Neighbourhood News digest - 02 May 2023

Afghanistan

The Taliban Aim to Divide and Conquer – Foreign Policy

Afghanistan has become the world’s problem child, controlled by unruly and unpredictable religious fanatics and terrorists who throw their toys out of the stroller each time they’re chided for bad behavior yet keep getting their own way. As the United Nations prepares to host another meeting to discuss how to deal with the near-starvation of the Afghan population and the appalling toll of Taliban misogyny, the men in charge are again goading the world body: It’s our way or the highway. Click here to read... [2]

Taliban ‘rejects’ Russian defence minister’s remark at SCO meet on ‘security threat from Afghanistan’ – The Print

The Taliban has hit out at Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu for his comments on security threats originating from Afghanistan during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting held in Delhi last month. The Taliban government’s spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid Sunday said in a statement that they “rejected” Shoigu’s statement “that armed groups from Afghanistan are a major threat to the security of the Central Asian Countries”. On 28 April, heads of defence ministries from SCO countries like Russia, India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, gathered in New Delhi. Click here to read... [3]

Taliban FM to meet Pakistan, China foreign ministers: Media – Al Jazeera

A United Nations Security Council committee has agreed to allow the Taliban’s interim foreign minister, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, to travel to Pakistan from Afghanistan to meet with Pakistani and Chinese counterparts, according to news reports. The Reuters news agency reported on Monday that Pakistan’s UN mission requested an exemption for Muttaqi to travel between May 6 and 9 “for a meeting with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and China”. Click here to read... [4]

Bangladesh

Bangladesh media in fear after PM’s ‘people’s enemy’ attack – The
Guardian

Four weeks ago, a reporter in Bangladesh was hauled from his office, badly beaten – and then thrown from the roof of his building, leaving him with fractures in his back, three broken ribs and a machete wound on his head. The journalist, Ayub Meahzi, believes he was targeted for reporting on alleged local government ties to a criminal group. The attack in Chattogram, also known as Chittagong, in south-east Bangladesh, has compounded fears of a further deterioration in press freedom in the country, which already languishes near the bottom of the annual global press freedom index, due to be published this week by the group Reporters Sans Frontières. Click here to read... [5]

Bangladesh joins the Indo-Pacific region to face the challenges of the 21st century – Modern Diplomacy

Bangladesh most recently attracted attention by releasing a 15-point Indo-Pacific Outlook (IPO). An IPO has been announced in an effort to transform the country into a contemporary, knowledge-based developed nation by 2041. In its initial public offering, Bangladesh focused primarily on infrastructure and economic development as components of the market’s current demands. The Indo-Pacific strategy concept will significantly aid Bangladesh in attracting FDI given the existing circumstances. Click here to read... [6]

Bangladesh never defaulted on its debt: Hasina tells World Bank – New Age

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said that Bangladesh had never defaulted in repaying loans and fallen into a ‘debt trap’, calling upon the global development partners including the World Bank to continue their investments in the digital and physical infrastructures to transform the country into a ‘Smart Bangladesh’ by 2041. ’The present situation gives an indication of our economy’s growth opportunities and absorptive capacity and Bangladesh has never defaulted on its debt repayment, or fallen into a so-called ‘debt trap’,’ she said. Click here to read... [7]

Bhutan

Boulder business may not be a viable with Suvidha fees – Kuensel

A queue of 10-wheeler trucks bearing Bhutanese and Indian registration numbers waiting to exit Phuentsholing is a common sight between 7pm and 11pm every day. Trucks loaded with boulders and aggregates are bound for Bangladesh and Cooch Behar. Truckers have to register and clear customs requirements from the second gate at Bau Bazaar, which is located between the bordering towns of Phuentsholing and Jaigaon. The mini dry port functions as a two-way entry and exit from both sides. Click here to read... [8]

The Kingdom Of Bhutan Has Been Quietly Mining Bitcoin For Years – Forbes

The Himalayan kingdom confirmed it has been running a bitcoin mining operation as mystery surrounds the scale of its earlier cryptocurrency investments. The renewable resource has become an economic engine, accounting for 30% of the country’s gross domestic product, and fueling the homes of nearly all of its 800,000 residents. But for the past few years, Bhutan’s royal government has been quietly devising a new use for these reserves: powering its very own bitcoin mine. Click here to read... [9]

Maldives

India, Maldives discuss defence cooperation - Tribune India

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today conducted bilateral delegation-level talks with his Maldivian counterpart Mariya Ahmed Didi. Issues of mutual defence cooperation, new initiatives to further strengthen defence and security partnership were discussed, the Ministry of Defence said.
Rajnath Singh commenced his three-day official visit to Maldives. As a special gesture, reflecting the warmth in the bilateral relations, Ahmed Didi broke protocol and personally received Rajnath Singh at the airport. Click here to read... [10]

Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives conduct Dialogue on Indian Ocean Maritime Cooperation - News Wire

Factum Sri Lanka, an Asia-Pacific-focused think-tank on foreign policy, in partnership with The Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) and The Baani Centre for International Policy, Maldives, held a Trilateral Dialogue on Maritime Cooperation in the Indian Ocean in Colombo on April 30, 2023. Click here to read... [11]

Myanmar

India-Myanmar Kaladan waterway to open in May. But ‘real gains’ only when 110-km road is completed - The Print

Fifteen years after it was approved, the waterway component of the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport project (KMTTP) is set to become operational next month, with the first commercial cargo movement starting from Kolkata to Sittwe port in Myanmar, senior government officials told ThePrint. Click here to read... [12]

Why Is Myanmar’s Rakhine And Bangladesh Getting Closer? – Eurasia Review

Bangladesh’s ‘Great Independence and National Day’ was celebrated with great enthusiasm and enthusiasm at the Bangladesh Consulate at Sitte in Myanmar. A grand reception was organized at Sittwe on Sunday evening to mark the day. Click here to read... [13]

Chinese FM meets UN special envoy for Myanmar - English News

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang met with Noeleen Heyzer, special envoy of the secretary-general of the United Nations (UN) for Myanmar, in Beijing on Monday. Qin said that with internal and external factors intertwined, the Myanmar issue is complex and has no "quick fix." He called on the international community to respect Myanmar's sovereignty, and support all parties in Myanmar, within the constitutional and legal framework, to bridge differences and resume the political transition process through political dialogue. Click here to read... [14]

Nepal

Rastriya Swatantra Party to decide whether or not to join Prachanda-led govt on Friday – The Week

Nepal's Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) will decide whether or not to join the government at a party meeting on Friday, a senior party leader said on Monday, a day after its Chairman Ravi Lamichhane met Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' and discussed the current political situation in the country. Click here to read... [15]

World Bank approves $100m to strengthen Nepal’s healthcare system – The Annapurna Express

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on Friday approved $100 million in financing for the Nepal Quality Health Systems Program operation. The program will improve the quality of healthcare services and increase the coverage of health insurance, and enhance the capacity of the healthcare system to prepare for and respond to health emergencies in Koshi and Gandaki provinces. Click here to read... [16]

China set to release $613mln for infrastructure projects in Nepal – Zawya

China will provide 80 billion Nepali rupees ($612.52 million) for implementing numerous infrastructure-related projects in Nepal, The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported, citing a statement issued by the private secretariat of Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat. Beijing is planning to release the financial and economic assistance that was promised since 2008 rather than providing any new financial aid, said officials at the finance and foreign affairs ministers. Click here to read... [17]

Pakistan

Special governance camp for West Pakistan refugees in J&K – The Statesman

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday inaugurated a special governance camp for West Pakistani refugee families in the border area of Chakroi in RS Pura. Addressing a large gathering on the occasion, the Lt governor said the camp aims to redress grievances, verify pending cases and create awareness about various welfare and self employment schemes and placement drive with focus on eligible candidates from displaced families. Click here to read... [18]

India blocks 14 mobile apps used by terrorists in Pakistan to send information in J-K – Hindustan Times

The central government has blocked 14 messenger mobile applications that were used by terrorists in Pakistan as communication platforms to transmit information to Jammu and Kashmir. It was found that these apps were being used by terrorists in Kashmir to communicate with their supporters and on-ground workers (OGW), News18 reported citing sources. Click here to read... [19]

Imran Khan's PTI will be 'ultimate loser' if talks on polls fail: Pakistan government – The Hindu

Terming "impracticable" Imran Khan's demand that the National Assembly be dissolved by May 14 for a successful outcome of talks, Pakistan's ruling coalition has warned the former Premier that his party will be the "ultimate loser" if the parleys failed as the polls can be delayed for a year. Ahead of the third round of talks between the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N)-led federal coalition and the PTI scheduled for May 2, the government told Mr. Khan that he cannot hold talks at gunpoint. Click here to read... [20]

Sri Lanka

Chinese state-owned firm to build major Sri Lanka port complex – The Hindu

A Chinese state-owned firm said on May 1 it plans to take its investment in Sri Lanka to $2 billion by building a major logistics hub. Sri Lanka is looking to kickstart its economic recovery after defaulting on its foreign debt last year, when shortages of essentials such as food, fuel and medicines sparked. The investment by the China Merchants Group in a large logistics complex at Colombo Port, with an estimated construction cost of $392 million, is the first major foreign investment in Sri Lanka since the default. Click here to read... [21]

President Wickremesinghe Sets Goal to Resolve Sri Lanka's Ethnic Conflict by Year-End – Outlook India

Wickremesinghe, in his message to mark International Workers’ Day, said that he expects to reach an agreement by the end of this year to solve the country’s long-drawn ethnic conflict with the help of the government’s commitment to policies that benefit all communities in Sri Lanka. “The country could only move forward with the IMF programme if two conditions are fulfilled. One is that we must resolve the ethnic conflict. We are continuing our talks on this." Click here to read... [22]

IAF chief embarks on 4-day visit to Sri Lanka – Economic Times

Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Monday embarked on a four-day visit to Sri Lanka to explore ways to boost bilateral defence ties amid concerns in India over China's attempts to expand its influence over the island nation. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari is scheduled to meet with the top political and military leadership of the country. Click here to read... [23]