World Affairs & Diplomacy

5.1 Bilateral Visits

Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal paid a three-day official visit to India (5–7 June), at the invitation of External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar. The visit covered the full spectrum of India–Nepal relations — development cooperation, connectivity, trade and transit, energy, and people-to-people ties — and included a separate high-level meeting with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodríguez made a five-day working visit (3–7 June), her sixth visit to India overall (having previously come as Foreign Minister in 2015 and as Vice President in 2019, 2023, 2024 and 2025), primarily to deepen India–Venezuela energy cooperation. She held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Modi at Hyderabad House.

Myanmar's President Min Aung Hlaing visited India from 30 May to 3 June, reviewing bilateral, regional and global issues with PM Modi. India reaffirmed Myanmar's importance under its Neighbourhood First Policy, Act East Policy, and the newer MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) initiative, with both sides emphasising timely completion of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project and the India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway. (Related MoUs from this visit are detailed in Chapter 14.)

Prime Minister Modi's own outward visit to France and Slovakia (13–18 June) is covered in Chapter 3.

5.2 Multilateral Summits

The 52nd G7 Summit was held in Évian-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie, France, from 15–17 June, under the French Presidency and President Emmanuel Macron, with the theme "Working Together to Address Major International Challenges." Notable outcomes included Japan's launch of the "Partnership on Wide Energy and Resources Resilience" (POWERR Asia), backed by roughly USD 10 billion to strengthen energy and critical-minerals supply chains; a Declaration on Critical Minerals Supply Chains; and a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding between the USA and Iran aimed at de-escalating the ongoing West Asia conflict. The 53rd G7 Summit will be hosted by the United States. On the sidelines of the summit, India's engagement with Canada (below) was also announced.

The UN General Assembly elected five new non-permanent members of the UN Security Council — Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe — for two-year terms running from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2028. Kyrgyzstan secured its first-ever UNSC term since joining the UN in 1992.

The 11th Our Ocean Conference, held in Mombasa, Kenya, produced the Mombasa Declaration, adopted by 15 countries spanning Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and the Pacific, aimed at strengthening the global fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing by improving transparency and accountability around vessel ownership, licensing and fishing activity.

The 2nd Pax Silica Summit, held 25–26 June in Washington, D.C., and hosted by Jacob Helberg, US Secretary of Economic Affairs, saw 35 countries — including India — sign a Statement on Artificial Intelligence, a US-led push to build trusted, resilient AI supply chains. India's delegation was led by S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

The AUKUS security alliance (Australia, UK, USA — formed in 2021 to deepen cooperation on nuclear-powered submarines and advanced military technology) launched a joint underwater drone programme under "AUKUS Pillar Two," announced by Australia's Richard Marles, the US's Pete Hegseth and the UK's John Healey at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, aimed at co-developing Uncrewed Undersea Vehicles for maritime defence.

5.3 Institutional Memberships

Uzbekistan became the 10th member and shareholder of the New Development Bank (NDB), after ratifying the bank's Articles of Agreement — the first Central Asian country to join, following an accession law signed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on 21 May 2026. The NDB's membership now spans its founding members (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) plus Egypt, the UAE, Bangladesh, Algeria and now Uzbekistan.

Bangladesh became the 27th member of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) on 24 June — a treaty-based intergovernmental body headquartered in New Delhi, launched by PM Modi in April 2023 to mark 50 years of Project Tiger, and formalised as a full treaty organisation on 23 January 2025. Its mandate covers the conservation and sustainable management of big cat species through international cooperation.

5.4 Defence and Security Deals

The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency notified a proposed USD 482.2 million Foreign Military Sales package for sustainment support and related equipment for India's AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and M777A2 ultra-light howitzers, including a USD 230 million long-term sustainment programme specifically for the howitzers.

5.5 Global Policy Watch

Canada proposed digital-safety legislation that would bar children under 16 from holding social media accounts unless platforms can demonstrate adequate safety safeguards, targeting seven categories of harmful content including material that encourages self-harm, incites violence, or promotes hatred.

India provided emergency medical assistance to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention for the ongoing Ebola outbreak response, centred on the Democratic Republic of Congo. The first tranche of medical supplies and protective equipment was handed over by India's High Commissioner to Uganda, Upender Singh Rawat, to Africa CDC's Eastern Africa Regional Coordinating Centre.

5.6 Notable World-Leader Developments

Slovenia's Janez Janša was elected Prime Minister for a fourth term, securing 51 votes in the 90-member National Assembly and succeeding Robert Golob. Denmark's Mette Frederiksen began a third consecutive term as Prime Minister after forming a new centre-left coalition following the March 2026 parliamentary elections. South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung nominated Han Seong-sook as the country's next Prime Minister, following reports that incumbent PM Kim Min-seok would step down; if confirmed, she would become only the second woman to hold the post, after Han Myeong-sook (2006–2007). Bangladesh's Khalilur Rahman was elected President of the 81st UN General Assembly, defeating Cyprus's Andreas Kakouris and succeeding Annalena Baerbock, whose term ends in September 2026. Ethiopia's Abiy Ahmed won a second consecutive five-year term as Prime Minister after his Prosperity Party took 438 of 501 seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives in the 1 June general election. Colombia's Jaime Abelardo de la Espriella, a political newcomer backed by the Defenders of the Homeland Alliance, won the presidential run-off for the 2026–2030 term, defeating left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda.

Chapter 5 Quiz

1. Where was the 52nd G7 Summit held, and who hosted it? — Évian-les-Bains, France, under President Macron
2. What Japanese initiative launched at the G7 aims to secure energy and critical-minerals supply chains? — POWERR Asia, backed by ~USD 10 billion
3. Which country became the New Development Bank's 10th member, and what regional first does it represent? — Uzbekistan; the first Central Asian NDB member
4. What declaration emerged from the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa? — The Mombasa Declaration, against illegal fishing
5. Which five countries won new non-permanent UNSC seats for 2027-28? — Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, Zimbabwe
6. Who led India's delegation to the 2nd Pax Silica Summit? — S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY
7. What alliance launched a joint underwater-drone programme under "Pillar Two"? — AUKUS (Australia, UK, USA)
8. Which country became the 27th member of the International Big Cat Alliance? — Bangladesh
9. What is the estimated value of the US defence package covering India's Apache and M777A2 systems? — USD 482.2 million
10. Who was elected President of the 81st UN General Assembly? — Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh

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