USAID didn't receive funding of USD21 million for voter turnout in India: Embassy to MEA
New Delhi (PTI): The US Embassy has said that "USAID/India did not receive or provide funding of $21 million for voter turnout in India" from fiscal years 2014 to 2024, nor has it implemented any voter turnout-related activities in India, the Centre has told Rajya Sabha.
The government said this in a written response to a query from CPI(M) MP John Brittas on Thursday, asking the status of the actions taken by it on the "reports suggesting the utilisation of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funds" to "increase voter turnout in Indian elections".
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, in his response said, on February 28, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) requested the US Embassy in New Delhi to "urgently furnish details" of expenditure incurred on all USAID-assisted or funded projects in India over the last ten years (other than those being implemented under the seven Partnership Agreements with the government of India).
The MEA also sought a list of NGOs or implementing partners through which such initiatives were executed.
On July 2, the US Embassy shared data that "it said covered USAID funding in India from 2014 to 2024", including details of implementing partners, objectives, and key accomplishments of each activity undertaken, he said.
In his response, the MoS further said, "The Embassy also maintains that 'USAID/India did not receive or provide funding of $21 million for voter turnout in India from fiscal years 2014 to 2024, nor has it implemented any voter turnout-related activities in India.'".
On July 29, the US Embassy conveyed to the MEA that it plans to bring all USAID operations to a close "by 15 August 2025," the Centre told Rajya Sabha.
On August 11, the US Embassy in New Delhi, in a letter to the Department of Economic Affairs, "conveyed that all seven Partnership Agreements signed with the government of India would stand closed with effect from 15 August 2025", the minister said.
Singh, in his response, said while the review of USAID operations was ongoing in the United States, on February 16, 2025, the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), in a post on X, announced the cancellation of USD486 million in USAID funding for Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) projects worldwide, including USD21 million allocation for increasing "voter turnout in India."
Effective July 1, USAID's operations officially ceased. Approximately 83 per cent of its programmes were terminated, and 94 per cent of its staff were laid off. The State Department assumed responsibility for the remaining 17 per cent of USAID's operations and foreign aid administration, Singh said.
"The full closure of USAID is scheduled to be completed by September 2, 2025," he said.
Brittas also asked whether the government has received from the US the details of expenditures on all USAID projects in India over the last three years, sought through the US Embassy.
Singh, in his response, said a "beneficiary-wise breakdown of USAID allocations made available to the Ministry for three years -- 2022, 2023 and 2024, as sought by the Hon'ble Member of Parliament, is placed at Annexure-A".
Brittas had also asked a similar question in Rajya Sabha, related to USAID, in March this year.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
