VIF News Digest: International Developments (08 Oct – 14 Oct 2018)

USA

India and US bilateral trade rises 119% since 2007 at $126.2 billion

9 Oct 2018

Bilateral trade of goods and services between India and the US has gone up by 119 per cent since 2007, touching $126.2 billion, according to the data collated by the office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). According to the data, exports were valued at $49.4 billion and imports were worth $76.7 billion. The US goods and services trade deficit with India was $27.3 billion in 2017.

The data comes at a time when the two nations are locked in a trade war. “India is our ninth largest goods trading partner with $74.3 billion in total (two-way) goods trade during 2017. Goods exports totaled $25.7 billion and goods imports totaled at $48.6 billion. The US goods trade deficit with India was $22.9 billion in 2017,” said USTR on its website. Click here to read..... [2]

Indo-US nuke deal helped fuel domestic power plants, gave India access to critical tech: Experts

10 Oct 2018

A decade after the historic Indo-US nuclear deal, experts said the pact did not lead to India setting up foreign-built reactors, but it helped fuel domestic power plants and give India access to critical technologies in strategic areas. They also felt that it gave India the recognition of being a responsible nuclear weapon state with strong non-proliferation credentials.

The Indo-US nuclear cooperation agreement was signed on October 10, 2008, that gave a fillip to the ties between the two nations, which since then have been on an upswing. India conducted a nuclear test in 1974, following which a torrent of sanctions hit the country's defence, nuclear and space programmes hard.Click here to read..... [3]

Post missile deal with Russia, India awaits US decision on waiver from sanctions

8 Oct 2018

Unfazed by the US government’s unhappiness with India for signing the multi-billion S-400 missile pact with Russia, Indian officials say that the deal was in national security interest and it was up to Washington to decide if it qualifies for a waiver. “It was difficult for India to get a prior waiver on sanctions as the US government decides on it after examining the deal that has been struck. India has inked the S-400 deal with Russia as the missiles were much needed to ramp up its security. Now that the deal is struck, the US will examine it and come to a decision on the waiver,” an official told BusinessLine.

New Delhi, will, however, continue to negotiate with Washington for a waiver. “We understand that the sanctions are not to be imposed till payments take place. This will take some time. Through our diplomatic channels we will continue to try and convince Washington to give India the Presidential waiver against sanctions as the motive behind the deal was not to strengthen Russia but to meet its own security interests,” the official added.Click here to read..... [4]

Nikki Haley to resign as Trump’s Ambassador to the UN

9 Oct 2018

President Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki R. Haley, said on Tuesday that she would resign at the end of the year, marking the departure of one of the few high-profile women in the Trump administration.

Ms. Haley, a former Republican governor of South Carolina, had been an early and frequent critic of Mr. Trump, but he named her to the United Nations job weeks after his election. As ambassador, Ms. Haley has been an outspoken and often forceful envoy — someone whom foreign diplomats looked to for guidance from an administration known for haphazard and inconsistent policy positions — who emerged as something of a star amid the dysfunction of the president’s first national security team. Click here to read..... [5]

'India will soon find out my decision': Donald Trump on US sanctions for defence deal with Russia

11 Oct 2018

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that India "will soon find out" about his decision on the punitive CAATSA sanctions after India signed a USD 5 billion deal to purchase the much-vaunted S-400 air defence system from Russia. Under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act or CAATSA sanctions, which was amended early this year, only Trump has the authority for the presidential waiver to India on weapons deal with sanctions-hit Russia.

India last week inked a USD 5 billion deal to purchase S-400 Triumf air defence system from Moscow. The mega deal was sealed in New Delhi during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin for the annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Click here to read..... [6]

Top US envoy to hold talks with India, European nations on Iran oil import

12 Oct 2018

A top US envoy on Iran is headed to India this week for talks ahead of the November 4 deadline set by the President Donald Trump administration for countries to bring down their import of Iranian oil to zero. In addition to India, Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook will be travelling to Europe to further discuss US foreign policy toward Iran.

During this week-long trip, Hook will engage "allies and partners on our shared" need to counter the entirety of the Iranian regime's destructive behaviour in the Middle East, and in their own neighbourhoods, the State Department said. In India, he and Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Francis R Fannon will meet with their counterparts for consultations, and in Luxembourg, he will attend meetings with officials gathered for the European Union meeting of ministers. Click here to read..... [7]

RUSSIA

Russia rejects Japan’s protests over military build-up on isles

11 Oct 2018

Russia rejects protests from Japan over Russia's military deployments on a chain of disputed Pacific islands and reserves the right to bolster its security there as it sees fit, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday. Moscow and Tokyo both claim sovereignty over the Pacific islands, known in Russia as the Kurile islands and in Japan as the Northern Territories.

Russian military deployments on the islands were not aimed against neighboring countries, the ministry said in a statement, in which it also accused Tokyo of unhelpful "megaphone" diplomacy. "We firmly reject such demarches since Russia has the sovereign right to (conduct) any activity on its territory, including measures to strengthen national defense," it said.

Japan said in July it had asked Russia to reduce its military activity on the islands.Click here to read..... [8]

Russia skipped N. isles drill at Japan’s behest

9 Oct 2018

Russia refrained from conducting its Vostok 2018 military drill on the northern territories last month in line with a Japanese proposal, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Monday. Shoigu made the remark at a meeting in Moscow with Adm. Katsutoshi Kawano, chief of staff of the Self-Defense Forces’ Joint Staff.

Days before the exercise began on Sept. 11, a top Russian military official said the drill would not be conducted on the islands. The northern territories were seized from Japan by Soviet troops near the end of World War II.

Russia proposed that Japan participate in the exercise, which was one of the largest Russian military drills in the post-Cold War period, as an observer, but Japan did not take part, according to Shoigu. Click here to read..... [9]

Russian company to modernise biggest power plant in Central Asia

10 Oct 2018

The Government of Uzbekistan has approved a feasibility study on a project to modernize the Sirdaryo thermal power plant, the biggest one in the Central Asia, with a total value of over $219 million, Uzbek media reported. The contract was concluded with OJSC Power Machines - ZTL, LMZ, Elektrosila, Energomashexport (Russian Federation), which is to upgrade six power units of the Sirdaryo thermal power plant with an increase in their capacity from 300 megawatts to 325 megawatts with a total value of $177.1 million.

The project will be financed through own funds of Uzbekenergo JSC worth $10.8 million, loans from Russia’s Vnesheconombank worth $132 million, the National Bank of Uzbekistan worth $22.2 million and OJSCB Uzpromstroybank worth $22.2 million. Click here to read..... [10]

Russia views Uzbekistan as strategic partner in Central Asia — Defense Minister

12 Oct 2018

Russia views Uzbekistan as a strategic partner in Central Asia, including in the sphere of security, Russia’s Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting with his Uzbekistani counterpart Major-General Abdusalom Azizov on Friday. "I am sincerely glad to hold this meeting and have a possibility to discuss the issues of bilateral military cooperation. Uzbekistan is Russia’s strategic partner in Central Asia," Shoigu said.

Both countries "are closely interacting in many spheres, including the sphere of security," the Russian defense minister said. "In present-day conditions, it is necessary to jointly counter challenges and threats, especially the spread of international terrorism in the region," Shoigu stressed. Click here to read..... [11]

World War 3: Putin tests ‘nuclear weapons’ in major show of force as global tensions ‘rise’

12 Oct 2018

RUSSIA conducted a massive simulated nuclear weapons test yesterday, involving both naval and air forces at both ends of the country in a dramatic warning to potential rivals, as tensions with the West remain high. The simulation tests were conducted by ships from Russia’s North and Pacific fleets, as well as the long-range bombers from the Russian Air Force.

Four different simulated targets were hit in Russia and neighbouring Kazakhstan, where the Russian military maintains a major presence.

Ballistic missiles were ‘fired’ from nuclear submarines in both the Barents Sea, to the north of Russia, and the Sea of Okhotsk in the Pacific. Cruise missiles were also ‘tested’ by long-range strategic bombers. Click here to read..... [12]

Russia, Turkey agree to set up Inter-Parliamentary Commission

9 Oct 2018

Russia’s State Duma (lower house of parliament) and Turkey’s Grand National Assembly (parliament) have signed a protocol of intent to set up a high-level inter-parliamentary commission. Speakers Vyacheslav Volodin and Binali Yildirim put their signatures to the document on Tuesday.

"An agreement has been reached on creating a new, advanced cooperation format - the high-level Russian-Turkish inter-parliamentary commission to facilitate the implementation of the agreements between the Russian and Turkish leaders, including the effective implementation of infrastructure-related projects in the areas of mutual interest," the document states. Click here to read..... [13]

AFRICA

Ghana ranked 7th wealthiest African Country, Modern Ghana Newspaper

9 October 2018

The AfrAsia Bank Africa Wealth Report 2018 has ranked Ghana as the 7th wealthiest country in Africa with a total wealth of 63 billion dollars (US$ 63 bn) as of December 2017. The report which was published in September 2018, covers wealth, luxury, prime property and wealth management trends in Africa from 2007 to 2017, with projections to 2027.

Meanwhile, Ghana's capital city Accra maintained its 2017 ranking as the 10th wealthiest African city with a current total wealth of US$38 billion in the report. The report said that "major sectors in the city include basic materials, manufacturing, and financial services." Click here to read..... [14]

Sierra Leone cancels China-funded project, BBC News

10 October 2018

Sierra Leone has cancelled a $400m (£304m) Chinese-funded project to build a new airport outside the capital Freetown. Former President Ernest Bai Koroma signed the loan agreement with China before he lost elections in March. At the time, the World Bank and the IMF warned that the project would impose a heavy debt burden. The decision comes amid concern that many African countries risk defaulting on their debts to China.

Aviation Minister Kabineh Kallon told the BBC that the project, which was due to have been completed in 2022, wasn't necessary and the country's current international airport would be renovated instead. He said current President Julius Maada Bio "didn't see any need for Mamamah [the proposed airport]" and was considering building a bridge from the capital to Lungi airport - the only international airport in the country. Currently passengers need to get a boat or helicopter to reach Freetown. Click here to read..... [15]

Researchers say human toll of South Sudan War 'as Bad as Iraq or Syria', VOA

10 October 2018

The five-year war in South Sudan is among the deadliest the world has seen in recent years, according to a new analysis by researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

The authors of the report, which was funded by the United States Institute of Peace, hope the new analysis will help to illustrate the true human cost of the war and give a renewed impetus to peace talks and humanitarian funding.The civil war in South Sudan erupted in December 2013 as rebels took up arms against the government. A peace agreement signed two years later broke down and the conflict spread. Fighting has continued, despite another ceasefire deal signed last month. Click here to read..... [16]

Eritrea, Cameroon among African reps on UN Human Rights Council, africanews

13 October 2018

The United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday elected a new set of representatives to serve three-year terms. In all, 18 countries were elected across the world. The African representatives who made it were from three regional blocs – West, Central and East Africa: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Eritrea, Somalia and Togo.

The move has however attracted the ire of political and human rights groups who insist that Eritrea, Cameroon and Somalia had no business serving on the Council given their current rights record.

Eritrea is a known jailer of dissidents – political, media, religious. The United Nations rapporteur has repeatedly reported of arbitrary arrests and detention. Asmara has most times remained mute or dismissed such reports. Click here to read..... [17]

Mozambique's opposition Renamo Party accuses Government of electoral fraud: africanews

13 October 2018

Mozambique’s Renamo opposition on Saturday accused the government of falsifying local election results in several areas, warning that such a move could prompt it to abandon peace talks.

The country went to the polls on October 10 in a key test for the ongoing peace talks between the ruling Frelimo party and Renamo – negotiations which began in 2016 to end three years of violence between government troops and Renamo rebels. “We do not want war but we also do not accept any attempt to change the popular will,” Renamo’s acting leader Ossufo Momade told reporters.

Although the official results have not yet been published, Renamo says the party had been cheated of victory in one major city and three other towns, accusing election officials of tampering with the results. Click here to read..... [18]

Somalia: Double suicide bombing in Baidoa kills civilians, Al Jazeera

14 October 2018

At least 16 people have been killed and 50 others wounded after two suicide bombers attacked a restaurant and a hotel in the town of Baidoa in Somalia, police and witnesses said. A man wearing an explosive device walked into Beder restaurant on Friday and blew himself up, killing multiple people and wounding others, police officer Mahad Mohamed told the DPA news agency on Saturday. Shortly after the first blast, another bomber blew himself up at the Bilan hotel, killing more than six people.

The restaurant and hotel are both popular with civilians and local government officials. On Andalus, a pro-al-Shabab radio station, armed group Al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Baidoa. It said one blast targeted a hotel owned by a former Somali minister, Mohamed Aden Fargeti, one of several candidates running for the presidency of the region in November's election. Click here to read..... [19]