Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Good afternoon friends, sorry for getting a little late, but let us start this press engagement. I open the floor for questions. So, we start from here. Ayushi.
Ayushi Agarwal: Sir this is Ayushi Agarwal from ANI. I would just like to have a reaction on the second statement by the U.S. State Department spokesperson on Kejriwal, which has also mentioned the frozen Congress accounts.
Amritpal Singh: This is Amritpal Singh from Doordarshan. Could you tell us about the engagement with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister?
Vedika Sud: Vedika Sud from CNN International. I have two questions, so bear with me. The first is there were 22 Indian crew members on board the container ship when it collided with the bridge in Baltimore. What more can you tell us about their health, their condition, where they are, and has someone from the government reached out to them? The second question is if you can give us an update on the Indians who were duped by the agents and were sent to Russia to join the military. How many men do we know of now who are still in Russia and what's the update on the death toll, if any? Thank you.
Kunal Kunder: This is Kunal from PTI. This is a follow-up on the question the lady asked. The 22 crew member who were there on board, I think one report suggests that he was injured and taken to a hospital and he's now safe. Do we know about the condition of the other crew members, about their particulars, were they Singapore based, were they Indian based and traveling, and has there been any official communication from the U.S. government or marine authorities to the Indian side? Thank you.
Umashankar Singh: Umashankar Singh NDTV se. Ek aapatti jatai jane ke baad phir se America ke taraf se dusara bayan aaya hai Kejriwal aur Congress ke khaate ko le kar. To ispe kya humne apne taraf se narajgi jatai hai, aapati jattai hai? Ya kisi ko talab kiya gaya hai U.S. embassy se?
[Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] Umashankar Singh from NDTV. After an objection was raised, yet another statement has come from America regarding the account of Kejriwal and Congress. So have we expressed our displeasure or objection on this? Have you summoned someone from the US Embassy?
Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: So, let me take all these questions and then we'll come back. There are couple of questions regarding the U.S. State Department spokesperson's comment. As you know that we've already, yesterday India had lodged its strong objection and protest with the senior official from the U.S. Embassy with regard to the comments made by the U.S. State Department. The recent remarks by the State Department are unwarranted. Any such external imputation on our electoral and legal processes is completely unacceptable. In India, legal processes are driven only by the rule of law. Anyone who has similar ethos, especially fellow democracies, should have no difficulty in appreciating this fact. India is proud of its independent and robust democratic institutions. We are committed to protect them from any form of undue external influences. Mutual respect and understanding form the foundation of international relations and States are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others. So, this is our statement in response to your questions.
Amrit, your question was regarding the visit of Ukrainian foreign minister. The visit of Ukrainian foreign minister is happening on the invitation of External Affairs Minister. He'll be here for on a two-day visit. As you would have seen, we issued a press release in this regard. He'll have a bilateral engagement with the External Affairs Minister where they will go over the gamut of issues that lie in the domain of bilateral relations and also review the Intergovernmental Commission that was held earlier. They will also discuss issues regarding global issues and regional issues of common concern. And then there are several other engagements also lined up for the Ukrainian foreign minister.
Vedika, regarding your question on the Indians who were on the ship, our information is that there are 21 crew members of which 20 are Indians. All of them are in good shape, good health. One of them got injured slightly and needed to have some stitches. The stitches have been given and he's then gone back to the ship. Our Embassy is in close touch with the Indians on board and also with local authorities in this matter. Regarding Russia, as I told you earlier also, we are constantly in touch with Russian authorities. We are expressing…we have taken it up strongly for them to have our nationals release and discharged as early as possible. I will have an update for you and as and when I have an update for you, I will keep you informed. On the death toll, we know last time also I had told you that two people had passed away. Their mortal remains have come to India and they have been sent to their family members. So the death toll is where two people had passed away, died in the conflict.
Kunal, regarding your question on the crew members, I already answered. There are 20 Indian nationals on board and they are in good health and one of them was injured and we've taken care of him.
Uma ji, apke sawal ka jawab humne de diya hai. Hindi me apko iska rupantaran, iska copy mil jayega.
[Answer in Hindi: Approximate translation] Uma ji, we have given you the answer to your question. You will get a copy of its conversion in Hindi.
Siddhant: Sir, this is regarding China. China recently again claimed the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. Your reaction? And secondly, it also reacted on the Pannun case saying that country should abide by rules based order. What is India's reaction on that?
Madhurendra: Sir, Madhurendra mai News Nation se. Kal WMCC baithak bhi huwi aur usme jo LAC par Bharat aur China ke bich ka vivad hai usko bhi le kar ye bataya gaya ek press release me bhi, ki kafi in depth discussion huwa. Beyond the press release, aur koi jankari de paye ki baatchit kis natize tak pahuchi?
[Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] Sir, Madhurendra from News Nation. WMCC meeting was also held yesterday and the dispute between India and China on LAC was discussed in depth, as mentioned in a press release. Can more information be provided, beyond what is already mentioned in the press release, as to what outcome the meeting has reached?
Jessica: Hi, this is Jessica from DD India. On the recent visit of Prime Minister to Bhutan, there was a proposal to construct a motorable road through Bhutan that would connect Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Any update on that and any concerns that Bhutan might have expressed?
Rishikesh: Sir Rishikesh from PTI. So, about India-China border talks, is there any specific area of LAC being discussed like centre area or Arunachal?
Rishabh: Sir Rishabh from Times Now. The Canadian Prime Minister has again spoken about credible allegations against India in the Nijjar case and he has spoken about how he is engaging constructively with India. So, if we can have an update on India-Canada discussion around this, given that the state media from Canada had released a footage claiming it to be the CCTV footage of Nijjar killing.
Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Let's come back. Any questions that are related to the subjects that were just highlighted? Sudhi?
Sudhi Ranjan: Sir, Sudhi Ranjan from Bloomberg. Just drawing your attention to the recent statement that we have seen from Germany on Kejriwal, we have seen a string of statements from the United States on the same issue. Does the Government of India see this as separate, disparate incidents or they see a connection between these two?
Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: So, Siddhant, regarding your question, let me make it very clear…opposition on the matter has been made very clear on Arunachal Pradesh time and again. We have recently also issued statements in this regard. I think a couple of statements. China may repeat its baseless claims as many times as they want. That is not going to change our position. Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.
Your question regarding what the Chinese MFA had spoken about a certain person. I would say that India and the United States as two countries adhering to rule of law are capable of dealing with any issues that we have between ourselves. There is no role for any speculative comments and gratuitous advice by unrelated third parties. So, that answers your question.
Madhu, apka sawal tha jo abhi humne baithak kiya hai China ke saath uske bare me. Uspe hum logo ne ek press vigyapti jari ki hai. Apko main kahunga ki aap us press vigyapti ko padhe. Jo humko kahena tha hum logo ne us press vigyapti me keh diya hai.
[Answer in Hindi: Approximate translation] Madhu, your question was about the meeting we had with China. We have issued a press release on the same. I would direct you to the press release. Whatever we had to say, we have said in the press release.
The 29th meeting of the working mechanism for consultation and coordination on India-China border affairs was held on 27th in Beijing. On our side, the delegation was led by a joint secretary in East Asia in the Ministry of External Affairs. The Chinese side was led by Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on how to achieve complete disengagement and resolve the remaining issues along the line of actual control in the western sector of India-China border areas. In the interim, both sides agreed to maintain regular contact through diplomatic and military channels and on the need to uphold peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and protocols. So, this is that we have to share with you.
Jessica, your question regarding the road project you talked about. I would say that I have not seen any…you referred to any report in that regard. Where did you…where do you see this then?
Jessica: I am..where have we mentioned in CGTN about it as well, but otherwise there have been just…
Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Well, I have not seen any specific report in this regard. However, as you have seen from the outcomes of the Prime Minister's visit, recent visit to Bhutan, the two sides have been pursuing connectivity projects, several initiatives for enhancing connectivity, taking a broader view of this area of cooperation, given its significant benefits, including for tourism and for economic development.
Rishikesh apka sawal bhi China ko leke tha jo hum logo ke saath baatchit chal rahi hai. Do pakshiy baatchit chal rahi hai, uspe hum logo ne press release jaari kiya hai. Us press release me jo hum logo ko kahena tha hum logo ne keh diya hai. Toh wahi tak, yehi hai humare paas abhi apko baat batane ke liye.
[Answer in Hindi: Approximate translation] Rishikesh your question was also about China, the talks going on with us. Bilateral discussions are being held. We have issued a press release on that. We have said what we had to say in that press release. So, this is what we have to share with you right now.
Rishabh, you had a question on the Canadian Prime Minister's recent comments. See, what Prime Minister Trudeau has really said is nothing new. I would recall that on 21 September last year, my predecessor had, in a presser here, had mentioned that India remains ready and I would like to reiterate that- we are ready to investigate any specific and concrete information if it is shared with us. But we are yet to receive any such information. We have also cautioned against playing politics and giving extremists more space. So, that is to answer your question.
Sudhi, on the question of comments made by spokespersons of the United States State Department and the comments made by the spokesperson of the German Foreign Ministry, we have made our position very clear. We have, in the case of German Foreign Ministry's comments, we made a statement and similarly, we made a statement on the comments made by the U.S. State Department's spokesperson. And today, again, we have made some comments. So, that is where I leave it.
Suhasini Haidar: Suhasini Haidar from the Hindu. If I could just ask about Mr. Kuleba's visit. Ahead of the visit, Prime Minister Modi had spoken to President Zelensky, who had then tweeted that he hopes India will join an upcoming Swiss Peace Conference that will bring both Russia and Ukraine to the table, or it hopes to do so. So, I wanted to ask what India's position is on this Swiss Peace Conference and whether India will be taking any kind of a larger role, discussing any kind of a larger role when Mr. Kuleba comes here on the issue of the Ukraine war. And my second question pertains to External Affairs Minister Jaishankar's statement in Malaysia. He said that India has been asked to convey messages on the Israel-Gaza conflict right now. I was wondering if you could tell us more about what kind of messages India has been asked to convey to both sides. And is India explicitly calling for a ceasefire? Because every other country, including the United States, has now officially asked for a ceasefire in Gaza. While India has, of course, voted at the UNGA, there is no such statement yet. So, I just wanted to clarify what is India's position on calling for, on Israel for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Abhishek Desai: Sir Abhishek Desai from from CNN News18. My question is regarding the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs's statement that came in the wake of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expressing solidarity while being in Philippines. And the statement by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that this amounts to some sort of interference in third party. And third parties have no right to interfere whatsoever. And we urge relevant parties to face squarely the facts and truth about the South China Sea issues and respect China’s territorial sovereignty. You have any comment on that?
Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Okay. Yeah. So Suhasini, coming to the visit of Ukrainian Foreign Minister, as you know, that he's arrived in Delhi. He's here for a two-day visit at the invitation of our External Affairs Minister. We will be discussing several aspects of our bilateral relationship and also looking into areas of mutual interest and common concern, global issues and regional issues. As far as the question that you asked, you know, our position is very clear on peace initiatives and how we look at the Ukraine-Russia conflict. We continue to encourage peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy and remain open to engaging all ways and means that would help achieve this objective. So, that is how I would answer your question.
Regarding Gaza and the ceasefire. You know, recently there was a UN Security Council resolution which was adopted. You know, we see that resolution as a positive development. Beyond that, you know, our position on Israel-Gaza conflict is very well known and has been articulated on multiple occasions. We have repeatedly called for de-escalation and preventing the spread of the conflict. We have condemned terrorism, called for release of hostages, sought protection of civilians and reiterated the need for safe and timely delivery of humanitarian assistance and aid to the people of Palestine. And we also stand for a two-state solution. So, that is how I would answer your question.
Abhishek, regarding your question on Philippines, External Affairs Minister has already made our position very clear how we look at issues that impact that part of the world. And he made it…he talked about it in very clear terms. It is in line with our long-standing position on the particular matter.
Kallol Bhattacherjee: Kallol Bhattacherjee from The Hindu. Last week we saw the Pakistan-Afghanistan Iran desk chief, Mr. J.P Singh, visiting the Afghan embassy in Delhi. And we know that the Afghan embassy was shut down in November. So, in this particular visit he met with the consular general of Afghanistan in Delhi and there was discussion about various issues, including on Afghan-India fund that goes back in time to 2007 or 2008. So, my question is, you know, are we really now engaging the Taliban to dispensation to such an extent that where these sort of, you know, matters, like functional matters, like exchanges of funds and things like that are being discussed. And also, is the Afghan embassy now officially open? That's also something I would like to know. Because we don't have a head of mission as I am given to understand. But is there a new head of mission that you would like to tell us that has taken over in the recent days?
Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Okay. Kunal?
Kunal: This is regarding the Chinese, sorry, the Sri Lankan Prime Minister's visit to China. Is India looking into it? Is there any reading to it or what's the stand of India, sir?
Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Okay, So, Kallol, to answer your question, you know, the meeting of MEA officials with accredited diplomats is normal part of our functioning of our diplomacy. So, I would leave it at that.
Kunal regarding your question, regarding the visit of Sri Lankan Prime Minister to Beijing. You know, we monitor all developments that have an impact on our economic and security interests and we take this reaction that are required to be taken.
Sudhi: Sir thank you for giving me a second question, sir. Sir, just drawing your notice to a statement from China, which says that both sides, India and China, positively assess progress on the border issue at the WMCC meeting. Is there a breakthrough in the border dispute?
Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Shudhi, I would like to tell you that, you know, this morning itself, we had given a press release of the meeting that happened in Beijing. I would refer you to the press release. Please see, we have made some comments there. We have given details of how we have engaged with each other. And therefore, I would request that, please, if you could look at the press release, it will be helpful.
Thank you very much. Let's close this session. See you later.