025      |
| 12 | H.E. Christopher Luxon Prime Minister of New Zealand                                                    | 16 th to 20 th March 2025    |
| 13 | H.E. Brigadier (ret's) Mark Philips, Prime Minister of Cooperative Republic of Guyana                   | 04 th to 07 th March 2025    |
| 14 | H.E. Ursula Von Der Leyen, President of the European Commission                                         | 27 th to 28 th February 2025 |

|   15 | H.E. Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan                                      | 20 th to 21 st February 2025   |
|------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|   16 | H.H. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad AL Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar                          | 17 th to 18 th February 2025   |
|   17 | H.E. Prabowo Subianto, President of The Republic of Indonesia                             | 23 rd to 26 th January 2025    |
|   18 | H.E. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of The Republic of Singapore                       | 14 th to 18 th January 2025    |
|   19 | H.E. Anura Kumara Disanayaka, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka | 15 th to 17 th December 2024   |
|   20 | His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, King of Bhutan                                | 05 th to 06 th December 2024   |
|   21 | H.E Pedro Sanchez, President of the Government of Spain                                   | 27 th to 29 th October 2024    |
|   22 | H.E. Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany                           | 24 th to 26 th October 2024    |
|   23 | H. E. Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, President of the Republic of Maldives                           | 06 th to 10 th October 2024    |
|   24 | H.E. Dr. Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of                                                | 30 th September to             |

|    | Jamaica                                                                       | 03 rd October 2024              |
|----|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| 25 | H.H. Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi | 08 th to 10 th September 2024   |
| 26 | H.E Dato'Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia                       | 19 th to 21 st August 2024      |
| 27 | H.E. Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam     | 30 th July to 01 st August 2024 |
| 28 | H.E. Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh     | 21 st to 22 nd June 2024        |
| 29 | H.E. Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan                          | 14 th to 18 th March 2024       |
| 30 | H.E. Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis                                                  | 21 st to 22 nd February 2024    |
| 31 | H.E. Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic                        | 25 th to 26 th January 2024     |
| 32 | H.E Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik, the Sultan of Oman                              | 15 th to 17 th December 2023    |
| 33 | H.E. Dr. William Samoei Ruto President of the Republic of Kenya               | 04 th to 06 th December 2023    |

|   34 | H.E Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania                                           | 08 th to 10 th October 2023   |
|------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|   35 | H.E. Ms. Raquel Pena, Vice President of the Dominican Republic                                                      | 03 rd to 05 th October 2023   |
|   36 | H.E. Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince & Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | 09 th to 11 th September 2023 |

## Annexure-II

## Details of visits undertaken by the Prime Minister since August 2023

|   Sl. No. | Country                                                 | Period of Visit               |
|-----------|---------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|         1 | United Kingdom and Maldives                             | 23 rd to 26 th July 2025      |
|         2 | Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, Brazil and Namibia | 02 nd to 09 th July 2025      |
|         3 | Cyprus, Canada and Croatia                              | 15 th to 18 th June 2025      |
|         4 | Saudi Arabia                                            | 22 nd April 2025              |
|         5 | Thailand and Sri Lanka                                  | 03 rd to 06 th April 2025     |
|         6 | Mauritius                                               | 11 th to 12 th March 2025     |
|         7 | France and United States of America                     | 10 th to 13 th February 2025  |
|         8 | Kuwait                                                  | 21 st to 22 nd December 2024  |
|         9 | Nigeria, Brazil and Guyana                              | 16 th to 21 st November 2024  |
|        10 | Russia                                                  | 22 nd to 23 rd October 2024   |
|        11 | Lao PDR                                                 | 10 th to 11 th October 2024   |
|        12 | United States of America                                | 21 st to 23 rd September 2024 |
|        13 | Brunei Darussalam and Singapore                         | 03 rd to 05 th September 2024 |

|   14 | Poland and Ukraine      | 21 st to 23 rd August 2024            |
|------|-------------------------|---------------------------------------|
|   15 | Russia and Austria      | 08 th to 10 th July 2024              |
|   16 | Italy                   | 13 th to 14 th June 2024              |
|   17 | Bhutan                  | 22 nd to 23 rd March 2024             |
|   18 | UAE and Qatar           | 13 th to 15 th February 2024          |
|   19 | United Arab Emirates    | 30 th November to 01 st December 2023 |
|   20 | Indonesia               | 06 th to 07 th September 2023         |
|   21 | South Africa and Greece | 22 nd to 25 th August 2023            |

## Annexure-III

## Details of visits undertaken by the External Affairs Minister since August

## 2023

|   Sl. No. | Country                            | Period of Visit               |
|-----------|------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|         1 | Singapore and China                | 13 th to 15 th July 2025      |
|         2 | USA                                | 30 th June to 02 nd July 2025 |
|         3 | France, European Union and Belgium | 08 th to 14 th June 2025      |
|         4 | Netherlands, Denmark, Germany      | 19 th to 24 th May 2025       |
|         5 | United Kingdom and Ireland         | 04 th to 09 th March 2025     |
|         6 | South Africa                       | 20 th to 21 st February 2025  |
|         7 | United Arab Emirates               | 27 th to 29 th January 2025   |
|         8 | Spain                              | 13 th to 14 th January 2025   |
|         9 | United States of America           | 24 th to 29 th December 2024  |
|        10 | Qatar and Bahrain                  | 06 th to 09 th December 2024  |
|        11 | Italy                              | 24 th to 26 th November 2024  |
|        12 | United Arab Emirates               | 14 th November 2024           |
|        13 | Australia and Singapore            | 03 rd to 08 th November 2024  |
|        14 | Pakistan                           | 15 th to 16 th October 2024   |

|   15 | Sri Lanka                             | 04 th October 2024            |
|------|---------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|   16 | Saudi Arabia, Germany and Switzerland | 08 th to 13 th September 2024 |
|   17 | Kuwait                                | 18 th August 2024             |
|   18 | Maldives                              | 09 th to 11 th August 2024    |
|   19 | Lao PDR and Japan                     | 25 th to 30 th July 2024      |
|   20 | Mauritius                             | 16 th to 17 th July 2024      |
|   21 | Kazakhstan                            | 04 th July 2024               |
|   22 | Qatar                                 | 30 th June 2024               |
|   23 | United Arab Emirates                  | 23 rd June 2024               |
|   24 | Sri Lanka                             | 20 th June 2024               |
|   25 | Singapore, Philippines and Malaysia   | 23 rd to 27 th March 2024     |
|   26 | Republic of Korea and Japan           | 05 th to 08 th March 2024     |
|   27 | Australia                             | 09 th to 10 th February 2024  |
|   28 | Uganda and Nigeria                    | 19 th to 23th January 2024    |
|   29 | Iran                                  | 14 th to 15 th January 2024   |
|   30 | Nepal                                 | 04 th to 05 th January 2024   |
|   31 | Russia                                | 25 th to 29 th December 2023  |

|   32 | United Kingdom           | 11 th to 15 th November 2023         |
|------|--------------------------|--------------------------------------|
|   33 | Portugal and Italy       | 31 st October to 03 rd November 2023 |
|   34 | Kyrgyz Republic          | 25 th to 26 th October 2023          |
|   35 | Vietnam and Singapore    | 15 th to 20 th October 2023          |
|   36 | Sri Lanka                | 10 th to 12 th October 2023          |
|   37 | United States of America | 22 nd to 30 th September 2023        |

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