Atul Chaturvedi Elected as First Chairman of Asian Palm Oil Alliance
The apex edible oil industry associations from five major palm oil importing countries of Asia -- India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal -- came together and formed the Asian Palm Oil Alliance (APOA).
APOA was launched during the Globoil Summit at Agra on September 21.
The first general body meeting of the Alliance elected Atul Chaturvedi, Director of Adani Wilmar Ltd and President of SEA, as the first Chairman. The website and logo of the APOA were also launched on the occasion. The APOA secretariat would initially be managed by the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA).
APOA is expected to safeguard the economic and business interests of the palm-oil consuming countries and create a level-playing field for all fats and oils used in food, feed and oleo-chemicals in Asia. It will further work towards increasing the consumption of sustainable palm oil in member countries.
Sep 23, 2022
Biden Nominates Veteran Foreign Service Officer as Ambassador to Russia
President Joe Biden formally nominated a veteran foreign service officer with years of experience in Russian affairs to be the next US ambassador to Russia.
The White House announced the nomination of Lynne Tracy, the current US ambassador to Armenia, to the post after the Russian government signed off on the choice. Tracy's selection had been known for some time but had not been announced pending Russia's approval. Ambassadorial nominations must be approved by the host government under the rules of diplomatic protocol.
Tracy, who speaks Russian, previously served as a senior adviser for Russian affairs in the State Department's Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, and as the deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Moscow.
Sep 22, 2022
Nepal President Refuses to Ratify Citizenship Bill to Safeguard Constitution
Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari denied authenticating the Citizenship Bill despite the constitutionally bounded provision to ratify it within 15 days after it has been re-approved by both Houses.
President's political advisor Lalbabu Yadav confirmed that Bhandari refused to authenticate the bill in order to safeguard the Constitution.
It is stated in Article 61(4) that the main duty of the president shall be to abide by and protect the Constitution. This means protecting all articles of the Constitution. One cannot say by only looking at Article 113 that the president did not fulfil her constitutional responsibility.
India's Presidency of AIBD Extended for One more Year
India's Presidency of the Asia-Pacific Institute of Broadcasting Development (AIBD), was extended for one more year. The Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati and Director General of Doordarshan Mayank Kumar Agrawal is the President of AIBD.
The decision to extend AIBD was taken at the two-day General Conference of the AIBD held in New Delhi. The conference was inaugurated by the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur.
The AIBD was formed in the year 1977. It is an inter-governmental organization of the Union Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. AIBD works in the field of electronic media development and currently has 26 countries as complete members represented by 43 organizations and 52 affiliate members. The AIBD is hosted by the Government of Malaysia and the secretariat is located in Kuala Lumpur.
Sep 21, 2022
MoS Anupriya Patel Attends 10th East Asia Summit Economic Ministers' Meeting
Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel attended the 10th East Asia Summit Economic Ministers' Meeting in Siem Reap City, Cambodia and reiterated India's commitment to supporting the forum in strengthening the regional economic architecture.
The meeting saw representation from all 10 ASEAN countries as well as 8 partner countries viz. Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation and the USA.
The ministers exchanged views on global and regional economic developments including the outcomes of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference, post-pandemic economic recovery efforts, and measures adopted to mitigate the impact of global supply chain disruptions and strong inflation pressure.
Sep 20, 2022
Kazakhstan Invites PM for CICA's October Summit
Kazakhstan invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Conference on Confidence Building Measures and Interaction in Asia (CICA) Summit, which it is hosting in capital Astana on October 12-13.
The event, which comes close on the heels of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, will give Central Asian nations an opportunity to expand ties with India.
Currently the CICA exists as the largest intergovernmental forum in Asia with 27 member countries, aiming to enhance cooperation, security, promote peace and stability in Asia. The CICA also has 9 observer countries, 5 observer organisations and 5 partner organisations.
The forum was first initiated by the first President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev on 5 October, 1992 at the 47th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
+91-85588-96644
