General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2019

May 2019

Sep 11, 2019

Dharmendra Pradhan to Participate in AMER8 in Abu Dhabi

Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is on a three-day visit to the UAE, will participate in the 8th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable (AMER8) in Abu Dhabi. India is the co-host along with UAE at the event.
The AMER8 Conference will debate energy security in the age of change with a view to empower responsible growth in Asia and the world.
Mr Dharmendra is likely to address the opening session of AMER 8 Meet.
The AMER8 is structured in two plenary sessions that will focus ministerial dialogue on "The role of new technologies for a more competitive and productive world energy mix" and "Advancing inclusive access to secure, affordable, and sustainable energy services".

Thailand 1st in Asia To Roll Out Plain Cigarette Packaging

Thailand rolled out plain cigarette packaging, the first country in Asia to introduce what activists say is an effective way to reduce the appeal of smoking.
In 2012, Australia became the first country to require tobacco products to be sold without colourful brand logos.
Thailand agreed in 2018 to comply with the World Health Organization guidelines, and packs officially showed up in stores.
The standardized packaging includes a graphic picture of tobacco's effects on the body and the logo-free brand name written in plain font.

Restrictive Measures in J&K Being Eased, India Tells UNHRC

India declared that Pakistan was trying to polarise the UN Human Rights Council to advance its agenda in South Asia.
Speaking at the UN body's 42nd Regular Session in Geneva, an Indian diplomat shed light on the contradiction between Pakistan's attempts to champion human rights in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the denial of the same rights to various communities within Pakistan.
The Indian diplomat highlighted the discrimination faced by the minority religious communities and sects in Pakistan and stated that Islamabad has forgotten that "terrorism is the worst form of human rights abuse".
He said that Pakistan has tried to "politicise and polarise" the UN Human Rights Council by its "fabricated" narrative.

New Italian Govt Wins Confidence Vote in Upper House Of Parliament

In Italy, new government won a confidence vote in the upper house of parliament, the last hurdle to overcome before the pro-European executive could get down to work.
The coalition of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and centre-left Democratic Party (PD), led by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, won the support of 169 MPs, while 133 voted against and five abstained.
The government had easily won the same vote in the lower house.

PM Modi meeting with PM of St. Vincent and Grenadines

Prime Minister of St. Vincent and Grenadines Dr. Hon'ble Ralph Everard Gonsalves met Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
Prime Minister Gonsalves, on a first ever visit of Prime Minister of St. Vincent and Grenadines to India, is also participating in high-level United Nations Convention on Combating Desertification (UNCCD) Symposium in New Delhi.
Prime Minister Modi noted the close cooperation between the two countries including in the international fora and congratulated St. Vincent and Grenadines for the historical achievement of becoming "the smallest country ever" to be elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

President Ram Nath Kovind Holds Bilateral Talks With Iceland President

President Ram Nath Kovind thanked the Iceland government for understanding India's core concerns as he held talks with the country's president on strengthening bilateral political ties and economic partnership.
After holding talks with Iceland President Guoni Johannesson, Kovind said the two sides took stock of their global partnership and discussed ways to add fresh momentum to it.
After the talks, India and Iceland signed agreements and MOUs on fisheries collaboration, cultural cooperation and visa waiver for holders of diplomatic and official passport.
Kovind said India is keen to leverage Iceland's capacity in sustainable fishery, marine economy, shipping, green growth, energy, construction and agriculture sector.
He said, on the other hand, Indian pharmaceutical, high-end IT, biotechnology, automobile and innovation companies will collaborate with Icelandic enterprises.
Kovind congratulated Johannesson on Iceland assuming the chair of the Arctic Council and conveyed India's desire to meaningfully contribute to its deliberations and outcomes. India invited Iceland to join the International Solar Alliance.

PM Modi, Nepal PM Jointly Inaugurate Motihari-Amlekhganj Petroleum Product Pipeline

India launched South Asia's maiden cross-border oil pipeline that will help in regional connectivity amid Pakistan's intransigence on approving SAARC connectivity pact.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli inaugurated South Asia's first cross-border petroleum products pipeline from Motihari in India to Amlekhgunj in Nepal via video conference. This will reduce retail oil prices in Nepal by Rs 2.
India is already supplying diesel to Bangladesh through cross-border train and plans to build pipeline to supply petroleum products to its eastern neighbour.

Eritrea Tops CPJ List of Worst Countries For Press Censorship

Eritrea is the world's most censored country, according to a new report by a media watchdog which also cites extreme measures taken by authorities in nine other countries, including North Korea, China and Saudi Arabia.
The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said that the worst three countries for press censorship - Eritrea, North Korea and Turkmenistan - use the media "as a mouthpiece of the state, and independent journalism is conducted from exile".
Other countries on the top 10 list "use a combination of blunt tactics like harassment and arbitrary detention as well as sophisticated surveillance and targeted hacking to silence the independent press," the report said.
Saudi Arabia, China, Vietnam and Iran- ranked fourth to seventh, respectively - were cited in the CPJ report for "jailing and harassing journalists and their families, while also engaging in digital monitoring and censorship of the internet and social media.''

Sep 10, 2019

Kremlin Suffers Losses in Moscow City Vote

Preliminary results showed that Allies of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia suffered significant losses in Moscow city council elections, but mostly held their own in other local polls across the country.
Results of the elections highlighted the Kremlin's troubles in the Russian capital, which has been roiled in recent weeks by a wave of protests, while demonstrating its firm grip on politics elsewhere in the vast country.
Beyond Moscow, the Kremlin was still able to demonstrate its full control of the political situation, winning all 16 of the governor's races.
In St. Petersburg, Mr. Putin's longtime associate, Aleksandr D. Beglov, who was described by Russian news outlets as a "gaffe machine," won 65 percent of the votes.

Sudan's Cabinet Sworn In

Sudan swore in its first Cabinet since the military ousted autocratic President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 following mass pro-democracy protests.
The new members include Sudan's first woman Foreign Minister, Asmaa Abdalla, along with three other women, in an apparent acknowledgement of Sudanese women's participation in the uprising.
The Cabinet is part of a power-sharing agreement between the military and pro-democracy demonstrators, which also includes a joint military-civilian sovereign council and a legislative body that is supposed to be formed within three months.
The three bodies are to govern Sudan for little more than three years until elections can be held.
Eighteen Cabinet ministers were sworn in before the country's top judge, Babaker Abbas, as well as Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the head of the sovereign council.

Iran is Installing New Centrifuges

According to the UN's atomic watchdog, Iran is preparing to use more advanced centrifuges, another breach of limits set in the country's slowly unraveling nuclear deal with major powers.
Iran had already announced the step, its latest violation of the 2015 agreement as it tries to pressure European signatories to find a way to maintain oil shipments and ease the toll of US sanctions on the Iranian economy.
The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that its inspectors verified the installation of new centrifuges.
The nuclear deal was meant to keep Tehran from building atomic weapons in exchange for economic incentives.
Its collapse started with the US withdrawing from the deal in 2018 and imposing increased sanctions. The other signatories — UK, France, Germany, China and Russia, as well as the EU — have been struggling to salvage the agreement and find a way to meet Tehran's demands.

Sep 09, 2019

Intl Conference ANGAN Being Organized In New Delhi

A three-day long International conference ANGAN for Energy Efficiency in Building Sector is being organized by Bureau of Energy Efficiency in New Delhi.
Indo-German Technical Co-operation is also partnering in the event. Experts and policy makers from sixteen countries are participating in this event to discuss various alternative options and technologies in the field of design and construction of energy efficient commercial as well as residential buildings.
They will also suggest the effective ways of implementing the same through policies and programmes.
The three-day long event will provide a platform to deliberate on interdependence between organizations, systems sustainability and feedback loops for better resource efficiency.

Wang Yi Reaches Kathmandu on a 3-Day Visit To Nepal

China's Minister for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi reached Kathmandu on a three day visit to Nepal.
He was received at the airport by Foreign Secretary of Nepal Shanker Das Bairagi. Mr. Wang will hold delegation level bilateral talks with his Nepalese counterpart Pradeep Kumar Gyawali.
They are expected to discuss entire gamut of bilateral relations. During the visit Chinese Foreign Minister will also pay courtesy calls on President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli.
Nepal's Foreign Minister will host a dinner in honour of the visiting dignitary.
This is the first high level visit from China since new government formed in Nepal under Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli in February 2018.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Arrives In Dubai To Participate In 8th Asian Ministerial Energy...

Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan arrived in Dubai for a three- day visit to the UAE.
During the visit, the Minister is scheduled to participate in the Eighth Asian Ministerial Energy Round-table (AMER) at Abu Dhabi on 10th September, 2019 where India is the co-host along with UAE.
In an attempt to further strengthen the energy ties with the oil producing countries, Mr Pradhan, accompanied by an official and business delegation, is on a six-day visit to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar to engage with his counterparts in oil and gas as well as steel sectors in three countries.
Before the AMER Conference , the Minister is likely to have a meeting with some established business houses in Dubai in a bid to push steel exports from India.
In Abu Dhabi, Mr Pradhan is scheduled to meet his counterparts Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei along with the Minister of State and ADNOC Group CEO Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber and discuss issues of bilateral hydrocarbon as well as steel sector engagement within the overall framework of India-UAE Strategic Partnership.
The AMER Conference is coinciding with the 24th World Energy Congress, which is being held in Abu Dhabi.

President Kovind Reaches Iceland As Part Of His Three Nation Tour

President Ramnath Kovind reached Iceland as part of his three nation tour. During his stay in the Nordic Island nation, the President will hold bilateral meeting with Icelandic President where memorandums will be signed to further the cooperation between the two countries.
The President will also deliver a lecture at the University of Iceland with a focus on environmental issues.
He will be meeting a business delegation and interact with the Indian community as part of the tour.
At the end of the tour he will take part in the India-Iceland business seminar. Both the countries have established cooperation in the field of renewable energy, fisheries, Information Technology, Biotechnology with a bilateral trade of 39.49 million US dollars in 2018-19.
The President will leave for Switzerland and Slovenia in the next leg of his tour.

India Announces USD 1 mn Disaster Relief Aid For Bahamas

India announced a humanitarian assistance of USD 1 million to help people in The Bahamas affected by Hurricane Dorian.
The death toll from the calamity has risen to over 40 and is likely to increase even more, even as search and rescue teams are still trying to reach out to Bahamian communities isolated by floodwaters and debris in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.

Sep 08, 2019

China Plans To Invest $1 Billion In Pakistan Development Projects

Yao Jing, the Ambassador of China to Pakistan, has announced that Beijing has planned to invest $1 billion in development projects in Islamabad.
He made the announcement while addressing the Islamabad Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IWCCI).
Besides this, he also said the pace of development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was satisfactory and the second phase of the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA) will be finalised in October, 2019 after which 90 per cent of Pakistani exports including agricultural products and seafood will attract a 0 per cent duty.

Sep 07, 2019

India To Host 6th India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue

India will host the 6th India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue that will focus on collaboration between two countries in areas of infrastructure, energy, high-tech, resource conservation, pharmaceuticals and policy coordination.
The three-day dialogue will be held from September 7-9, 2019 and will be chaired by NITI Aayog vice chairman Rajiv Kumar and Chinese side will be led by the chairman, National Development and Reforms Commission (NDRC).
Senior representatives from policy making, industry and academia are expected to participate in the dialogue from both sides.
Set up between erstwhile Planning Commission and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China during the visit of Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao to India in December 2010, the SED has since then served as an effective mechanism for enhancing bilateral practical cooperation.

Piyush Goyal To Attend RCEP Meet In Thailand

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal will attend the seventh RCEP Ministerial meeting in Thailand.
India, however, would maintain a strict stance on the RCEP negotiations and consider signing an agreement only if its demands were met.
The RCEP is a proposed regional grouping of 16 countries, including the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) (ASEAN) countries and their six free-trade agreement (FTA) partners — India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

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