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 The Hinduatan Times Sep 24, 2020 Rezual H Laskar Cross-border terror, blocking connectivity and obstructing trade are the key challenges that the  South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc)   must overcome to ensure lasting peace and security in the region, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday. Jaishankar made the remarks while addressing an informal virtual meeting of foreign ministers of the eight-member grouping, whose functioning has stalled because of differences between India and Pakistan. The meeting of the foreign ministers is an annual event held on the margins of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York that has been marked by testy exchanges between India and Pakistan in recent years. “Cross-border terrorism, blocking connectivity and obstructing trade are three key challenges that SAARC must overcome,” Jaishankar said in a string of tweets highlighting the contents of his speech. “Only then will we see enduring peace, prospe...

Sutirtho Patranobis Hindustan Times, Beijing The situation on the India-China border is “stable and controllable”, the Chinese defence ministry has said in its first comments on the ongoing standoff between border troops of the two countries in eastern Ladakh and Sikkim. The ministry said both countries have the wherewithal to resolve the situation through established communication mechanisms without directly commenting on US President Donald Trump’s offer to mediate between Beijing and New Delhi on the boundary problem. The ministry’s first statement comes in the backdrop of the standoff in eastern Ladakh between the militaries of India and China this month. “China’s position on the China-India border is clear. The Chinese border troops are committed to maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas,” defence ministry spokesperson, Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang said at the monthly ministry briefing on Thursday. “At present, the situation in the China-India bor...

Amit Chaturvedi Hindustan Times, New Delhi There has been no recent contact between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, people familiar with the developments said. The last time the two leaders spoke was on April 4, when the subject of the conversation was hydroxychloroquine, an official said, hours after US President Donald Trump appeared to suggest that he had spoken with PM Modi in recent days. They reiterated that India is directly in contact with China to address the border stand-off. Both India and China are involved in a stand-off in the Ladakh region along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). China was first to adopt an aggressive posturing by sending 6,000 soldiers of its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to the region. The troops have been moved to four locations in eastern Ladakh - three in the Galwan Valley and one near Pangong Lake. Sources said that China wants to stop the infrastructure works being done by India in the remote region. At ...