Recent 6 months news in International

India hosted the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies Meeting in Guwahati, Assam.

During the meeting, member nations adopted the 'Guwahati Declaration', and India proposed the establishment of a dedicated BRICS Virtual Working Group (VWG) to address evolving drug trafficking trends and enhance cross-border training initiatives.

India also organized the 'GO-BRICS India-Russia Energy-o-thon 2026' in Bengaluru, which is the world's first hackathon involving BRICS nations. Additionally, the BRICS Academic Thematic Conference, themed 'Strengthening BRICS Connectivity: Fostering Cooperation', was jointly organized by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and the BRICS Expert Council Russia in Moscow, Russia.

Union Minister S Jaishankar has launched India's campaign for election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2028-29 term at the UN Headquarters in New York. The campaign is themed "SHANTI: Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity".

It is to be noted that the UNSC comprises 15 members, including five permanent members with veto power (China, France, Russia, UK, and USA) and 10 non-permanent members. India has served as a non-permanent member of the UNSC eight times.

India has deposited its Instrument of Acceptance for the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (AFS), becoming a party to the agreement. India is the 123rd member to deposit its acceptance for the same.

The AFS, adopted at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva in 2022, is the first multilateral WTO agreement with an environmental sustainability objective.

It prohibits government support for illegal fishing and overexploitation of stocks, contributing to the protection of marine life. It is to be noted that the agreement entered into force in September 2025, following acceptance by two-thirds of WTO members.

Mindaugas Sinkevicius, the leader of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP), has been sworn in as the 20th Prime Minister (PM) of Lithuania. He succeeds Inga Ruginiene.

The Parliament of Ukraine (Verkhovna Rada) has approved the appointment of Sergii Koretskyi as the new Prime Minister (PM). He succeeds Yulia Svyrydenko.

India hosted the BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting (WMM) in Kochi, Kerala under its BRICS Chairship 2026. During the meeting, member nations reached a consensus on two initiatives proposed by India: the 'BRICS Digital Repository of Best Practices' and 'BRICS Digital Capacity Building'.

India also hosted the 3rd BRICS Transport Ministers' Meeting (TMM) in Nagpur, Maharashtra, chaired by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. The meeting concluded with the unanimous adoption of the Ministerial Declaration.

PM Narendra Modi has visited New Zealand at the invitation of PM Christopher Luxon, marking the final leg of his 3-nation tour which also included Indonesia and Australia. He received a traditional Maori powhiri ceremonial welcome at the Government House in Auckland, followed by bilateral talks.

The meeting resulted in 18 major outcomes, including the signing of 10 MoUs and the elevation of India-New Zealand bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership (SP). Both nations also adopted the 'Roadmap to 2030'.

Key announcements included a target to double bilateral trade to NZD 7 billion (₹35,000 crore) by 2030 and the establishment of a Maritime Security Dialogue. It is to be noted that New Zealand has nominated Maritime Security as a priority pillar under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and has officially joined the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA), led by India.

PM Narendra Modi visited Australia at the invitation of PM Anthony Albanese, where he received a ceremonial welcome and met the Governor of Victoria, Margaret Gardner AC in Melbourne.

Both leaders addressed the Australia-India CEOs Forum (established in 2012, relaunched in 2023). AustralianSuper, the largest pension fund of Australia, pledged an investment of AUD 500 million in the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) of India, raising its total investment in the country to AUD 3.3 billion.

The two nations launched the Australia-India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies, and Supply Chains (PACTS), replacing the 2020 Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber Enabled Critical Technology Cooperation. PACTS is based on 5 pillars: supply chain resilience, critical technology, cybersecurity, digital resilience, and defence research and collaboration.

India and Australia finalized the Administrative Arrangement of the India-Australia Civil Nuclear Agreement (signed in 2014) and signed a Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation (JDDSC), replacing the 2009 joint declaration on security.

Australia also announced the voluntary repatriation of 3 Indian artefacts: an 11th-12th century granite Nandi sculpture, an 11th-century bronze trident of Goddess Bhadrakali, and a 12th-century basalt sculpture of a six-headed Skanda (Karttikeya).

The Centre for Studies of International Relations (CSIR), New Delhi, in collaboration with the Manas National Academy, has established the International Centre for Civilizational Studies 'Manas and Mahabharata' in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

The inauguration ceremony also marked the release of the first Hindi translation of the Kyrgyz epic 'Manas', translated by Hem Chandra Pande and Ramakant Dwivedi.

Australia is replacing its traditional paper arrival card system with a new digital declaration system.

The new "Travel Declaration" system allows eligible international travellers to submit Customs and biosecurity information online before arrival. This digital transition aims to reduce paperwork and expedite entry procedures for travellers.

PM Narendra Modi has visited Indonesia at the invitation of President Prabowo Subianto to strengthen bilateral ties and strategic cooperation between the two nations.

He became the first Indian PM to address the Indonesian Parliament in Jakarta, where he unveiled the 'Ganga-Mahakam Vision' to foster a long-term strategic partnership. During the visit, he was conferred with the 'Bintang Adipurna of the Republic of Indonesia,' the highest civilian honour of the country.

PM Modi visited the Prambanan Temple and inaugurated its restoration project, which is proposed to be led by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). India has agreed to establish a branch campus of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore in Jakarta. The visit resulted in 20 key outcomes, including the signing of 14 MoUs and agreements.

The India-led Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA) has launched its flagship Global Biofuel Champion Fellowship (GBCF) programme at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.

The GBA has selected 15 early-career researchers from leading global universities and research institutions to serve as GBA Ambassadors for a tenure of 2 years. Each fellow will receive a research grant of $15,000. The selected cohort includes 2 researchers from India: Ruchi Agrawal from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Delhi, and Abhishek Sahoo from the IIT Delhi.

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has visited France to strengthen the strategic partnership and promote economic cooperation between the two nations.

She co-chaired the France Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) at Aix-en-Provence with Roland Lescure, the Minister of France. They committed to using the EFD as a key platform for addressing issues, and agreed to explore conducting the next edition of the dialogue in 2027.

Both nations agreed to enhance cooperation on critical minerals to ensure resilient supply chains. During her visit, she also toured the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project at Cadarache to reinforce scientific and technological cooperation between India and France.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a UN-backed agency, has launched the 'AI for Good Global Commission' in Geneva, Switzerland, to strengthen global AI governance, inclusion, and innovation frameworks.

The commission comprises 44 founding members and is co-chaired by Rwanda President Paul Kagame and Salesforce Chair and CEO Marc Benioff. India is represented on the commission by 3 founding members: Mukesh Ambani (CMD of Reliance Industries), Sunil Bharti Mittal (Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises Ltd), and Lakshmi N Mittal (Executive Chairman of ArcelorMittal SA).

Keiko Fujimori, the leader of the conservative Popular Force party, has been declared the winner of the 2026 presidential election in Peru.

She will serve as the 10th President of the country, succeeding interim President José María Balcázar.

China has launched its latest oceanographic satellite, 'Haiyang (HY)-2E', aboard a Long March 4B rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) in Northwest China.

This marks the 47th space mission of China in 2026 and the 654th flight of the Long March rocket series.

Jaime Abelardo, supported by the 'Defenders of the Homeland' alliance, has won the presidential runoff election in Colombia. He will serve as the President for the 2026-2030 term, succeeding Gustavo Petro.

The inaugural India–Mali Forum for the Promotion of Exports was held in Bamako, Mali, under the theme 'Reinforcing Trade and Strategic Partnerships.'

It is to be noted that bilateral trade between India and Mali surpassed $326.6 million in FY26, marking a 55% year-on-year growth compared to the previous fiscal period.

PM Narendra Modi visited Seychelles at the invitation of President Dr. Patrick Herminie and held a bilateral meeting in Victoria, Mahe. He attended the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the National Day of Seychelles as the Guest of Honour, marking 50 years of independence of the nation.

During the visit, PM Modi was conferred with the honorary "Guardian of the Blue Horizon" title, the highest distinction of Seychelles. Both countries signed 9 MoUs to strengthen bilateral relations. India extended a Line of Credit (LoC) of ₹1,250 crore for development projects and handed over a Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) named 'LESPWAR'.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal visited London ahead of the official implementation of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Double Contribution Convention (DCC), which are scheduled to come into force on July 15, 2026.

During the visit, he held a high-level bilateral meeting with Peter Kyle, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade of the UK. Piyush Goyal was conferred with the 'Special award for Exceptional Leadership in Elevating India-UK Relations'.

He also launched the 'UK-India CETA Business Utilisation Manual', a guide for Indian and UK businesses, and announced the deployment of 1,000 advisory personnel across India to assist businesses in maximizing the benefits of the India-UK CETA.