All articles tagged with #defence ministers
French President Emmanuel Macron criticized Russia's "bizarre and threatening" tone during a rare phone call between the defense ministers of both countries. The call comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine and other issues. Macron's denouncement highlights the strained relations between the two countries and the escalating rhetoric in international diplomacy.
The Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's top security meeting, is expected to be dominated by tensions between the US and China, as China has declined a bilateral meeting between the superpowers' defence chiefs. The dialogue is invaluable for the many bilateral and multilateral military-to-military meetings held on the sidelines of plenary sessions and speeches delivered by defence ministers. Russia's war in Ukraine, tensions between China and Taiwan, and North Korea's weapons programmes will also be high on the agenda of many delegates at the dialogue, analysts said.
India's defence minister, Rajnath Singh, has told his Chinese counterpart, Li Shangfu, that improved relations between the two countries depend on "peace and tranquillity" returning to their frontier disturbed by military tensions. The situation has largely calmed after military and diplomatic talks but the faceoff continues in pockets along the 3,800-km (2,360-mile) frontier. The two ministers met ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) defence ministers' gathering in New Delhi.