- 3 months ago
The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, a decision that garnered attention as US President Donald Trump was a contender.
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00:00Hello and welcome, I'm Geeta Mohan and you're watching India Today Global, the top story.
00:16He asked for it, he claimed no one deserves it more.
00:19President Donald Trump has long craved the Nobel Peace Prize, doubting his role in stopping
00:24eight wars.
00:25But once again, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has passed him over.
00:30Instead, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize has gone to Maria Corina Machado, face of Venezuela's
00:36democratic opposition.
00:39Known as Venezuela's Iron Lady, she has been honoured for her fight against Nicola Maduro's
00:45regime.
00:46While Machado may have trumped Donald, her win may still help Trump.
00:51Machado, an anti-Maduro, pro-West figure, can become ammunition for Donald Trump.
00:57Is this a political statement?
00:58Is no way playing it safe with Trump?
01:01We delve into these questions with our guest, but first, here's a report.
01:05He has asked for it more than once.
01:14Will you get the Nobel Prize?
01:16Absolutely not.
01:17They'll give it, they'll give it to some guy that didn't do a damn thing.
01:21Be a big insult to our country, I will tell you that.
01:23I don't want it.
01:24I want the country to get it.
01:25I know this, that nobody in history has solved eight wars in a period of nine months.
01:36And I've stopped eight wars, so that's never happened before.
01:40But they'll have to do what they do.
01:41Whatever they do is fine.
01:43I know this, I didn't do it for that.
01:46I did it because I saved a lot of lives.
01:49But the Norwegian Nobel Committee did not find him deserving enough for the Nobel.
01:53At least, not now.
01:56Instead, Donald Trump has lost the Nobel Peace Prize to a brave woman.
02:00This year's winner is Maria Corina Machado.
02:04She has won the Nobel for her relentless fight to promote democratic rights in Venezuela.
02:10And her struggle for a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.
02:17You will be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2025.
02:22Oh my God.
02:23Well, I have no words.
02:26I, well, I, thank you so much.
02:33While Trump himself is yet to comment, the White House has reacted sharply to this development.
02:39It was a classic sour grapes moment as the White House slammed the Nobel Committee for
02:44awarding the prize to Venezuela's leading opposition leader.
02:47The Oval Office claimed the committee placed politics over peace by choosing Machado.
02:52The decision has indeed dashed Donald Trump's hopes.
02:57But Machado's Nobel win is a political decision to ensure that Norway and the Nobel Committee
03:03does not face the wrath of Trump.
03:05Why?
03:06Because she is the anti-Maduro and pro-West face that could still become valuable ammunition for Trump.
03:12The prize lends him ideological and diplomatic leverage to maintain a tough stance against Venezuela's regime
03:21under President Nicolas Maduro.
03:24Though the Nobel is independent of U.S. politics, it aligns perfectly with Trump's long-standing opposition to Maduro
03:30and support for Venezuela's democratic opposition.
03:33Machado's Nobel Prize shines a harsh light on Maduro's authoritarianism, something the Trump administration
03:41and its allies have consistently condemned.
03:44It also strengthens Washington's position to push for tougher sanctions and increase diplomatic pressure on Maduro.
03:52Machado's win is also a symbolic moral boost for Trump's foreign policy legacy,
03:57especially amid the Biden administration's wavering stance on Venezuela's sanctions.
04:02The timing couldn't be more significant.
04:06The Nobel announcement comes as U.S. military activity near Venezuela intensifies.
04:11Trump has labelled Maduro's government in certain Venezuelan drug groups as terrorist entities
04:17and Machado's award could lend legitimacy to more aggressive U.S. actions.
04:24While Machado's Nobel strengthens the narrative that Maduro's rule is illegitimate
04:29and elevates Venezuela's democratic opposition on the global stage,
04:33it does not change the reality on the ground much.
04:37Maduro still commands institutional and military control,
04:41with continued backing from countries like China and Russia.
04:44As we await the likely fiery response from Trump,
04:49who has repeatedly claimed credit for halting wars worldwide
04:52and emerging as a global peacemaker,
04:55the world is celebrating Maria Corina Machado's win.
04:59With Aasta Bharadwaj, Bureau Report, India Today.
05:04Now when a reporter asked a Bell Committee chair, Yervyn Vaitan Fryden,
05:08on why Trump didn't win Peace Prize, this is what he had to say.
05:11Yes.
05:14U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize
05:19and he'd like to have it.
05:21He even said that it would be an insult to the United States if he doesn't get it.
05:26What does your, as the chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee,
05:30think of this and how has this campaign-like activity by the president
05:35and his supporters domestically and internationally affected the deliberations
05:40and the thinking in the committee?
05:42In the long history of the Nobel Peace Prize,
05:45I think this committee has seen any type of campaign, media attention.
05:51We receive thousands and thousands of letters every year
05:54of people wanting to say what for them leads to peace.
05:58This committee sits in a room filled with the portraits of all laureates and that room is filled with both courage and integrity.
06:07So we base only our decision on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel.
06:13Pramit Palchodri, head of India Practice Eurasia Group, joins me to discuss what really happened, Pramit.
06:21A miss for Donald Trump this year and Venezuelan opposition leader being given the award.
06:30What is, what's the messaging here?
06:34Well, I don't think Trump should be surprised.
06:36The Nobel, the Norwegian Nobel Prize Committee had already indicated about a week ago that they had already selected somebody.
06:45And this was before, therefore, the declaration of the Gaza ceasefire.
06:51So while Trump, as you mentioned, has touted all sorts of ceasefires, including one between India, Pakistan, Serbia, Kosovo, Thailand and Cambodia, Armenia and Azerbaijan,
07:04it was very clear that there was only two ceasefires that would have really mattered to the Norwegians.
07:09One was Gaza and the other was obviously Ukraine.
07:12Ukraine, obviously, the ceasefire, if it happens at all, will not happen anytime soon.
07:19And Gaza was actually announced just a few days ago or is still actually, still actually in the process of being enforced.
07:27So if they had now decided last week, neither Gaza or Ukraine were ready, so to speak, for anybody to be awarded anything at all.
07:37So Trump, I think, should not have been surprised, though, of course, he may stay otherwise.
07:43But in effect, the Norwegians had made it clear that there are only two possible wars and Ukraine is actually their priority that you would ever get a prize for.
07:53Or at least that was the word. And he did not get a ceasefire for either of them in time for the Nobel Committee to make its choice.
08:00Right. Pramit, also, even if there was a peace agreement and it would have happened before the decision on Israel and Hamas,
08:10we've seen the Oslo Accord and we've seen what happened after.
08:14All the three of them, the three leaders, Rabin, Arafat and Perez, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994.
08:20Nothing came of it. Maybe they were also, they're also waiting to see whether if any of these agreements really last.
08:28To some degree, but I think more than, for example, the Nobel Science Awards and the Economic Award,
08:36which are actually almost given always to elderly people, because they wait to see whether or not the theory or really the practical experimental,
08:47the experiments that were responsible for the claim actually proved lost over a period of time.
08:52Nobel Peace Prize is both a reward for something that has happened and is sometimes used as an incentive to political leaders who are,
09:03or should we say, in the process of completing something that is tangible.
09:08So, yes, the Middle East is particularly difficult.
09:11The Camp David Accords, of course, won a set of, led to a set of Nobel Peace Prizes.
09:18Oslo Accords led to another.
09:21Each of them did result in a temporary phase of peace, if you wish.
09:25Camp David is actually still standing in, over, has, still stands today.
09:30And the Gaza one, at best, probably would result in the end of, a ceasefire would end a result of at least a lot of killing,
09:40but not probably a right result in any real structural long-term peace.
09:46But to some degree, I would argue the Nobel Peace Committee cannot really expect to be predicted, predict that far in the future.
09:54It would prefer to give, I think, at something that has actually happened on the ground at the time.
09:59Okay, can't predict far away in the future, but can they predict what a certain leader is going to do to them or the country in question,
10:08should he or she not get the award?
10:11We'll talk about that and the profile of the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
10:17Let's just take a look at what Maria Corina Machado really won the Nobel Peace Prize for.
10:23Her tireless fight to defend democratic rights in Venezuela.
10:27She was barred from elections and persecuted, but she never stopped fighting for Venezuela's freedom.
10:32Her Nobel Peace Prize honors not just her courage, but also speaks of changing times where geopolitics supersedes everything else.
10:41Here's the report.
10:41She defied a dictatorship, united a fractured opposition, and refused to be silenced, even when the regime tried to erase her from the ballot.
10:56Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader, has just been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her fearless fight for democracy and human rights under Nicolas Maduro's authoritarian rule.
11:11Machado clinched the Nobel Peace Prize, including U.S. President Donald Trump, who actively lobbied for the prize,
11:21touting his peace efforts in the Middle East, Ukraine, South Asia and other parts of the world.
11:27In 2023, Machado swept the opposition primaries with over 92% of the vote, only to be barred from the 2024 election by the Maduro regime.
11:41But instead of stepping back, she stepped up.
11:43She supported Edmundo Gonzalez for president and led the campaign in an election everyone expected them to win.
11:59Edmundo Gonzalez-Urrutia obtuvo el 70% de los votos de esta elección.
12:06Venezuela's National Electoral Council, however, declared Maduro to be the winner, even though the indications were Gonzalez had got a landslide.
12:18Since then, Machado has been campaigning in hiding, refusing to leave the country despite threats from the Maduro government.
12:26The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2025 to Maria Corina Machado.
12:38From expulsion, surveillance and threats to global recognition, the Nobel Committee hailed her unwavering belief in ballots over bullets and her courage to lead from the shadows.
12:51Maria Corina Machado is now a symbol for Venezuela and for the world.
13:00Bureau Report, India Today.
13:12Breaking news coming in.
13:13Nobel Peace Laureate Maria Machado has reacted to the win.
13:19She has praised Donald Trump.
13:21She dedicates her prize to President Trump, is what she says.
13:25Mario Machado on X has posted, we are on the threshold of victory.
13:30And today, more than ever, we count on President Trump, the people of the United States, the peoples of Latin America and the democratic nations of the world as our principal allies to achieve freedom and democracy.
13:42Machado also goes on to say, I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause.
13:53That's big.
13:54That's big news coming in.
13:56President Trump did not win the award, but he certainly has been credited for the role that he's played in Venezuela.
14:04And Mario Machado over here, crediting him and saying that she owes this award to him.
14:11Prometh, if I could bring you in.
14:13This is exactly what I was talking about.
14:15The Norwegians quite, quite knowing well enough that if they do not give it to Trump,
14:21they would have to choose somebody who White House and Trump really cannot criticize about, although they're not, they're heartburn, but they still are going to now laud the fact that someone like Machado has won the award.
14:39Well, in fact, yes.
14:40In fact, Machado is actually very popular with the Republican Party.
14:43She is a conservative, though obviously a very strong supporter of constitutional democracy.
14:49She's often said Margaret Thatcher is her model.
14:54She supports privatization and various other free market economic reforms.
15:01And in fact, last year, eight Republicans and several Democrats all signed a letter urging the Nobel, recommending her for the Nobel Peace Prize.
15:13And this included Marco Rubio, the present Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, President Trump, and Mike Waltz, who was both former National Security Advisor and now the present UN Ambassador for President Trump.
15:28So many members of his own administration are Machado fans and have, in fact, been many ways at the forefront of getting her on the list.
15:35So I think for Trump, and, you know, he's very mercurial, so he could act angrily and denounce Norway.
15:42But I suspicion he'll probably given, as you said, the very careful choice of Machado, a person who many of his own team are great admirers of and an enemy of Maduro,
15:54a man that Trump is threatening to almost overthrow through military means, means that Trump could probably just say, well, next year, I still have three more years to go.
16:06And in particular, the two big things, Ukraine and Gaza, are, should we say, pending.
16:14And with any luck, he'll hope that he can do one of the two.
16:16So he still has time.
16:17Oh, he has plenty of time.
16:19He still has time.
16:20And this is a masterstroke.
16:22They've ensured that they do not face the wrath of Donald Trump and yet not give the award to Donald Trump.
16:31Well, we don't yet know about the wrath part.
16:34But Norway is reasonably, reasonably secure because, as you know, it is a very wealthy nation.
16:40It's oil rich, financially very independent.
16:43The only thing they could potentially face a tariff over is salmon, which they are a major exporter of.
16:51And you may remember they've had this before, because when they gave the Nobel Peace Prize to, was it, the Dalai Lama, China blocked all their salmon exports.
17:01And one result was that Norway began cultivating the Indian market, which is one of the reasons we now have Norwegian salmon in India.
17:09Interesting, Prometh, we will be looking at what Donald Trump has to say after Machado has dedicated her prize to Donald Trump and the people of Venezuela and Latin America.
17:21Thank you so much for joining me here on the network.
17:23Now, after Donald Trump misses out on the Nobel Peace Prize, Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged his peace efforts, saying that Donald Trump does a lot for peace, pointing to the recent Middle East ceasefire as a key example.
17:39Listen in.
17:39I don't know whether the current US president deserves a Nobel Prize, but he's truly doing a lot to resolve complex crises that last for years, even decades.
17:50He's definitely trying, he's definitely working on these issues, on achieving peace and resolving complex international situations.
18:02The most striking example is the situation in the Middle East.
18:05If Donald can achieve everything he strived for, everything he's talked about and is trying to accomplish, it will be a historic event.
18:13Well, that's President Putin now talking about the peace efforts being made by Donald Trump.
18:23This is a blow-hot, blow-cold relationship.
18:26One day they speak of how the other is not listening, not paying heed, and they dare the other.
18:32And on the other hand, they also try engaging each other.
18:36These are two world leaders who, unlike past administrations, it is very clear that these two leaders want to engage and want to see a ceasefire and a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war.
18:51But that's not the question over here.
18:53What we're talking about is a significant announcement that took place today.
18:57That's the Nobel Peace Prize.
18:58On Statecraft, we'll tell you what the Nobel Peace Prize is, and not every winner is a deserving candidate.
19:07Is the Peace Award truly the barometer of moral judgment and valor, or has it fallen prey to symbolism over substance?
19:14You'll be shocked to see who all were nominated and who failed all the awards.
19:28The Nobel Peace Prize for 2025 goes to a brave and committed champion of peace.
19:42It's meant to be the world's highest badge of virtue, the Nobel Peace Prize, the ultimate stamp of moral glory.
19:54But what happens when peace turns political, when halos slip, and when peacemakers turn out to be anything but?
20:01I mean, there was a time when even Hitler was nominated.
20:05That's right, Hitler.
20:06From Barack Obama's premature coronation to Muhammad Yunus' financial controversies,
20:13the Nobel's history reads like a tragicomedy of misplaced faith.
20:17Behind many, if not every, glittering medal lie stories of controversies, contradictions, and sometimes outright hypocrisy.
20:26Is the Nobel Peace Prize still a symbol of hope, or has it become a political souvenir for those who talk peace but don't live it?
20:34Hello and welcome. You're watching Statecraft with Megita Mohan.
20:46Nobel Peace Prize was born of idealism.
20:49Alfred Nobel's wish that his fortune fund those who have done the most or the best work for a fraternity between nations.
20:56But over a century later, the legacy looks complicated.
21:00The awards meant to celebrate peace have repeatedly crowned war makers, opportunists, and leaders whose peace unraveled faster than applause in Oslo.
21:11Some winners sparked outrage, others embarrassed the committee, and a few, like the infamous 1939 nomination of Adolf Hitler.
21:20Yes, you heard me right, Hitler.
21:23Turned the whole thing into dark satire.
21:25So what really went wrong with the world's most celebrated peace prize?
21:31When Alfred Nobel signed his will in 1895, he couldn't have imagined that one day the world would laugh or gasp at some of the recipients of this prize.
21:42He envisioned honor for those abolishing armies, fostering brotherhood, spreading peace congresses.
21:49A noble dream until politics, ambition, and moral blind spots crept in.
21:54Unlike the science prizes chosen by scholars, the peace prize was handed to Norway's parliamentarians, politicians by trade.
22:03That alone made it vulnerable to trends, ideologies, and diplomacy disguised as morality.
22:10From its very first decade, the Nobel Peace Prize became less about results and more about gestures, hopes, and let's admit it, geopolitics in fancy wrapping paper.
22:21If there's ever been a moment when the Nobel Committee's credibility went up in flames, it was 1973.
22:28The Vietnam War raged on, villages burned, civilians died, and secret bombings flattened Cambodia.
22:35Then, in a move that stunned the world, the Nobel Peace Prize went to Henry Kissinger and La Dac Tho for the ceasefire in Vietnam.
22:45A ceasefire that lasted barely days.
22:48La Dac Tho refused the prize, saying bluntly, there is no peace yet.
22:53Kissinger, on the other hand, accepted it and skipped the ceremony.
22:57As the bombs kept falling, two committee members resigned in protest.
23:02The world was left wondering, had peace become just another political performance?
23:08Then came 1994.
23:11The Oslo Accords, hailed as a new dawn for West Asia or what is known as Middle East,
23:17brought Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin, and Shimon Peres together in a historic handshake.
23:23Oslo was supposed to end decades of bloodshed between Israelis and Palestinians.
23:29Instead, it became a mirage of peace that dissolved almost immediately.
23:35Arafat's past as a PLO militant haunted him.
23:38Rabin's peace gamble divided Israel and cost him his life.
23:43Peres' influence waned as violence returned.
23:47Years later, even the Nobel Committee's own secretary admitted it.
23:51The award didn't achieve what they hoped it would.
23:54Hope, it seems, makes a poor substitute for peace.
23:58In 2006, the Nobel Peace Prize went to Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank,
24:03hailed as saviors of the poor through microcredit.
24:07Tiny loans, big dreams.
24:09The story was irresistible.
24:11Yunus became the banker to the poor and icon of empowerment.
24:16But reality bit back.
24:18Critics accused the microfinance industry of trapping borrowers in endless debt.
24:24Some lenders charged crippling interest rates.
24:27Suicides among debt-ridden villagers in India and Bangladesh triggered outrage.
24:31In his own country, Yunus faced allegations of financial mismanagement.
24:36Politically charged?
24:38Perhaps.
24:38But damaging nonetheless.
24:40The model that promised liberation began to look like a profit machine with a moral halo.
24:46The Nobel Peace Prize is the only Nobel awarded by politicians, not scientists, not impartial experts.
24:55The five-member Norwegian committee appointed by parliament often includes former prime ministers and party leaders.
25:02That means the prize is not just moral, it's political.
25:06Fast forward to 2025.
25:08Donald Trump, back in office, was once again chasing the Nobel Peace Prize.
25:13Loudly, relentlessly and with a PR machine on overdrive.
25:18He had nominations from everywhere.
25:20Netanyahu, members of US Congress, even Pakistan's government.
25:25Supporters cited his Abraham Accords and recent ceasefire deals.
25:29He didn't start new wars, that's for sure, they said.
25:32Surely, that counts.
25:35Over the decades, the Nobel Peace Prize has turned into a mirror reflecting not peace, but politics.
25:41The biases of an age, the illusions of diplomacy and the dangers of moral marketing.
25:47It's an important visit to New Delhi.
25:52India announced the restoration of its technical mission in Kabul to a full-fledged embassy,
25:58reopening the facility closed since 2021 after the US withdrawal and Taliban takeover of Afghanistan,
26:06signaling deeper diplomatic ties with the Taliban dispensation.
26:10India pledged increased support in health, education, trade, sports and refugee assistance,
26:16including gifting ambulances and plans to build shelters for Afghan refugees from Pakistan and Iran
26:23during Foreign Minister Muttaki's visit to New Delhi.
26:29In a major shift in India-Afghanistan policy,
26:33External Affairs Minister S. J. Shankar met Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaki.
26:39This marks the first high-level diplomatic engagement between India and Afghanistan
26:45after the Taliban took over in 2021.
26:48During the bilateral meeting, Jai Shankar announced that India will reopen its embassy in Kabul,
26:55strengthen ties with Afghanistan and extend support for the country's development.
26:59India is fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan.
27:09Closer cooperation between us contributes to your national development
27:14as well as regional stability and resilience.
27:17To enhance that, I am pleased to announce today the upgrading of India's technical mission in Kabul
27:26He further emphasized that both countries must stand united against cross-border terrorism.
27:36We have a common commitment towards growth and prosperity.
27:40However, these are endangered by the shared threat of cross-border terrorism that both our nations face.
27:47We must coordinate efforts to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
27:51Muttaki, in response, assured that Afghanistan will not allow any anti-India activity on its soil,
27:59calling cross-border terrorism a recurring menace.
28:05We always sought good relations with India.
28:08We will not allow groups to threaten anyone else or use the territory of Afghanistan against others.
28:14Their joint condemnation of cross-border terrorism came amid reports of Pakistani airstrike in Kabul earlier today,
28:27targeting Pakistani Taliban leader Noor Wali Mahsoud.
28:31Muttaki also thanked India for providing humanitarian aid during Afghanistan's time of crisis
28:37and expressed support for India's Cha-Bahar Port project,
28:42which was sanctioned by the U.S. President Donald Trump.
28:50Keeping in mind the issue of Cha-Bahar Port, we are hopeful.
28:54Both India and Afghanistan are determined to sort the issue.
28:57Amid the sanctions imposed by U.S., both of our countries will be in dialogue with U.S.
29:03The issue remains top priority for India and Afghanistan.
29:07So we and Hindustan both agree with the U.S. and the U.S.
29:10and the U.S.
29:12While ties between Kabul and New Delhi are improving,
29:16India is yet to formally recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan.
29:21Both countries also refrained from displaying their flags during the bilateral meeting.
29:28With Neha Kumari, Bureau Report, India Today.
29:30Joining me now is Ambassador Amr Sinha, former Indian diplomat or envoy to Kabul.
29:40Ambassador Sinha, thank you so much for joining me here on the network.
29:43You were ambassador to Afghanistan when the very same Taliban were on the other side of the fence.
29:51Your first reaction to India's engagement, growing engagement and the need to engage the Taliban,
29:58even when the terms and conditions for New Delhi are very clear, women's rights.
30:02And I will have to ask you on how journalists like us were barred from attending Mutaki's press conference.
30:10Good evening.
30:14Yes, actually, I've seen when they were actually fighting NATO forces in 2013 to 2016.
30:21And they took control in 2021 when the then Afghan government sort of abdicated and the president fled.
30:32Since then, of course, they have settled down.
30:34And clearly, after four years, there is a realization that they're there to stay.
30:41Also a realization that they are eventually Afghans.
30:44They're trying to unite a country and run a country in the best way that they can.
30:49There are many gaps, you know, whether it's about women, the diversity, etc.
30:55But we have not taken a very ideological position on this.
30:59It's a very practical, people-centric decision, given our historical connections.
31:04And I think this was a decision of his visit, at least.
31:08It was just a progression of what one has seen since 2022 June, when we opened the technical mission.
31:17And then there have been contacts at different levels, including at the Foreign Secretary,
31:21and two conversations at the EM level.
31:24And about your being banned, I didn't know about this.
31:28First, I didn't even know that he was having a press conference.
31:32And I'm quite surprised because, in fact, we did interact with him.
31:37I just happened to be in Kabul a month ago with a group which included at least four ladies.
31:45It's a track two regional initiative.
31:47And the Foreign Minister had very nicely received all of us in the office and even hosted us to a dinner.
31:55So I'm quite surprised that who took this decision and why.
31:59But this is something which perhaps I hope you all had flagged to EMEA because I think it was in the Afghan embassy, right?
32:06Absolutely.
32:07Afghan soil, Afghan embassy.
32:09But yes, the EMEA is now in the know of what really transpired and happened.
32:14The larger question over here, Ambassador Sina, we are looking at a very big announcement.
32:20On the one hand, Motaki is saying with changing geopolitics and changing relations with Pakistan
32:26that anti-India activities will not be allowed on Afghan soil.
32:30On the other hand, India is now saying that we are going to reopen embassy in Kabul.
32:36How important do you think these decisions sit in the current context?
32:42These are important decisions.
32:44What he has said about Afghan soil not being used also has been a constant in terms of the Afghan policies,
32:51whether this government or the previous government.
32:54This they have said from day one.
32:56Then, of course, they had also very openly supported us when the Pahlkam attack took place.
33:02Opening of the embassy, we already had the embassy.
33:05We had reopened what we had called a technical mission.
33:08But now we want to call it an embassy, though still not an ambassador.
33:13So that means there is no diplomatic recognition as yet.
33:18But this will be a step towards normalization, greater access to different levels of the regime,
33:26perhaps a much larger presence there, which will help you.
33:31Because, you know, I also noticed that Farnam's joint statement had a whole slew of activities and projects that we are going to do.
33:40So I guess you need bad power.
33:42You need greater coordination with the local authorities.
33:46And that is what is being planned.
33:47So it's a good decision.
33:50And I guess not everybody may agree with this in terms of ideology.
33:56I think it's a very practical thing, which looks at India's geopolitical interest, security interest,
34:03and importantly, the humanitarian needs of Afghanistan, which are dire.
34:10Do you think this will also lead to recognition sooner than later?
34:14Well, eventually, yes.
34:15I guess that is what the Taliban government or any government would like,
34:19that it gets recognized and it gets integrated in the region.
34:23And since I told you about the regional group that I'm working with,
34:29I think I get a sense that most of the regional partners are sort of leaning towards integrating Afghanistan with the region
34:39rather than isolating them or castigating the regime.
34:43So perhaps we are also looking at influencing them so that they moderate many of the policies,
34:50which many find very difficult to accept.
34:53I know that they brought base, their power base and legitimacy.
34:58Right. Ambassador Sinas, stay on with us.
35:00There's another very strategic issue on which both now see eye to eye.
35:04India has backed Afghanistan on the Bagram Air Base issue,
35:09raising questions if this will move, will unsettle U.S. President Donald Trump amid growing India-U.S. tensions.
35:16Here's a report.
35:17As Afghanistan's Taliban foreign minister, Aamir Khan Mutaqi arrived in India,
35:27a series of explosions and bursts of gunfire rattled Afghanistan's capital Kabul.
35:32The cause of the blast and details on the casualties remain unclear.
35:36Reports suggest the blast may have targeted senior TTP leaders, including its chief, Noor Wali Mehusud.
35:42Soon after the incident, speculation flooded on social media alleging Pakistan's involvement.
35:48However, the Taliban has not levelled any accusations so far.
35:52The incident comes amid worsening ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
35:56Since the Taliban came to power, Islamabad has accused Kabul of providing safe haven to armed groups,
36:02particularly the Tariq-e-Taliban Pakistan, which Pakistan blames for attacks on its security forces.
36:09Pakistan, once a key backer of the Afghan Taliban, now appears to be distancing itself from Kabul
36:14as the Taliban government attempts to reset its foreign policy and rebuild ties with India in pursuit of international recognition.
36:22Earlier, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khwaja Asif accused Afghanistan of betraying Pakistan despite receiving benefits.
36:29This is the case of the Taliban.
36:59These developments follow India's decision to support Afghanistan's stance
37:04on the Bagram Air Base after US President Donald Trump suggested reclaiming the base
37:09and warned Kabul of consequences if it refused.
37:13We'll see what happens with Bagram. We're talking to Afghanistan.
37:18It should have never been given up. It was the most embarrassing day in the history of our country.
37:23There was no reason to give it up. I was leaving Afghanistan. I was leaving.
37:27I was the one that got it down to 5,000 soldiers, but we were going to keep Bagram, the air base.
37:33We gave it up for nothing. There was no reason to give it up. We weren't going to leave Bagram.
37:38Afghanistan, however, strongly opposed President Trump's proposal,
37:42asserting that not even one meter of Afghan land will be given to the Americans.
37:50Somebody asked if the United States engages with you or recognizes you,
37:54will you give Bagram in return or not?
37:57Not even one meter of Afghan land will be given to the Americans.
38:08What's drawing attention now is India's backing of Afghanistan
38:11at a time when India-U.S. relations are strained,
38:14following Trump's tariffs on India over Russian oil imports.
38:17The question remains, will India's stance further rattle Trump?
38:22While New Delhi supports Afghanistan's stance over Bagram,
38:25it still hasn't recognized the Taliban government.
38:28The question persists, is India on the right or wrong side of history?
38:32India maintains that human rights, especially women's rights,
38:35remain central to its conditions for recognizing the Taliban government in Afghanistan,
38:39stressing the need for an inclusive government
38:42that ensures women's participation in public lives.
38:45With Neha Kumari, Bureau Report, India Today.
38:48Now, no women journalists were present in the press conference
38:56that was held by Afghan Foreign Minister Amer Khan Muttaki
39:00at the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi.
39:02Women journalists were not invited by the Taliban official.
39:06I myself was one of them.
39:07Meanwhile, there was also a flag row at the Afghan Embassy
39:10during the press conference of the Afghan Foreign Minister.
39:13The embassy staff who were there from the erstwhile regime
39:16did not want Muttaki's Taliban team to place the Islamic Emirates' white Islamic flag
39:23and wanted the older Afghan flag to continue remaining there.
39:29After an argument, they removed the flagpoles from the press conference room.
39:33Their argument was that the Indian government has still not recognized the Taliban flag
39:38and therefore, they will not let it be placed behind the Afghan Foreign Minister.
39:44Pranay Upadhyay, my colleague joins me.
39:46We also have Ambassador Amr Sinhaar continuing to be with us.
39:51Pranay, women not allowed.
39:53We tried very hard, but it does seem like they brought their rules from Kabul to New Delhi.
39:59It's really bizarre to notice there, Gita,
40:02because in my, you know, over 20 years of reporting in Delhi
40:07and in my 25 years of journalism career,
40:09I've never seen such kind of segregation or such kind of, you know, press conference
40:13where there is a gender segregation that only on the basis of gender people were allowed.
40:18However, this was the Taliban thing.
40:21And as you pointed it out, it was Afghan embassy, Afghan soil,
40:24and that's why they were recutting the rules.
40:27However, as far as the press conference is concerned,
40:30there were questions about the women right there.
40:32There were questions about that, you know,
40:34will Taliban be giving more visas to women to study in India
40:38in the case of increased visa quota there?
40:43You mentioned about the flag issue, the flag row.
40:47Definitely, it happened before us and we were there in the embassy
40:50and, you know, we saw some of the embassy officials
40:55and of the embassy employees who were posted by the erstwhile government
40:59fuming in the situation.
41:02However, the Taliban government or the Taliban government representative,
41:06Aamir Khan Mottaki, were pretty cool there.
41:08And the departing statement, you know, before leaving the embassy premises,
41:13Aamir Khan Mottaki said that this embassy belongs to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
41:18So that was his last statement.
41:19And it was a very telling statement because he got an assurance that now onwards,
41:23Afghanistan, Taliban regime can place their diplomats in Delhi, in this embassy.
41:29But this remains a dilemma because so far there is no official recognition.
41:34However, there are substantive steps towards making a full recognition,
41:39as Ambassador Sina also, you know, pointed it out.
41:42There are attractive negotiations.
41:44There are, you know, negotiations, you know, official and formal engagements as well.
41:49And there is an incremental, you know, there is an incremental approach.
41:53There is a gradual improvement in India-Afghan engagement as well as India-Afghan ties.
41:58Right. Ambassador Sinaivak, if I could rope you in.
42:01Complicated and multi-layered relationship over here.
42:03They'll have to walk a tightrope on many issues.
42:06Now it's the Afghan embassy and the flag issue.
42:09They're still not decided.
42:10We saw no flags in the official bilateral meeting as well,
42:14only because I suppose there was complication with regards to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan flag.
42:21That's the Taliban flag.
42:22These complications will happen and will keep recurring.
42:27Yes, not at all.
42:29But of course, I think the Taliban also is practical.
42:33That is why you see that the main flag post outside the embassy,
42:40which has the national flag, it still carries the old flag.
42:43They still allow the Afghan cricket team to play under the old Afghan flag.
42:48So they have been flexible.
42:50They have been using the Republic of Afghanistan passport for all the people.
42:54So these are practical considerations.
42:57Here, I guess, on his table, he wanted his Taliban flag,
43:02which is also, Taliban was also a political party, a force, of course,
43:06which has now become their national flag.
43:09So, yeah, these things they would resolve.
43:11Now, the problem with this embassy of earlier officials and the current officials,
43:18the fact is that he is visiting here as foreign minister of Afghanistan.
43:23And obviously, the embassy, his rate will run.
43:27Now, I don't think there should be any quarrel.
43:30There will be certain ground rules that the government of India would have laid down
43:33in terms of the recognition, how many number of people who will come or who will stay.
43:39And those, I guess, they would respect.
43:41But within that, I guess, the government of India will not interfere in what happens eternally in the embassy.
43:47About women, as I told you, I'm quite surprised why this happened,
43:52because they were, as I told you, they were not only, there was an Indian,
43:55there were the Pakistani two German ladies who had, we had all met him.
43:59So, maybe a press conference, they have a separate protocol.
44:03But I hope the Indian journalists who were there asked him directly this question,
44:07because he also needs to know that apparently this had happened.
44:12So, maybe your colleague can throw some light whether the male journalists who were there
44:17asked that question and what response did he give?
44:20Well, Pranay, what's the response as to why we weren't allowed?
44:25Unfortunately, there was no direct question regarding, you know,
44:29why the women journalists are not invited.
44:31Because, as I told you earlier as well, Geetha, that he, you know,
44:35kind of abruptly ended the press conference because he said that,
44:38I have some prior commitment.
44:39And before we could get, you know, the first round of the question,
44:43like not everyone got a chance to ask question.
44:46And we thought that this will go a bit longer.
44:48And we would, you know, ask these questions.
44:51But he ended the press conference, though he was there, he was around,
44:57but with his officials and with his team.
45:00But he ended the press conference and then he left the embassy premises.
45:04But, you know, Ambassador Sina is here, Geetha.
45:06I am curious that what will happen to the India's case regarding the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2593,
45:14which explicitly mentioned about the women's right and in plight of women.
45:18And this resolution was passed during the presidency of India in United Nations Security Council.
45:23I guess I'm not, we are not abandoning that resolution and all resolutions stand like the various 1267 and various committees.
45:34And I guess the call that government would have taken that it is perhaps better to engage with them and impress upon them.
45:41And, you know, at times you can change behaviors also through example.
45:47So if more people come here, they will realize that what Indian women have achieved and what they can.
45:54And if they can actually allow Afghan women to pursue education either online or they let them come out to India,
46:01because in Afghanistan, unfortunately, higher education is not possible, right?
46:05But these are socio-cultural issues that they will have to resolve because, you see, this is creating friction within the Afghan society
46:16and within the regime as far as I can see.
46:20Right. Ambassador Sina Prana actually had asked the question to Mutaki on whether they'll allow women to come to India
46:26on the same exchange program or the programs for higher education.
46:31Having said that, India could be at loggerheads with America yet again on the Bagram base.
46:36Strategically speaking, right now, it works in our favor to engage Afghanistan the way we're doing.
46:42But in the long run, are we on the right side or the wrong side of history when it comes to America?
46:49See, I don't even know whether President Trump is serious about Bagram
46:53and what he has said because he also wants Greenland, he wants Panama Canal,
47:00he wanted to change the Gulf of Mexico, which he did change.
47:05So I don't know whether Bagram is just another one of his kite-flying statements
47:09because it was only, what, six years, four years ago
47:14that eyes wide open, it was under his presidency that Jalmay Khalil Zahad negotiated the Doha agreement,
47:23which was an agreement on withdrawal.
47:25And that very clearly stated that Taliban will not accept even one foreign military presence on their soil.
47:34Now, of course, he, in his statement, he says he brought it down to 5,000.
47:37And if I recall correctly, just before he left office, he had brought it down to 3,500,
47:44which was not even sufficient to protect Bagram.
47:47In fact, if you remember when they thought of the final withdrawal,
47:52just to protect the airport and the route as well as Bagram,
47:56first they had to re-induct over 9,000 soldiers back into Afghanistan
48:00after withdrawing it down to 3,500.
48:03So obviously, this sort of a flip-flop policy, he, of course, blames others,
48:09but he and his administration needs to take some responsibility on that infusion.
48:16Right.
48:16As far as acceding to the demand, I think it will be a suicide for the Taliban government,
48:23which has fought 20 years, basically, to get foreigners out of Afghanistan.
48:27And even if the leadership was inclined to let them have,
48:32which America is actually only in 2014.
48:38The biggest achievement was the signing of the bilateral security agreement
48:42with the Afghan government.
48:44President Ghani government's first act in 2014, September,
48:49was to sign and give rights to seven bases in US, in Afghanistan for 20 years.
48:55Right. In fact, Foreign Minister Mutaki himself made it very clear
49:00that if they want, they can come as diplomatic missions.
49:02Certainly, men in uniform from foreign countries will not be allowed.
49:07Ambassador Sinha, Pranav Padhi, thank you so much for joining us here.
49:13Now, China has reportedly asked India to provide guarantees
49:16that heavy rare-earth magnets imported from China
49:19will not be re-exported to the United States before shipments begin.
49:23Beijing wants these magnets critical for sectors like electric vehicles
49:28and defence to be used exclusively for India's domestic needs.
49:32It is reportedly seeking export control assurances
49:35similar to those under the Wassenaar arrangement,
49:39which governs the trade of dual-use technologies
49:42among its 42 member countries.
49:45Although India is a Wassenaar signatory and China is not,
49:50Beijing wants India to follow comparable end-use certification rules.
49:53Indian firms have already submitted end-user certificates
49:57confirming the magnets will not be used to produce weapons of mass destruction.
50:03So far, New Delhi has not agreed to China's export control demands.
50:06U.S. Ambassador-designate to India, Sergio Gore, begins his visit to India
50:15along with Michael Regas, Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources.
50:19He will travel to India from October 9th to 14th
50:22and meet Indian government counterparts
50:24to discuss wide-ranging issues between India and the United States of America.
50:29His visit, coming just days after his confirmation by the U.S. Senate,
50:33takes place amid ongoing bilateral tensions between the two countries
50:37over tariffs and increased H-1B visa fees.
50:41Also, there could be a likely meeting between President Trump
50:44and Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of ASEAN in Malaysia end of this month.
50:49A day after Israel-Hamas agreed to first phase of a peace plan,
50:58cease-fire agreement came into effect.
51:01Thousands of Palestinians were seen returning to their homes
51:03after the Israeli military confirmed the cease-fire
51:06and said that troops were withdrawing to the agreed-upon deployment lines.
51:10The announcements came after Palestinians reported heavy shelling in northern Gaza.
51:15Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced
51:19that Israel's cabinet approved President Trump's plan for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip,
51:25the release of all remaining hostages and of Palestinian prisoners.
51:29The statement said that the cabinet approved the outline of a deal to release the hostages
51:34without mentioning other aspects of the plan.
51:38Meanwhile, U.S. officials said that 200 U.S. troops already based in the Middle East
51:42will be moved to Israel to help monitor the cease-fire in Gaza.
51:48The U.S. military will establish a multinational task force in Israel
51:51known as a Civil Military Coordination Center,
51:55which is likely to include troops from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the UAE.
52:01That's all in this edition of India Today Global.
52:08Keep watching the network for all the latest news and updates.
52:11Goodbye and take care.
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