PM Modi, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides hold bilateral meeting

* Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is an Indian diplomat and politician serving as the Minister of External Affairs of India since 2019. He has authored two prominent books: * 'The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World' (2020) which provides insights into India's foreign policy approach. * 'Why Bharat Matters' is a compilation of his articles and speeches that delve into India's global significance.

The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, originally (and still colloquially) known as the Gulf Cooperation Council, is a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf except Iran. Its member states are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The Charter of the Gulf Cooperation Council was signed on 25 May 1981, formally establishing the institution. Hence, option A is the correct answer.

* Statement I is correct: Several Arab states, including Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, have established diplomatic relations with Israel. * Statement II is incorrect: The Arab Peace Initiative, mediated by Saudi Arabia, was endorsed by the Arab League but not signed by Israel. It outlines a path towards peace in exchange for Israeli concessions, but Israel has not formally accepted all its terms.

Statement 1 is correct. The United Nations General Assembly may grant non-member states, international organizations, and other entities Permanent Observer Status. Statement 2 is correct. The General Assembly decided that observer status would be confined to States and intergovernmental organizations whose activities cover matters of interest to the Assembly. Statement 3 is correct. Permanent Observers may participate in the sessions and workings of the General Assembly and maintain missions at the UN Headquarters.

Statement 1 is correct: The Third India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-III) was hosted in New Delhi in October 2015. The first and second summits were held in 2008 (New Delhi) and 2011 (Addis Ababa), respectively, making the 2015 event the third edition. Statement 2 is incorrect: The India-Africa Forum Summit was institutionalized in 2008 to serve as the official platform for African-Indian relations. While Jawaharlal Nehru was a pioneer of Afro-Asian solidarity (e.g., the Asian Relations Conference of 1947), the IAFS is a distinct 21st-century initiative and was not established in 1951.

All 6 participants of the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation are member countries bordering the basins of the Mekong and Ganga rivers, aiming to collaborate on various initiatives. These countries are: - India - Cambodia - Laos - Myanmar - Thailand - Vietnam Hence, China & Bangladesh are not part of the Mekong-Ganga Corporation.

Statement 1 is correct. AIIB has more than 80 member nations. (Actually, as of April 2024, it has 109 members). Statement 2 is incorrect. India is not the largest shareholder in AIIB. China is the largest shareholder. Statement 3 is incorrect. While the focus is on Asia, several non-Asian countries are members, including some European and South American nations.

* Both statements about the G-20 are correct  * Statement 1 is correct: The G-20 originated as a forum for Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to address global economic and financial issues. It has since expanded its focus to other areas of international cooperation.  * Statement 2 is correct: India, as the chair of the G-20 in 2023, prioritised digital public infrastructure as one of its key areas of focus. This included discussions on promoting responsible use of artificial intelligence, bridging the digital divide, and fostering inclusive growth through digitalization.

* The Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) is an agreement, among all of the 27 member states of the European Union, to facilitate and maintain the economic stability of the EU countries.The European Commission and the Council of the European Union, monitors the fiscal condition of EU member countries from time to time to ensure their fiscal stability.  * Statement 1 is correct: It is true that SGP aims to level the budget deficits of European countries. The corrective arm of the Stability and Growth Pact ensures that Member States adopt appropriate policy responses to correct excessive deficits (and/or debts) by implementing the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP). Also the SGP requires the EU Member States to lay out their fiscal plans for the next three years to limit their budget deficits.  * Statement 2 and 3 are incorrect: The SGP treaty does not require its members to share their infrastructure facilities nor their technologies with other countries. The purpose of the SGP was to ensure that fiscal discipline would be maintained and enforced in the European Union.

The Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) is negotiated between India and the European Union (EU).