COUNTRY REVIEWS

South Asia

Afghanistan

• Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey hold Ankara Summit to weigh the possibility of setting up a “Taliban office” in a neutral country to facilitate peace talks; Afghan Taliban refuses any talks at Paris meet; Afghan President Karzai will submit evidence to Pakistan during a meeting in Ankara

Pakistan

• Pentagon report: Pakistan is persistently undermining security in Afghanistan by permitting safe havens for insurgents

Bangladesh

• Dr. Najma Heptulla met PM Sheikh Hasina

Srilanka

• Australian Foreign Minister visits Sri Lanka; Sri Lanka is concerned at the launch of a rocket using ballistic missile technology by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; Fourth IAF-SLAF Air Staff talks held in Colombo

Maldives

• Mr. Ahmed Sareer has been appointed as the Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations

East Asia

Japan

• Japan reacts strongly to North Korea’s ballistic missile test, advocates strong sanctions; US begins coordination with Japan and South Korea on North Korean missile launch

South Korea

• South Korea-Spain signs defense support deal

North Korea

• UN condemns North Korea’s missile launch

West Asia

Syria

• US, Germany plan to deploy missiles, troops to Syria border

Palestine/Israel

• Palestinian PM calls for boycott of Israeli goods; Israeli foreign minister resigns over pending indictment

Jordan

• Refugee influx into Jordan intensifies, UN forecasts up to 1.8 million refugees by 2013

Internal Security Review

Jammu & Kashmir

• Shutdown in Kashmir in protest against life sentences; Union Home Minister remarks no withdrawal of AFSPA from JK till peace prevails; Union Home Minister: Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Toiba remain dominant groups in JK; Militants killed in encounters at Sopore; Union Home Secretary to visit Jammu

Northeast India

• Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC) threatens to block ASEAN car rally; American Business Centre opened in Guwahati; Linking North-East with South-East Asia to be the focus of ASEAN-India trade conclave

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)

• Consultative Committee of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) reviewed J&K security situation

UNITED NATIONS (UN) REVIEW

• India expresses concern over piracy off the coast of Somalia; India criticises missile launch by North Korea; India satisfied with Climate talks in Doha; Divisions continue over UN internet talks; UN condemns the arrest of Mali’s PM; Security Council expresses concern over situation in Guinea-Bissau; UNSC extends sanctions on Liberia; UNSC extends term of judges with Tribunal for Rwanda; India’s CAG re-elected to UN