India has been engaged with global partners at various levels to enter into strategic partnerships: MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh

New Delhi [India], August 8 (ANI): Union Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh on Thursday said that India has been engaged with global partners at various levels to enter into strategic partnerships and defence agreements in various domains, including intelligence-sharing agreements to bolster national security and address emerging threats.
The MoS, in a written reply, said that the ministry regularly conducts Joint Working Group (JWG) meetings, during which proposals for intelligence sharing agreements are also discussed.
Singh was responding to questions raised by Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal.
"With a view to bolster national security and address emerging threats, India has been engaged with global partners at various levels to enter into strategic partnerships and defence agreements/MoUs in various domains, including intelligence-sharing agreements. In addition, the Ministry regularly conducts Joint Working Group (JWG) meetings, during which proposals for intelligence sharing agreements are also discussed," the Minister said in his written reply.
He further said that Seven all-party delegations travelled to 33 countries to convey India's national consensus to combat terrorism and held substantive discussions with important and influential interlocutors in the executive and legislative branches, media, think tanks and Indian community.
"Seven all-party delegations travelled to 33 countries to convey India's strong national consensus and resolute approach to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. The delegations held substantive discussions with important and influential interlocutors in the executive and legislative branches, media, think tanks and Indian community. The delegations briefed their interlocutors on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor and also the long history of Pakistan-sponsored terror attacks in India," the reply added.
Earlier, Singh said that the government has engaged with the Chinese side to facilitate the resumption of border trade through all three trade routes - Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, Shipki La Pass in Himachal Pradesh, and Nathu La Pass in Sikkim.
The Minister, in a written reply, said that existing bilateral arrangements designate three points for conducting border trade between India and China, which was disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and has not been resumed since.
"The existing bilateral arrangements designate three points for conducting border trade between India and China: Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand (since 1992), Shipki La Pass in Himachal Pradesh (since 1995), and Nathu La Pass in Sikkim (since July 2006). However, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, trade through all these points was disrupted and has not been resumed since. The Government of India has engaged with the Chinese side to facilitate the resumption of border trade through all these trade routes," the MoS said in his written reply. (ANI)