00:00First, coming to Siddhant, your question.
00:04We find the remarks of the Congresswoman unwarranted and uninformed
00:09and tantamount to interfering in the electoral practices of a fellow democracy.
00:15This is an approach that undermines democracy itself.
00:19Regarding your other question that you asked about the mass shooting attempt
00:26that happened in Aurora, Illinois, an area close to Chicago,
00:32you would have seen our statement that we issued yesterday.
00:35This is obviously a matter of deep concern for us.
00:39At the same time, it is something that shows or highlights
00:43the increasing cases of hate crimes and racial discrimination
00:47against the Indian community in the United States.
00:50We have taken note of the action that the U.S. law enforcement authorities have undertaken
00:56once this incident happened, but we call on the United States side,
01:01the U.S. side, to ensure the safety, security, and well-being
01:05of internationals in the United States and the country.
01:11Sahil and Akansha, your questions are similar, so I will answer them together.
01:17So on 19th and 20th October 2026, External Affairs Minister will host in Mumbai
01:26the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of UAE,
01:30His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan for an official visit.
01:36On 20th October, External Affairs Minister will hold talks with
01:40the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and attend the celebration
01:46of the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States of America
01:51as the guest of honor.
01:53Now, Sahil, you also asked why Mumbai.
01:58So let me tell you that it has been the practice
02:02for the last, in the last decade or so,
02:05that we have hosted foreign territories outside Delhi.
02:08And to just give you some examples,
02:11the Prime Minister hosted the Prime Minister of Spain in Baroda,
02:15he hosted Chancellor Merz in Ahmedabad,
02:18Prime Minister of Mauritius was hosted by him in Varanasi,
02:22and then External Affairs Minister hosted the SCO Foreign Minister's meeting in Goa,
02:26he hosted the Foreign Minister of Botswana in Kevadia in Gujarat,
02:30and External Affairs Minister also hosted the Heart of Asia conference in Amritsar.
02:34So that was just to give you a few examples of the meetings of leaders,
02:41of dignitaries that have happened outside of Delhi.
02:44Coming to the agenda,
02:46the visit of the UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister
02:53will be an opportunity to review all facets of bilateral cooperation
02:58under the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
03:02The two delegations will assess and take forward initiatives in the areas of energy,
03:08trade, investments, fintech, defence and connectivity.
03:11There will naturally be an opportunity also for a detailed exchange
03:16on the situation in West Asia,
03:18as also on global and other multilateral issues.
03:22Insofar as the visit of the Secretary of State is concerned,
03:25this forthcoming visit will provide an opportunity for both sides
03:29to review India-U.S. relations and discuss ways
03:34to further strengthen our comprehensive global strategic partnership
03:37that we have with the United States.
03:40Discussions are expected to cover key areas of bilateral cooperation,
03:44including energy, trade, investment, defence,
03:46critical and emerging technologies and other areas of mutual interest.
03:49The two sides will also exchange views on regional and global developments.
03:54The visit will provide an opportunity to sustain the high-level engagement
03:58between the two countries and advance our shared priorities.
