COUNTRY REVIEWS

South Asia

Pakistan

• Home Secretary level talks held between India-Pakistan in New Delhi; Pakistan hails Mohali meeting between India-Pakistan; US welcomes Cricket diplomacy between India-Pakistan; NATO official points out at Pakistan’s inability to help in stemming militant groups in Afghanistan

Bangladesh

• Bangladesh Foreign Secretary: Robert Blake's statement will not affect Bangladesh-US relations; IMF attaches new conditions to Bangladesh; ADB to review some of its projects in Bangladesh; India uses Bangladesh roads for transshipment for the first time; Trade between Tripura and Bangladesh almost doubled; A four-member Bangladesh delegation left for Japan to offer aid and sympathy to the country devastated by earthquake and tsunami; UN honours Bangladeshi peacekeepers in Liberia; Bahrain’s Foreign Minister meets with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina; UK to double its aid to Bangladesh

Sri Lanka

• Sri Lankan fishermen not satisfied with the outcome of the Indo-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group meeting on fishermen’s issues; President Mahinda Rajapaksa attends Cricket World Cup final in Mumbai; Around 600 Sri Lankan refugees returned home with the Assistance of the UNHCR; Sri Lankan Government revokes the suspension on the import of power sets from India; Prof. G. L. Peiris urges European countries to remain vigilant regarding LTTE Activities in their territories; Indian Navy captures three Sri Lankan fishermen while poaching in Indian waters; President Rajapaksa allows the three-member UN advisory panel to visit Sri Lanka but not to carry out any investigations in Sri Lanka; A US business delegation pays a courtesy call on President Rajapaksa

Maldives

• Bhutanese PM visits Maldives; Special Envoy of South Korean President meets President of the Maldives; The Maldives presents its claim for continental shelf limits to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf; Secretary General of SAARC, Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed meets with President Nasheed; Vice President of the Maldives visits Italy

East Asia

China

• The Chinese Defence White Paper 2010 released; PLA takes massive infrastructure building in Tibetan areas; Chinese military nuclear facilities are safe; Zambian military officers visit China; Major scientific achievement claimed; The 23rd International Medical Instrument and Equipment exhibition held; Chinese missile frigates visit Tanzania; BACC opens the Space Flight Laboratory; Improvement in military training stressed; Regulations of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army on secrecy promulgated; China and the UNDPO organize joint training session; Joint military exercises with foreign armies not targeted against any other country

Southeast Asia

• Myanmar-Bangladesh rail line construction begins; Reports: Nuclear fallout over Vietnam, but no health risk so far; Pakistan agrees to hand over the militant to Indonesia; Indonesian shipment to Japan plunge by 25 percent; Chinese official visits Myanmar

Central Asia & Russia

Central Asia

• Kazakh presidential election results to be announced on April 4; Kazakhstan aims to trade with Russia and China using local currencies by 2018; European Commission asks Astana to help seal Chernobyl plant; Tajikistan launches drive for compulsory conscription; Tajikistan ranked world’s most pro-Russian country; Turkmenistan to head CIS in 2012; Uproar in Germany on paying Uzbekistan for base; Powerful earthquake could be devastating for Rogun dam; SCO to create committee to facilitate energy cooperation

Russia

• The International Court of Justice rejects Georgian ethnic cleansing case against Russia saying it has no jurisdiction to hear the case; Russian security forces get the go-ahead to crush rising militancy in the Caucasus; Rosatom signs a US$ 2.8 billion contract to enrich uranium for the US; Russia to launch space freighter to ISS on April 27; Violent crimes increase in the Russian Army; Russian army to get new multiple rocket launchers; Russia to move Naval HQs to St. Petersburg by 2012; Census results show continuing demographic crisis; Head of Statistics Services: Russia’s shadow economy 16% of GDP ; President Medvedev asks his ministers must to leave board of Russia’s firms by July; Russia grants direct access to oil pipelines for independent producers

West Asia

Iran

• Iran welcomes Egypt proposal to reestablish diplomatic ties; Iranian Defence Minister condemns Saudi Arabia for military intervention in Bahrain

Iraq

• Iraqi officials blame Al-Qaeda for Tikrit attack; Two US soldiers killed by militants

Syria

• Syrian government resigns

Egypt

• Mubarak under house arrest; Egypt decides to lift emergency laws and eases conditions for forming parties

Libya

• Libya’s Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa defects

Yemen

• Yemen: 11 protesters killed and several injured in Taiz by security forces

USA

• US is again trying to find an appropriate response to the situation in Yemen

DEFENCE REVIEW

National

• MMRCA deal not to be affected by the new offset rules: MoD; Reports: US endeavors to rope in India for building a ring of missile defence systems encircling Russia and China

International

• America’s Libya operations costing US Air Force $4M each day; India bans Iran nuclear-related trade to conform to a U.N. Security Council resolution

INTERNAL SECURITY REVIEW

Jammu & Kashmir

• Cricket diplomacy should keep Kashmir in mind; Lt. General Parnaik states Kashmir attachment to Pakistan is not the solution; Gilani states Kashmir stands the important issue; Home Secretary talks optimist development

North East India

• Section 144 CrPC imposed in Ri-Bhoi district in Meghalaya; Dibrugarh-Tinsukia bandh creates violence; Naga political groups confirm commitment to Covenant of Reconciliation; Obstruction hit in talks with Mizoram rebel outfit; Findings on fake encounter of July 23 in Imphal to be submitted by April;

UNITED NATIONS (UN) REVIEW

[March 21-27, 2011]

• India calls for termination of use of force in Libya; India supports Iran on use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes; UNSC extends UN mandate in Afghanistan for another year; Security Council expresses deep concern on the situation in Ivory Coast

[March 28-April 3, 2011]

• Security Council imposes sanctions against Gbagbo; India supports UNSC resolution 1975; UNSC condemns attack against UN staff in Afghanistan