Neighbourhood News Digest – 04 June 2024

Afghanistan

3rd Doha Meeting: An Evaluation of Relations Between the Kabul and the West – Tolo News

A summary of a speech on the topic "Doha 3: The Modality of the Islamic Emirate’s Interaction with the International Community," organized by the Center for Strategic Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The first meeting of special representatives from several countries for Afghanistan, chaired by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, was held in Doha in May 2023. The second one took place on February 18-19 of this year, to which the Islamic Emirate was also invited. However, participation was not possible due to the Emirate's conditions not being met. Click here to read... [2]

Indonesia Expresses Interest in Afghan Education & Mining Sectors – Afghanistan International

The Taliban's Prime Minister's office announced that Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, Indonesia's former Vice-President and head of the country's Mosque Council, has expressed interest in investing in Afghanistan's education and mining sectors. Kalla conveyed this during his May 2 meeting with Taliban officials in Kabul. The statement quoted Kalla as saying that Indonesia's desire to ‘invest in various sectors, including education and mining,’ would require the Taliban's cooperation. Click here to read... [3]

Next Pakistan Govt Will Have Friendly Relations with Kabul: Fazl-ul Rehman – Tolo News

The leader of Pakistan's Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, said that a government will be placed in Pakistan that will have friendly relations with Afghanistan. Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have recently become tense over the issues of Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan and Afghan refugees, Fazl-ul Rehman told a gathering in the Morwat area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He criticized the US for interference in relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Click here to read... [4]

Bangladesh

PM likely to visit India June 21-22, China July 9-12 – The Daily Star

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to visit New Delhi and Beijing in June and July to deepen Bangladesh's ties with Asia's two leading economic powers. The prime minister will likely pay an official visit to New Delhi on June 21-22 and to Beijing on July 9-12. Click here to read... [5]

Japanese special envoy Yohei Sasakawa in Dhaka – The Daily Star

The Japanese Special Envoy for National Reconciliation in Myanmar and Chairman of the Nippon Foundation, Yohei Sasakawa, is visiting Bangladesh. He arrived in Dhaka on June 3 for a two-day visit. The Additional Foreign Secretary Md Nazrul Islam welcomed him at the airport. After 20 years in the business sector, Sasakawa joined The Nippon Foundation in 1981. Click here to read... [6]

Bhutan

Govt. will support people buying EV: PM – Kuensel

The country could see more electric vehicles (EVs) and electric buses as talks were underway with the Global Environment Facility and Green Climate Fund to expand electric vehicle projects in the country, with investment through the Government of India’s project-tied assistance. The Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay shared this during last week at the meet-the-press session. It will, however, be a challenge as currently, EV makes only about 0.3 percent (424) of total registered vehicles in the country. There are 126,501 total registered vehicles as of 2023 according to Bhutan Construction and Transport Authority. Click here to read... [7]

The Ministry of Health plans to hire foreign nurses to address JDWNRH attrition and prevent total burnout – The Bhutanese

The nurses at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) are set to benefit from the Ministry of Health’s strategic plans to hire foreign nurses, addressing the critical rate of attrition and the need for specialized care. During the fourth Meet-the-Press session, the Health Secretary provided detailed insights into the recruitment process and the origins of these foreign nurses, ensuring that the best candidates are selected. Click here to read... [8]

Maldives

Gov’t to sign Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters with Sri Lanka – Raajje

The government of Maldives is to sign the treaty on “Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters" with the government of Sri Lanka. The decision was announced by the President’s Office on May 3. President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu reached the decision following a meeting he held with his Cabinet of Ministers on May 3. As such, the president is to submit the text of the Treaty Between the government of the Republic of Maldives and the government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, to the People’s Majlis for approval. Click here to read... [9]

EU provides 6.5 million Euros to boost Maldives blue economy – Adhadhu

The European Union (EU) has provided 6.5 million Euros to Maldives to boost its blue economy. The funds were donated during a meeting between Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer and Deputy Managing Director of the Asia and Pacific Department of the European External Action Service Paola Pampaloni on May 2. During the meeting, Zameer and Pamapaloni reflected on the significant developments that have been brought forward through the cooperation between the Maldives and the EU. Click here to read... [10]

Myanmar

Tin Oo, Former General and Founder of Myanmar’s NLD, Dies at 97 - The Diplomat

Tin Oo, a founding member of Myanmar’s National League for Democracy (NLD) and a former commander-in-chief of the country’s army, died on Saturday at the age of 97, according to media reports. The New York Times quoted his personal assistant as saying that he had died at Yangon General Hospital of kidney failure and pulmonary edema on Saturday, after months of health problems. Click here to read... [11]

Indian embassy in Myanmar cautions against fake and illegal job offers - The Hindu

The Indian embassy in Myanmar has called upon Indian nationals looking for jobs in that country to be careful so that they are not lured into fake or illegal employment. In an advisory, the embassy said an international crime syndicate is active in the Myawaddy region on Myanmar-Thailand border and urged Indians to exercise caution before taking up job offers in the region. Click here to read... [12]

Junta bombs dropped on wedding party in Myanmar leave 24 people dead – RFA

A military junta airplane dropped two 500-pound bombs on a wedding ceremony, killing 24 people and injuring about 30 others in Myanmar’s Sagaing region on Monday, residents told Radio Free Asia. After the bombing, junta troops fired several artillery shots into Ma Taw village in Mingin township, forcing more than 2,000 residents from six nearby villages to flee their homes, village resident U Htay said. Click here to read... [13]

EU Special Envoy for Myanmar discusses why Myanmar matters to the EU – Mizzima

EU Special Envoy for Myanmar Mr Igor Driesmans feels he is tasked with keeping Myanmar on the radar within the European Union and operating on the ground in Myanmar and the region. In this exclusive interview with Mizzima, Mr Driesmans discusses why Myanmar and the ongoing crisis matter to the European Union. Click here to read... [14]

Nepal

Nepal Gears Up for Monsoon Threats: Massive Preparedness Plan Unveiled – Devidiscourse

The Nepalese government has announced that the monsoon season will arrive on June 13, impacting up to 1.8 million people. Consequently, the Home Ministry has launched the National Risk Minimisation and Preparedness Programme 2024, deploying 31,000 security personnel and keeping helicopters ready for emergency rescues. Click here to read... [15]

Nepal's fragmented Parliament struggles with governance amid political turmoil - Hindustan Times

In any vibrant parliamentary democracy, ruling and opposition parties constantly nit-pick each other over various issues. Sometimes they argue over significant matters, while other times they quarrel over trivial ones. But that's how democracies function: sometimes, you need to win; and sometimes, you need to be seen winning. Click here to read... [16]

Nepal bidding for UN Human Rights Council, ECOSOC and several UN bodies - Kathmandu Post

Nepal will seek re-election for some key UN positions, such as member of the United Nations Human Rights Council and the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which coordinates the work of the various 14 UN specialized agencies, ten functional commissions, and five regional commissions. Nepal served as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for two consecutive terms, and in December last year, it completed its second term. Click here to read... [17]

Pakistan

Pakistan PM embarks on five-day official visit to China today - Arab News

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will embark on a five-day official trip to China today, Tuesday, seeking to enhance bilateral cooperation and woo Chinese investors through wide-ranging business-to-business (B2B) engagements. Chinese investment and financial support since 2013 have been key for the South Asian nation’s struggling economy, including the rolling over of loans so that Islamabad is able to meet external financing needs at a time its foreign reserves are critically low. Click here to read... [18]

Pakistan has to repay $10b by July – Tribune

Pakistan’s central bank has reported that the country has to meet a significantly high foreign debt obligation amounting to $10 billion in June and July 2024, which is building pressure on government high-ups to look for loan rollovers as well as arrange financing to repay it on time. Click here to read... [19]

Ex-President Arif Alvi Calls For Dialogue Among All Stakeholders To Resolve Pakistan's Political Crisis - News 18

Pakistan’s former president Arif Alvi has urged all stakeholders to hold dialogue with jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan and his party, underlining that it was the sole path to mitigate the cash-strapped country’s dire economic condition. Addressing a gathering of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf: office-bearers and various wings in Lahore on Monday, Alvi congratulated PTI workers, supporters, and the people of Pakistan on the acquittal of party founder Imran Khan, along with former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in the cipher case. Click here to read... [20]

Sri Lanka

Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs arrives in Sri Lanka - News Wire

Visiting Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer was received by State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya at the airport last evening. During the three-day visit, the Maldivian Foreign Minister is scheduled to pay courtesy calls to President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. The Maldivian Foreign Minister and his delegation will also have official bilateral discussions with Foreign Minister Ali Sabry at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Click here to read... [21]

Floods and landslides kill 15 in Sri Lanka - Independent UK

At least 15 people have been killed and thousands displaced after heavy rainfall caused flooding and landslides in Sri Lanka. Seven regions of the South Asian island nation, including the capital Colombo, experienced torrential rainfall of over 400mm over the weekend, twice the amount of rain that falls in a month. The rainfall triggered flash floods and landslides, the Disaster Management Centre said. Click here to read... [22]

Sri Lanka foreign exchange earnings exceed imports by $542mn in April - Economy Next

Sri Lanka’s current dollar earnings from merchandise exports, remittances, tourism and other services exceeded imports by 542 million US dollars in April 2024, official data shows. Sri Lanka’s hard goods exports were 877.6 million US dollars in April, up from 848.6 million US dollars a year ago, in a holiday month which usually has a 20 percent downturn. Click here to read... [23]