Slovakia and India are upgrading diplomatic and economic cooperation as they mark 33 years of relations with high-level exchanges. With an EU-India trade deal on the horizon, Slovakia expects stronger demand for its exports, especially luxury cars, while easier market access could further support the movement of Indian professionals already comprising the country’s second-largest workforce.
India will host this week’s BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. Alongside efforts to strengthen BRICS resilience, innovation, and cooperation, ministers are expected to address global and regional fallout from the West Asian conflict affecting Iran and the UAE, plus priorities for sustainability and reforms in global governance.
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India and Vietnam must deepen ties amid sweeping global shifts, Vietnam’s leader To Lam said. Key forces include the reconstruction of supply chains, intense strategic competition among major economies, the rapid rise of digital technologies like AI, a green transformation, and growing demands for economic autonomy. The call points to deeper cooperation to stay resilient in an unpredictable world.
President Donald Trump has again assailed Pope Leo XIV, alleging the pontiff helps Iran and endangers people through his stance on immigrants. The Pope rejects the charges, saying his message follows church teachings on peace and opposition to nuclear weapons. The growing controversy could complicate US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Vatican visit, while Italian leaders have criticized Trump’s remarks.
UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock called for renewed commitment to the UN Charter as tensions rise, taking aim at Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace.” She argued the UN’s strength lies in its inclusive structure where every nation has a voice, and said reform is needed to tackle today’s complex global challenges effectively.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will visit India from April 19 to 21, with shipbuilding—especially LNG tankers—at the center of talks under Make in India. The effort focuses on technology transfer and scaling up production, while collaboration may also expand into semiconductors, civil nuclear energy, and defense manufacturing to deepen the countries’ strategic partnership.
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