International Relations Current Affairs — Last 12 months
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
Sun, 17 May 2026
India and Sweden elevate ties to a Strategic Partnership; adopt Joint Action Plan 2026-2030
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson held talks in Gothenburg during the PM's visit on 17 May 2026, elevated India–Sweden ties to a Strategic Partnership and adopted the India-Sweden Joint Action Plan 2026-2030.
PM Modi visits the Afsluitdijk dam with Dutch PM Rob Jetten; India–Netherlands Letter of Intent on Gujarat's Kalpasar project
On 17 May 2026 PM Narendra Modi and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten visited the 32-km Afsluitdijk dam, and the two sides welcomed a Letter of Intent on technical cooperation for Gujarat's Kalpasar project.
PM Modi receives Sweden's Royal Order of the Polar Star, Degree Commander Grand Cross; first Asian leader to get it
On 17 May 2026 Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden conferred the Royal Order of the Polar Star, Degree Commander Grand Cross, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gothenburg, making him the first Asian leader to receive it.
Sweden gifts PM Modi replicas of Tagore's handwritten epigrams found in the Swedish National Archives
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and PM Narendra Modi exchanged gifts honouring Rabindranath Tagore during the PM's visit to Sweden on 17 May 2026, marking the centenary of Tagore's 1926 visit to Sweden.
Sat, 16 May 2026
India and the Netherlands elevate ties to a Strategic Partnership; adopt Roadmap 2026-2030
On 16 May 2026 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten met in The Hague, elevated India–Netherlands relations to a Strategic Partnership and adopted a Strategic Partnership Roadmap for 2026-2030.
Leiden University Library returns the 11th-century Chola Copper Plates to India
On 16 May 2026 Leiden University Library in the Netherlands restituted the 11th-century Chola Copper Plates to the Government of India in the presence of PM Narendra Modi and Dutch PM Rob Jetten.
Indo-Dutch Centre of Excellence for Flowers to come up in West Tripura; dairy training centre at CEAH Bengaluru
The outcomes of PM Narendra Modi's visit to the Netherlands, released on 17 May 2026, include an Indo-Dutch Centre of Excellence for Flowers in West Tripura and an Indo-Dutch Centre of Excellence on Training in Dairy at CEAH, Bengaluru.
2nd BRICS CGETI meeting in Gandhinagar; intra-BRICS trade has grown to US$1.17 trillion
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal gave the keynote address at the 2nd meeting of the BRICS Contact Group on Trade and Economic Issues (CGETI) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, PIB reported on 16 May 2026, saying intra-BRICS trade had risen to US$1.17 trillion.
Tata Electronics and Dutch firm ASML sign agreement to support the Dholera semiconductor fab
On 16 May 2026 PM Narendra Modi and Dutch PM Rob Jetten witnessed the signing of an agreement between Tata Electronics and ASML to support India's first front-end semiconductor fab at Dholera, Gujarat.
Ali Falih Kadhim al-Zaidi takes office as Prime Minister of Iraq; PM Modi sends congratulations
On 16 May 2026 Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Ali Falih Kadhim al-Zaidi on assuming office as Prime Minister of Iraq.
Indian Navy's oceanographic research vessel INS Sagardhwani concludes port call at Port Klang, Malaysia
The Indian Navy's oceanographic research vessel INS Sagardhwani left Port Klang, Malaysia, on 15 May 2026 after an engagement with the Royal Malaysian Navy focused on hydrography and oceanography.
Fri, 15 May 2026
PM Modi in UAE: ADNOC to store up to 30 million barrels in India's strategic reserves; Strategic Defence Partnership framework signed
On 15 May 2026 PM Narendra Modi visited the UAE, where India and the UAE signed an ISPRL–ADNOC pact for up to 30 million barrels of ADNOC crude in India's strategic reserves, a Framework for the Strategic Defence Partnership, and announced US$5 billion of UAE investment.
Kimberley Process Intersessional 2026 concludes in Mumbai under India's Chairship
The Kimberley Process (KP) Intersessional Meeting 2026, a four-day meeting on the natural diamond trade held under India's Chairship and its '3Cs' theme, concluded in Mumbai, PIB said on 15 May 2026.
Jayant Chaudhary represents India at Uganda President Museveni's swearing-in for a seventh term
Minister of State Jayant Chaudhary represented India at the swearing-in of Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni for his seventh term and visited NFSU's Jinja campus, India's first overseas public academic campus, PIB said on 15 May 2026.
Thu, 14 May 2026
'Lion' Species Spotlight at Sasan Gir opens pre-IBCA Summit events; Gir lions at 891 in 2025
On 14 May 2026 Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav inaugurated the 'Lion' Species Spotlight event at Sasan Gir, Gujarat, a pre-summit event of the first IBCA Summit to be held in New Delhi on 1–2 June 2026.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov calls on PM Modi; reviews progress since 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit
On 14 May 2026 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on PM Narendra Modi and briefed him on bilateral progress since the 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit of December 2025.
ITU Council accepts India's proposal to host ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2030
The ITU Council 2026 in Geneva (28 April–8 May) accepted India's proposal to host the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in 2030 (PP-2030), likely to be approved at PP-2026 in Doha in November 2026, DoT said on 14 May.
India–Africa Business Dialogue curtain raiser ahead of 4th India-Africa Forum Summit; trade at US$93.69 billion in 2025-26
On 13 May 2026 Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal held the curtain raiser for the India-Africa Business Dialogue & Exhibition, to be held alongside the 4th India-Africa Forum Summit, noting India–Africa trade of US$93.69 billion in 2025-26.
India becomes Chair of the Common Criteria Development Board for 2026–2028
India has been nominated Chair of the Common Criteria Development Board (CCDB), the technical core of the Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement, from April 2026 to April 2028, MeitY said on 14 May 2026.
Wed, 13 May 2026
MoU for India's first mega greenfield shipyard at Thoothukudi with Korea's HD KSOE; 2.5 million GT capacity
The Ports Ministry said on 13 May 2026 that HD KSOE, NSHIP-TN and Sagarmala Finance Corporation signed an MoU on 20 April 2026 for India's first mega greenfield shipyard at Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, with 2.5 million GT annual capacity.
Chile's Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna visits India; both sides seek early conclusion of CEPA
On 13 May 2026 Chile's Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna held talks with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi, and both sides reaffirmed their commitment to an early conclusion of the India–Chile CEPA.
Tue, 12 May 2026
India and IFAD launch eight-year Country Strategic Opportunities Programme for 2026–2033
On 12 May 2026 India and the International Fund for Agricultural Development launched a new eight-year Country Strategic Opportunities Programme (COSOP) for 2026–2033 to raise rural incomes and resilience.
NCGG begins first capacity-building programme for Seychelles civil servants in Mussoorie
On 11 May 2026 the National Centre for Good Governance began its first capacity-building programme for 29 senior civil servants of Seychelles, the first step under a February 2026 MoU to train 250 Seychellois officials.
Sun, 10 May 2026
Sat, 09 May 2026
Fri, 08 May 2026
India and Canada conclude second round of CEPA negotiations in New Delhi; next round in Ottawa in July
On 8 May 2026 India and Canada concluded the second round of negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), held from 4 to 8 May at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, with the next round set for July 2026 in Ottawa.
10th India–Australia Defence Policy Talks held in New Delhi
On 8 May 2026 the 10th India–Australia Defence Policy Talks were held in New Delhi, co-chaired by Joint Secretary Amitabh Prasad and Australia's First Assistant Secretary Bernard Philip, with both sides looking ahead to the first India–Australia Joint Staff Talks later this year.
India advances BRICS MSME cooperation under its 2026 Chairship
On 8 May 2026 the MSME Ministry said that, as BRICS Chair in 2026, India will convene three SME Working Group meetings and the inaugural BRICS MSME Forum under the BRICS Partnership on the New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR), the first meeting having focused on access to finance.
Thu, 07 May 2026
India Pavilion opens at the 61st Venice Biennale with 'Geographies of Distance: remembering home'
On 7 May 2026 the Pavilion of India opened at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia with 'Geographies of Distance: remembering home', curated by Dr Amin Jaffer, marking India's return to the Biennale Arte since 2019.
Commerce Secretary visits Switzerland to advance India–EFTA TEPA implementation
On 6–7 May 2026 Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal visited Switzerland to review implementation of the India–EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), India's first trade agreement with the EFTA economies, as India's exports to Switzerland crossed USD 1.2 billion in FY 2025–26.