VIF News Digest: International Developments (23-29 July, 2018)

USA
Senate and House lawmakers reach deal on NDAA, 23 July 2018

A panel of House and Senate lawmakers on Monday reached a deal on a massive defense policy bill that includes a 2.6 percent pay raise for service members and an increase in troops, equipment and weapons for the Defense Department.

Senate and House Armed Services Committee staffers, who spoke with reporters on the condition of anonymity, said Monday that the National Defense Authorization Act, or H.R. 5515, will also address a series of other matters, including the next step in creating a space force and authorization for a military parade in November. Click here to read... [2]

United States-India Enhanced Cooperation Act, legislative initiatives to advance defence ties, 27 July 2018

A legislation introduced in the US House of Representatives this week to advance defense ties with India, if passed, would be a major breakthrough in the bilateral relationship, an American industry leader said today. If passed by the US Congress and signed into law, the United States-India Enhanced Cooperation Act would ensure that it treats India as a "Major Defence Partner" when it considers approval of defense sales to India. The US India Enhanced Co-operation Act was introduced by Congressman Joe Wilson along with Indian-origin lawmaker Ami Bera, George Holding and Tulsi Gabbard. The act seeks legislative changes in the Arms Export Control Act that would bring India on par with its major allies.

“The United States-India relationship is a cornerstone of security in the Indo-Pacific region. By designating India as a Major Defense Partner, we can strengthen our alliance and enhance our defense and security cooperation with India,” Wilson said. “Together, we can address emerging common threats, support maritime security in the region, and enhance military cooperation for joint exercises and humanitarian assistance,” he said. “The citizens of America and India cherish the same values and independent freedoms, and the United States-India Enhanced Cooperation Act will strengthen this important alliance,” Wilson said.

The legislation builds on India's Major Defence Partner status, which is currently limited to the Department of Defense's jurisdiction. It seeks legislative changes in the Arms Export Control to bring India on par with major American allies. Click here to read... [3]

US says working 'hand in glove' with India to boost ties ahead of 2+2 meet, 27 July 2018

The US and India are working together "hand in glove" diplomatically and militarily to build dimensions of the critical bilateral relationship ahead of the "two-plus-two" dialogue, a State Department official has told American lawmakers.

During a Congressional hearing, Alice Wells, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, said the US is looking forward to the "two-plus-two" dialogue with India in New Delhi in September. She said she expects substantial progress will be made in the bilateral relationship during the dialogue. "On India, we're looking ahead to the September 6th two-plus-two and the joining of forces between Secretary (of State Mike) Pompeo and (Defence) Secretary (James) Mattis to help define what (is) major defense partnership," Wells said, responding to a question from Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera. Click here to read... [4]

India concerns on Trump’s “Buy American, Hire American’ policy; to raise H1B visa issue at ‘2 plus 2’ dialogue, 27 July 2018

The Government today expressed concern over the tightening of the visa regime in the United States following President Donald Trump’s “Buy American, Hire American’ policy and said it would effectively raise the issue at the “2 plus 2 dialogue” to be held here in September. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told the Rajya Sabha that there has not been any reduction in the number of H-1B visas to Indians so far, as “no significant changes” in the visa regime have taken place yet.

Responding to queries from members during Question Hour, the minister said the government has taken up the issue with the US authorities at various bilateral meetings and fora and also raised it with several US Congressmen. “This is an issue of concern not just for the government and the opposition, but the entire House and the nation shares this concern,” she told the members. Click here to read... [5]

India, US set to sign pact for secure military communications, 26 July 2018

India and the US are likely to sign the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), a bilateral pact between the two countries for secure military communications, during the inaugural ‘2+2’ meeting in New Delhi in the first week of September. Official sources told The Indian Express that the government had made up its mind to sign the agreement which had been pending for nearly 15 years now. The government, sources said, has told the Americans to send the final text of the agreement, so that the process of signing can be expedited in time for the ‘2+2’ meeting.

After being postponed twice this year, the inaugural ‘2+2’ meeting is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 6. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be attending the meeting, along with their American counterparts, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defence James Mattis. Click here to read... [6]

US wants India to play leading role in developmental assistance in broader neighbourhood: American official, 26 July 2018

The US wants India to play a leading role in developmental assistance and infrastructure development in the broader neighbourhood, a senior Trump administration official has said, amidst efforts by America to counter China's growing influence in Asia. Alice G Wells, Senior Bureau Official for South and Central Asian Affairs, said the US also recognises India's development challenges and would continue to partner with the country to address these issues and identify the best practices. Click here to read... [7]

RUSSIA
Russia releases videos of six new wonder weapons after Trump Summit, 24 July 2018

On Thursday, the same day that Putin warned that any country looking to try and include Ukraine or Georgia in the NATO sphere of influence “should think of the possible consequences of this irresponsible policy” because Russia would “respond in kind to any aggressive steps that directly threaten Russian,” the Russian Defense Ministry for the first time published a video showing the final assembly line of the new Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missiles.

The professionally produced footage came in a series of newly published social media videos that Russia’s Defense Ministry says shows advanced armaments which were first unveiled by President Vladimir Putin back in March. The footage shows new tests and development facilities, as well as provides an understanding of the development process of what US military officials have admitted is a highly sophisticated weapon system easily capable of reaching North America. Click here to read... [8]

Chinese military arrives in Russia for drills, brings serious hardware, 24 July 2018

Chinese military officers arrived in Russia on Friday to participate in the upcoming International Army Games, 2018. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force will exhibit advanced H-6K bombers, J-10A fighters, JH-7A fighter-bombers, and IL-76 and Y-9 transport aircraft at the competitions. This is the first time that the H-6K bombers and Y-9 transport aircraft have been brought abroad to participate in an international military competition, said a spokesperson for the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force, according to Xinhua.

The H-6K is a domestically-developed intermediate and long-range bomber. It has carried out patrols around the East China Sea, South China Sea and Taiwan Straits since its first debut in March 2015, said the Xinhua report. Click here to read... [9]

Trump slams door on Putin's offer for referendum in East Ukraine, 24 July 2018

Perhaps Putin didn't get the memo that democratic referendums don't count unless the people can be counted on to vote "the right way"? And perhaps Trump is not actually doing Putin's bidding?

A day after President Vladimir Putin told Russian diplomats in a closed door meeting that he set a proposal before Donald Trump during their Helsinki summit that a resolution to the crisis in eastern Ukraine could be reached by holding an internationally monitored referendum in contested separatist regions, the White House has for the first time acknowledged it.

In comments reported Friday by Bloomberg, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council indicated Trump has rejected the plan, saying "The administration is not considering supporting a referendum in the eastern Ukraine." Click here to read... [10]

Trump says he’s worried about Russian meddling ... to elect Democrats, 24 July 2018

President Donald Trump would like you to believe that Russia, which targeted the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2016 and whose president, Vladimir Putin, said just last week that he wanted Trump to win, are interfering in American politics to boost … Democrats. Trump is also “very concerned” about Russian meddling, despite, also last week, telling a reporter he doesn’t think Russia is still targeting the US and publicly doubting Russian interference on multiple occasions.

The president has faced mounting criticism over his handling of relations with Russia in the wake of his disastrous performance at a press conference with Putin in Helsinki, Finland, last week. After a one-on-one meeting with Putin, whose contents remain unknown to US officials, Trump failed to publicly denounce the Russian leader for his country’s efforts to interfere in US politics in 2016 and beyond and said he wasn’t so sure about the intelligence community’s consensus that Russia was and is meddling.

The White House’s cleanup efforts have largely centered on one strategy, which is, basically, gas-lighting. Click here to read... [11]

No welcome mat for Putin from US Congress, 24 July 2018

Russian President Vladimir Putin, accused of interfering in U.S. elections, will not be invited to address Congress or visit the Capitol if he accepts President Donald Trump’s invitation to come to Washington, Republican congressional leaders said on Tuesday.

The comments by House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell reflect the unease among U.S. lawmakers, including Trump’s fellow Republicans, about the president’s outreach to Putin after their July 16 summit in Helsinki. Ryan and McConnell rejected the idea of Putin being asked to address a joint session of Congress, typically considered an honor for visiting foreign leaders. “We would certainly not be giving him an invitation to do a joint session,” Ryan added. “That’s something we reserve for allies.” “The speaker and I have made it clear that Putin will not be welcome up here at the Capitol,” McConnell said later. Click here to read... [12]

In abrupt shift, Trump makes nice with EU, gets tough on Russia, 26 July 2018

Over the course of just 11 days, President Donald Trump went from calling the European Union a “foe” and publicly questioning his own intelligence agencies to palling around with a top EU official in the Rose Garden and scheduling a meeting with his senior advisers to discuss election security. It was an abrupt tonal shift for the President — and it underscored the growing pressure on Trump from fellow Republicans to toughen his public stance against Russia and to limit the fallout of the escalating global trade wars.

Few people close to the president believe he has changed much, and they expect the president to continue bashing longtime U.S. allies and cozying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin whenever he gets the chance. Still, the announcements on trade and Russia appeared to serve as high-profile messaging after a week of chaos that Trump is on the same page as his political party — and that the White House is sensitive to the mounting criticism. Click here to read... [13]

Africa
India, Rwanda sign eight MoUs during PM Narendra Modi’s visit: The Tribune, 24 July 2018

India and Rwanda have signed eight Memoranda of Understandings (MoU) and documents during PM Modi’s visit, the first ever visit by any Indian PM. The documents exchanged include Defence Agreement on Cooperation in Capacity Building, Defence, Industry, Science and Technology.

Also includes Line of Credit (LOC) Agreement for US $ 100 million for development of Industrial Parks and expansion of Kigali Special Economic Zones as well as LOC Agreement for US $ 100 million for agriculture irrigation scheme in Rwanda and a Trade Cooperation Framework. Click here to read... [14]

Uganda visit shows Africa firmly in Narendra Modi’s foreign policy radar: livemint, 24 July 2018

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Uganda on Tuesday, it marked the 25th high-level bilateral visit from India to Africa in just four years—underlining a significant build-up in India’s ties with the resource-rich continent. Modi’s Uganda stopover was the second leg of the three-nation Africa tour. His first, in Rwanda on Monday, witnessed the signing of a clutch of agreements, spanning agriculture to defence, between the two countries.

Modi is, however, not the only Asian leader to be touring Africa. Chinese president Xi Jinping, too, is on a four-nation visit to the continent. While both leaders will attend the 10th BRICS summit hosted by South Africa on 25-27 July, they are using the opportunity to firm up ties with other African nations as well. Click here to read... [15]

UN Launches $ 22 m appeal to tackle Ethiopian displacement crisis: VOA, 24 July 2018

The UN migration agency is launching an appeal for $ 22.2 million to provide life-saving assistance for hundreds of thousands of people displaced by communal violence in southern Ethiopia. Fighting among local communities over pasture land and water resources along the border of Ethiopia’s Gedeo and West Guji regions has displaced some 970,000 people since April.

The spokesman for the International Organization for Migration, Joel Millman, said this rapid displacement has resulted in the loss of livelihood, a disruption of services and significant damage to infrastructure. Click here to read... [16]

Ebola outbreak in Congo has ended, WHO says: The New York Times, 24 July 2018

The Ebola outbreak that began in the Democratic Republic of Congo in April was declared officially over on Tuesday in what appeared to be twin triumphs for a new vaccine and rapid response. 33 people died, even though the outbreak reached Mbandaka, a river port city of over one million people. At one point, experts had feared the virus might spread throughout Central Africa. Three years ago, an Ebola outbreak in West Africa cost more than 11,000 lives. Health agencies were slow to respond, and no vaccine was available until it was nearly over. Click here to read... [17]

Double debt risk for African Countries that turn to China: all Africa, 25 July 2018

Kenya owes more to China than it does to Western lenders, the traditional source of loans to Africa. As Beijing throws open its credit line to Africa, analysts warn of the risk of a double-debt stranglehold. China has become a generous, ready and easy lender to African countries and a key investor. Researchers say its line of credit to the continent has stretched considerably since 2000, and the money is flowing faster.
China's President Xi Jinping, currently on his fourth visit to Africa, inked a few more loan deals with Senegal and Rwanda. In South Africa, China's biggest trade partner in Africa, Xi unveiled a $14.7 billion (€17 billion) investment in its broke national energy utility Eskom and its rail, port and pipeline company. Click here to read... [18]

Google launches free Wi-Fi hotspot network in Nigeria: Reuters, 26 July 2018

Google launched a network of free Wi-Fi hotspots in Nigeria on Thursday, part of its effort to increase its presence in Africa’s most populous nation.
The US technology firm owned by Alphabet Inc. has partnered with Nigerian fibre cable network provider 21st Century to provide its public Wi-Fi service, Google Station, in six places in the commercial capital Lagos, including the city’s airport. Internet penetration is relatively low in Nigeria. Some 25.7 percent of the population made use of the internet in 2016, according to World Bank Data. Click here to read... [19]

PM Modi meets leaders of Angola, Argentina on sidelines of BRICS Summit: NDTV, 27 July 2018

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral meetings with presidents of Argentina and Angola on the sidelines of the Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) Summit and discussed ways to boost ties, including in areas of energy and agriculture.
Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted a photograph of Prime Minister Modi and Angolan President Joao Lourenco together at the start of the talks. "Bilateral meetings continue for PM @narendramodi in Johannesburg! With the President of Angola Joao Lourenco. Discussed intensifying relations in trade and investment, agriculture & food processing, pharma, oil and natural gas. #IndiaatBRICS," Mr Kumar said in the tweet.

India and Angola have traditionally enjoyed friendly ties. India supported the Angolan freedom struggle against the Portuguese colonial rule till it attained independence in 1975. Click here to read... [20]

Somalia, Eritrea restore diplomatic ties: VOA, 28 July 2018

Somalia and Eritrean leaders agreed Saturday to resume their diplomatic ties and open embassies in their capitals. The decision was made during a summit in Asmara, Eritrea, where Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo began a historic three-day visit Saturday. The two nations have not had diplomatic ties for nearly 15 years. Click here to read... [21]

Japan mulls asking China to jointly develop infrastructure in Africa: The Mainichi, 29 July 2018

Japan is considering asking China to join a Tokyo-led infrastructure development project in Africa, in a turnaround from rivalry between them in offering economic assistance to the continent, government sources said Sunday. Tokyo is leaning toward Japan-China joint development in Africa, hoping to add impetus to improving bilateral ties ahead of a visit to China by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which Tokyo aims to realize in October. Click here to read... [22]