1. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to visit Cyprus, Austria from December 29 to 3 January
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According to the Ministry of External Affairs, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit the Republic of Cyprus and Austria from December 29 to 3 January 2023.
Minister S.Jaishankar will be in the Republic of Cyprus from December 29 to December 31, 2022. This year marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between India and Cyprus.
During his visit, Jaishankar will meet Cyprus foreign minister Ioannis Kasoulides. He will also address the Cyprus business and investment community and interact with the Indian diaspora.
Jaishankar visit to Austria
In Austria, the External affairs minister will meet Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg. This will be the first visit of an Indian foreign minister to Austria in the last 27 years. 2023 marks 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Austria.
S.Jaishankar will also meet the foreign ministers of Austria, Czech Republic foreign minister Jan Lipavský and Slovakia foreign minister Rastislav Káčer who will be there in the Austrian capital Vienna for the Slavkov format meeting.
Slavkov is a place in the Czech Republic. The Slavkov format was created in 2015. It is a cooperation format between Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
During his visit, Jaishankar will call on Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. He will also meet Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Republic of Cyprus
It is an island European country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
It gained its Independence from Britain in 1960. The country has a majority population which are of Greece descent while the minority population are of Turkish origin.
Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 and created a Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1983. Except Turkey no country recognises Turkish Cyprus.
India also recognises the Cyprus government.
Capital: Nicosia
Currency: Euro
President: Nicos Anastasiades
2. IAEA chief Rafael Gross calls for protecting Zaporizhzhia nuclear power in a meeting with President Putin in Russia
Tags: place in news Russia-Ukraine Person in news International News
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Gross met the Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg, amid concern over the safety of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.
Rafael Gross met Putin after his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv last week.
Rafael Gross called for setting up a protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear power plant and asserted that they cannot lose any more time. He emphasised that Russia and Ukraine must do everything to help in ensuring that a nuclear accident does not occur during the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Concern over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
The 6000 MW Zaporizhzhia nuclear power complex is the largest European nuclear power complex which has been occupied by the invading Russian forces since early March 2022.
The area has been heavily fortified by the Russian military and the Ukrainian forces are also launching a counter attack. This has led to the fear that the nuclear complex could be hit in an attack which could lead to a nuclear catastrophe in the area.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
The IAEA was set up in 1957 as an agency of the United Nations.
The IAEA was set up to work with the member countries and multiple partners worldwide to promote safe, secure and peaceful nuclear technologies.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is the world's central intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical co-operation in the nuclear field.
Member Countries: 175
The IAEA headquarters is at Vienna, Austria and it has two regional offices located in Toronto, Canada and Tokyo, Japan,
Director General: Rafael Gross
