COUNTRY REVIEWS

South Asia

Bangladesh

(MAY 5-11)

• EU expresses concerns over the incidents of abduction, murder, disappearance and extra-judicial killing in Bangladesh; US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia praised Bangladesh

(MAY 12-18)

• Bangladesh to lease internet bandwidth to India; Bangladesh-China sign treaties to enhance military cooperation; Vice chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China visits Bangladesh

Srilanka
(MAY 5-11)

• Sri Lanka clarifies its stand on South China Sea dispute, reiterates that the disputes concerning the South China Sea need to be settled bilaterally through negotiations by the concerned parties; PM visits Vietnam; Indian coast guard arrested Sri Lankan fishermen; Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan visits Sri Lanka; New Zealand signed an air services agreement with Sri Lanka

(MAY 12-18)

• President congratulates India’s Prime Minister designate Shri Narendra Modi Narendra Modi, India extends its ban on the LTTE; High level Chinese defence delegation visits Sri Lanka; Bangladeshi warships make goodwill visit to Sri Lanka; Major General Prasad Samarasinghe the new new chief of Staff of the Sri Lankan army

Maldives
(MAY 5-11)

• Indian Army Chief visits Maldives; Chinese company to construct new apron at the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport

(MAY 12-18)

• President congratulates Indian Prime Minister-designate Shri Narendra Modi; India funds renovation of the IGMH

East Asia

China
(MAY 5-11)

• China argues that South China Sea is not a problem between China and ASEAN; China demands that Hanoi cease its harassing actions against a Chinese oil rig in waters off an island in the South China Sea; Chinese political advisor meets the Taiwanese People First Party Chairman; Chinese Premier visits Nigeria; Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan hold talks with Iranian Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics Hossein Dehqan in Beijing; Portuguese President to visit China in May; Chinese Premier visits Ethiopia

Japan
(MAY 12-18)

• Japan steps up push for exercising the right to collective self defense

South Korea
(MAY 5-11)

• Seoul calls on Tokyo to dispel concern within the region over the latter’s recent move to exercise the right to collective self defense; Seoul and Beijing are to hold their second high-level security talks in late May

CENTRAL ASIA & RUSSIA

Russia
(MAY 5-11)

• Russia asks pro-federalisation supporters in Ukraine to postpone referendum; US says there is no evidence of Russia’s involvement in Odessa massacre; President Putin arrives in Crimea for Victory Day celebrations; Germany suggests holding another Geneva conference on Ukraine; Ukraine’s Security Service denies consultations with CIA; Ukraine delays delivery of equipment for Russian defence industry; Russia appreciates Serbia’s role in opposing anti-Russian sanctions; Ukraine and Russia note that second round of Geneva talks possible; Russia calls on European Council members to take measures to stop ultra-nationalists in Ukraine; Tymoshenko foresees third revolution if she loses Ukrainian Presidential elections; Ukraine receives US$ 3 billion of credit from IMF; China opposes US sanctions against Russia; Russia to supply gas to Ukraine on a prepaid basis from June 1; Russian and Austrian Foreign Ministers discuss Ukrainian crisis; US urges American CEOs to boycott St. Petersburg Economic Conference; Russia to spend US$ 2.4 billion on modernising its Black Sea Fleet by 2020; EU hardens position on South Stream Pipeline over Ukrainian crisis; US government asks court to lift ban on Russian rocket engine purchases; Kiev ready for dialogue with Ukraine’s federalization supporters; Belarus calls on Russia to coordinate actions over developments in Ukraine; Russia to lend US$ 2 billion to Belarus in May; Kiev imports gas from Europe under reverse flow deal; Russia and Japan discuss Ukrainian crisis; Germany and France urge Kiev to begin national dialogue with regions; Kyrgyzstan discusses prospects of Custom Union membership; Russia and Hamas discuss Palestine national unity; Iran bids to join CIS multi-nation rail network assembly; Pentagon says no alternative to Mi-17 in Afghanistan; Qatar seeks to build closer economic and political ties with Russia; Moscow to provide Syria with jet trainers; Iraq seeks to expand oil production cooperation with Russia

United States of America

(MAY 5-11)

• India, US launch joint project to fight TB; United States warns Russia ahead of referendum in eastern Ukraine; India First Group launched with an objective of boosting India-US bilateral relationship

(MAY 12-18)

• President Obama invites India’s Prime Minister-designate Shri Narendra Modi to visit United States; President Obama: Looking forward to working with next government in India; US Officials: U.S. military is flying manned missions over Nigeria to locate the hundreds of abducted schoolgirls

DEFENCE REVIEW

National
(MAY 5-11)

• General Bikram Singh scheduled to visit Maldives from May 8-10; Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha underlines the importance of IAF’s vision statement “People First Mission Always”

(MAY 12-18)

• Lt General Dalbir Singh to be the next Chief of the Army Staff (COAS); Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha inaugurates two days Annual Commanders’ Conference of Training Command

International
(MAY 5-11)

• Yemen’s Defense Minister and two senior security officers escape unhurt in al-Qaida attack; South Africa and Malaysia to collaborate on the research and development of advanced radar and sensor technologies

(MAY 12-18)

• Twenty four countries to take part in the annual “Eager Lion” military exercise in Jordan; Philippines releases photographs showing China was reclaiming land on a disputed reef in the South China Sea