Current Affairs - International

Turkey entered into a Strategic Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement with the United States during President Erdoğan’s visit to the White House. This agreement is designed to accelerate Turkey’s nuclear energy ambitions by focusing on both large-scale nuclear power plants and the integration of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). It complements Turkey’s ongoing Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant project developed with Russia, showing the country’s strategy to diversify partnerships in the nuclear sector. Through this collaboration, Turkey strengthens its position in the global energy landscape, enhances energy security, and moves closer to achieving its long-term sustainability and energy diversification goals.

Russia proposed the establishment of a BRICS Grain Exchange during the 2024 BRICS Summit in Kazan, and the idea was later endorsed in the Kazan Declaration. The initiative is designed to strengthen agricultural trade within the BRICS grouping by creating independent grain pricing benchmarks. This would reduce reliance on existing Western-dominated exchanges such as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), thereby offering BRICS nations greater autonomy in agricultural trade. For India and other BRICS members, the exchange holds potential to stabilise pricing, enhance food security, and foster a more balanced global agricultural market.

India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has been launched in Qatar, beginning with Hamad International Airport’s duty-free stores. This makes Qatar the eighth country to accept UPI, facilitating real-time, cashless payments for Indian tourists and reducing dependency on foreign currency or international cards. The rollout is part of a collaboration between NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), Qatar National Bank (QNB), and Japanese payments gateway NETSTARS. By enabling seamless transactions, UPI supports both Indian travelers and local Qatari businesses, promoting digital payment adoption and strengthening India’s international financial footprint while enhancing convenience and security for tourists in high-traffic commercial zones.

India and Australia signed a Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for organic products as part of the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA). This arrangement enables both countries to mutually accept each other’s organic certification standards, reducing trade barriers and making it easier for certified producers to access markets. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) from India and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) from Australia are the implementing agencies. This collaboration strengthens trade relations, supports sustainable farming practices, and promotes greater consumer confidence in organic products across both nations.

The UAE-India Business Council (UIBC) signed three important Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on 24 September 2025 to enhance bilateral trade and cooperation between India and the UAE. These agreements were made with the UAE-India CEPA Council (UICC), Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC), and multiple regional chambers of commerce. The focus is on implementing the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) more effectively by supporting priority sectors such as IT, healthcare, logistics, tourism, education, and engineering. The MoUs aim to foster institutional collaboration, facilitate grassroots CEPA execution, and enable MSMEs and startups to benefit from UAE’s global trade networks.