COP Presidencies Troika explore in COP29 building on outcome, outputs of COP28

India on Thursday highlighted a high-level diplomatic push to protect Indian interests, emphasising the twin priorities of citizen safety and the stability of energy supply chains.

MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, while addressing an Inter-Ministerial Briefing on Recent Developments in West Asia, said that the Indian Embassy in Tehran remains fully operational and is on high alert. The government is assisting Indian nationals, including students and pilgrims, who wish to leave the country. He further added that those choosing to exit Iran via land, the embassy is assisting citizens in crossing into Armenia and Azerbaijan, from where they can board commercial flights to return to India.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged India and China to support each other's BRICS presidencies to empower the Global South. Meanwhile, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warned of lethal retaliation against threats to Americans, as President Trump claimed the decimation of Iran's leadership amid ongoing military operations.

Azerbaijan condemned drone attacks launched from Iranian territory targeting the Nakhchivan region, which damaged an airport terminal and injured two civilians. Baku summoned the Iranian ambassador, demanded an explanation and investigation, and warned it reserves the right to take appropriate response measures.

The event featured Dhruv Trivedi, Lecturer of Sanskrit and Hindi at the Azerbaijan University of Languages, along with his enthusiastic students. Ambassador Abhay Kumar, an acclaimed writer, artist and language enthusiast himself, engaged directly with the young students, who shared their passion through recitations of timeless Sanskrit shlokas, lively Hindi conversations, and insightful discussions on Indian culture and literature.