India’s Proximity Archives
South Asia
Peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan, held in Istanbul from October 25 - 30, were inconclusive. Both nations have expressed willingness to deliberate on three primary facets: extending the ceasefire, instituting a peace monitoring and verification system, and imposing sanctions for violations. The Turkish Foreign Ministry stated that both parties had decided to meet again in Istanbul on November 6 to finalise the operational specifics of this mechanism. A Pakistani representative stated that the talks had failed because the Afghan Taliban was not committed to or serious about handling terrorism-related issues, and they also refused to offer any written guarantees. The Afghan side, however, held the Pakistani delegation responsible for “improper conduct,” citing “unacceptable demands to Afghanistan.” Meanwhile, the clashes between the TTP and Pakistani forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, persisted, leading to the reported fatalities of six Pakistan Army soldiers, including an officer, and seven terrorists on October 30.
Southeast Asia
On November 2, the Philippines and Canada signed a visiting forces agreement. The Status of Visiting Forces Agreement is Canada’s first such military pact with an Indo-Pacific nation. In a joint briefing with Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Canadian counterpart David McGuinty said, “The agreement, which will facilitate joint combat drills between the two countries, also reflects a deeper truth that peace is built on rules and not recklessness, and that stability grows from cooperation, not confrontation.” McGuinty said Canada hopes to be present at next year’s annual flagship military drills by the Philippines and the US. Teodoro said the latest agreement would allow the two countries to "work together not only bilaterally but with other like-minded partners to preserve and enforce peace and stability, to deter instability. Both countries are also in talks for a free trade agreement.
East Asia
On November 1, President Lee Jae Myung of the Republic of Korea met with President Xi Jinping, who was visiting South Korea to attend the 2025 APEC Summit. During the meeting, Xi noted that China and the ROK, as neighbouring countries, are natural partners in cooperation. He further affirmed China’s readiness to work with the ROK to advance their strategic partnership for greater peace and development. To achieve this, Xi proposed four key pillars around which greater cooperation is needed. These are strengthening strategic communication to build mutual trust; deepening mutually beneficial collaboration in areas such as AI, biomedicine, green industries, online gambling, and telecom fraud; fostering people-to-people ties through cross-border travel and exchanges among youth, media, and think tanks; and enhancing coordination in multilateral fora to jointly promote peace and development. President Lee supported closer China–ROK relations and President Xi’s proposals. He also backed China’s hosting of the 2026 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting.
West Asia
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar visited India on November 4-5 and met India's External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. The two sides pledged to deepen India-Israel Strategic Partnership in domains such as political, security, agriculture, trade and investment, defence, critical and emerging technologies, semiconductors, cyber security, and AI. They reaffirmed a zero-tolerance approach towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Major issues discussed in the meeting included the developments in West Asia, including the Gaza Peace Plan and the return of Israeli hostages from Gaza.
Central Asia
US President Donald Trump will host Central Asian leaders for the C5+1 Summit in Washington on November 6. It is anticipated that the two sides will focus on strengthening their cooperation in three key areas, including connectivity and trade corridors, energy and critical minerals, as well as sanctions compliance and security. Since 2015, the C5+1 meeting format has been the US's primary channel for strategic diplomacy with five Central Asian countries amid increasing strategic competition with China and Russia.
Indian Ocean Region
The Indian Navy is set to commission 'Ikshak', the third Survey Vessel (Large), at Naval Base Kochi on 6 November 2025. The third ship of this class, Ikshak is primarily designed for conducting coastal and deep-water hydrographic surveys of ports, navigational channels, and Exclusive Economic Zones. Besides its core hydrographic role, the vessel has dual-role capabilities, serving as a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) platform and functioning as a hospital ship in emergencies. The vessel is built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, Kolkata, under the supervision of the Directorate of Ship Production and the Warship Overseeing Team (Kolkata). The commissioning ceremony will be presided over by Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff.
