India’s Proximity Archives
South Asia
The national elections held in Nepal on March 5 resulted in the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) securing 125 out of 165 seats through direct voting, thereby enabling it to form a majority government. In the electoral results, the Nepali Congress (NC) obtained 18 seats, while the CPN-UML won nine and the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) secured eight. With the Proportional Representation (PR) system’s vote count still underway, the RSP is poised to claim at least 50 seats. Balendra Shah, a senior RSP leader and the prospective Prime Minister, defeated KP Sharma Oli, the CPN-UML chair and former Prime Minister, by a margin of 49,614 votes in the Jhapa-5 constituency. Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, a former Prime Minister and coordinator of the Nepali Communist Party (NCP), secured victory for the fifth time in his constituency, Rukum East. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended congratulations to RSP leaders Rabi Lamichhane and Balendra Shah during a telephone conversation on March 9.
Southeast Asia
Philippines’ President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in New York on March 8 to attend meetings at the United Nations headquarters on March 9–10, where he called for peace in the Middle East. Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Angelica Escalona described the visit as “very important,” noting that the UN is the most appropriate forum to advocate for civilian safety and peace in the region. Addressing the UN General Assembly, Marcos emphasised that aspirations for peace must be grounded in respect for international law, the UN Charter, and humanitarian principles. He reaffirmed the obligation of all states to resolve disputes through dialogue and to protect civilians and infrastructure in armed conflicts, urging an end to violence worldwide. On March 9, Marcos met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres to discuss key issues, including the Philippines’ bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
East Asia
On March 6, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met the visiting Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney and remarked on Canada as a like-minded partner and elevated Japan-Canada relations into a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” to further deepen cooperation across all areas, including security, economic, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges. They also decided to strengthen Japan–Canada security cooperation and established a Cyber Policy Dialogue to further collaboration in cyberspace. Both Prime Ministers endorsed the recently signed Memorandum of Cooperation, one on assisting Japanese and Canadian nationals abroad through effective information sharing, and three others on maritime security. Prime Minister Takaichi further noted progress in the energy sector, as highlighted by the commencement of LNG Canada production for Asia and the construction of a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) in Ontario. The two sides also agreed to establish an Economic Security Dialogue while fostering cooperation in supply chain resilience and advanced technology and innovation fields such as AI and quantum technology.
West Asia
On March 9, Iran's Assembly of Religious Experts elected Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country's third Supreme Leader. Russia, China, Oman, Iraq, and Yemen’s Houthis welcomed the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei and reiterated their support for Iran as a close partner. On the other hand, the U.S. and Israel described Mojtaba Khamenei as a "tyrant" who would continue the Iranian regime's brutality. They had earlier threatened to target any successor to the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Central Asia
French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan as pivotal alternative uranium suppliers for Europe, aiming to diminish reliance on Russian sources amid geopolitical tensions. Speaking on energy security and diversification, he positioned these Central Asian nations alongside Mongolia, Canada, and Australia as reliable partners, emphasising Uzbekistan's rapidly expanding uranium reserves—estimated at over 100,000 tonnes—and its potential to ramp up exports through state-backed mining ventures. Kazakhstan, already the world's top uranium producer with about 43% of the global supply, further bolsters this shift via long-term contracts with French firm Orano, which has deepened investments in joint extraction projects since Macron's prior regional visits. Macron also stressed that nuclear energy is “a key” to national independence and sovereignty while playing a crucial role in decarbonisation and long-term economic growth. He noted that a meeting of France’s nuclear policy council will take place in the coming days to adopt new decisions based on the country’s national energy strategy.
Indian Ocean Region
On March 4, a U.S. Navy submarine torpedoed and sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena approximately 20 nautical miles (37 kilometres) off Sri Lanka’s southern coast. The Moudge-class warship was returning from the Indian Navy’s multinational MILAN 2026 exercise when the submarine fired two Mk 48 torpedoes; the first missed, but the second struck causing it to sink rapidly. The crew issued a distress signal, but the vessel had already gone down by the time Sri Lankan rescue ships arrived. IRIS Dena carried about 180 personnel. Sri Lankan naval forces recovered 87 bodies and rescued 32 survivors, with others still missing. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike as the first submarine sinking by the U.S. since World War II, situating it within escalating U.S.-Iran tensions. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the attack, calling it an “atrocity at sea”, asserting the frigate was hit without warning while sailing in international waters nearly 2,000 miles from Iran’s shores.
