Current Affairs - International

India and New Zealand have officially launched negotiations for a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to strengthen their bilateral relations and boost economic cooperation. This agreement aims to enhance supply chain integration, expand market access, and promote economic resilience for both nations. The FTA negotiations were announced in March 2025 during a meeting between Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay. This agreement marks India's second FTA in the Oceania region, following the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement signed in 2022.

In 2025, the United States has reported over 300 cases of measles, a highly contagious viral disease. Measles can lead to severe complications such as blindness, pneumonia, and death, particularly due to Vitamin A deficiency. The disease spreads through airborne transmission, and vaccination with the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine is the key preventive measure.

Armenia and Azerbaijan reached a historic peace agreement on March 13, 2025, aimed at ending their long-standing conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The peace treaty was a significant step toward establishing stability in the South Caucasus. Although both nations agreed on the text of the treaty, Azerbaijan called for constitutional amendments in Armenia before the official signing could occur, introducing some uncertainty in the timeline for finalizing the agreement. This treaty aims to end nearly four decades of tension and hostilities between the two nations.

The 353rd Governing Body Meeting of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from March 10 to March 20, 2025. India participated actively in the meeting, with Ms Sumita Dawra, Secretary of the Ministry of Labour & Employment, leading the Indian delegation. During the meeting, India highlighted its achievements in areas such as social protection, fair migration pathways, and living wages, while supporting various ILO initiatives. The meeting was an important event for fostering global collaboration on labour and employment issues.

China will host the SCO defence officials' meeting in Qingdao on March 26-27, 2025. The meeting aims to discuss future security cooperation among the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). In addition to the defence meeting, China will also host the SCO leaders' summit in Tianjin in the autumn of 2025. The country has chosen the theme "Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move" for its SCO presidency in 2025 and declared the year as the "SCO Year of Sustainable Development."