COUNTRY REVIEWS

South Asia

Bangaldesh

(JUNE 24-30)

• High Level border conference held between BSF and BGB; Sixth meeting of the India-Bangladesh joint steering committee on cooperation in the power sector held in New Delhi; Bangladesh Government approves $45.9 million for conducting surveys and feasibility studies for construction of Rooppur nuclear power plant in Pabna; Bangladesh signs a contract with Russian state corporation Rosatom; Bangladesh recorded a rise in FDI in 2012; US suspends trade privileges for Bangladesh

Sri Lanka

(JUNE 24-30)

• President Mahinda Rajapaksa visits Tanzania and Seychelles; Pakistan Army General visits Sri Lanka; Government of Pakistan offers help to Sri Lankan Government to revive the handloom sector in Mirigama of Gampaha district

(JULY 1-7)

• Sri Lanka's Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa visits India; President of Maldives visits Sri Lanka; Sri Lanka expresses shocks and concern over blasts inside Mahabodhi temple; Madras Highcour upheld ban on LTTE; 21 more fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy

Maldives

(JUNE 24-30)

• 11% increase in Maldives FDI in 2012; Chinese hospital ship “Peace Ark” arrives in Maldives; Saudi Arabian organisation Rabita al-Alam al-Islami signs an agreement with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs

(JULY 1-7)

• Doordarshan will train Maldives Broadcasting Commission; MoU signed between Maldives and the US; Maldives and Thailand has commenced efforts to increase joint trade and investment to $200 million by 2018; President Waheed visits Sri Lanka

East Asia

Southeast Asia

(JUNE 24-30)

• Philippines criticizes China for retaliation threat; Philippines to allow US to use military bases; Sikh terrorist arrested in Malaysia, handed over to India; Vietnam, Australia to cooperate in Science and technology; Indonesia apologized to Malaysia and Singapore for haze crisis; Vietnam Secretary General visits Thailand; Vietnam naval ships visit Chinese port

China

(JUNE 24-30)

• Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi: China's new leadership will continue to place high importance on its relationship with the ASEAN, China warns of striking hard on violent terrorist attacks in Xinjiang; Li Keqiang meets Henry Kissinger in Beijing; Chinese Vice Premier meets visiting ROK President; China and India hold the 16th round of border talks; China accuses Japan and Philippines officials for stirring up trouble and mislead international opinion; Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to visit China in the first week of July; China-ROK stress on a joint commitment towards the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula; Chinese President meet Suriname president; China slams an overview of Japan's Defense Ministry's white paper for 2013; 32nd round of the EU-China Dialogue on Human Rights held; Chinese State councilor visits Nepal

Japan

(JUNE 24-30)

• The Japanese government considers the possibility of permanently deploying PAC-3 missile interceptor; Tokyo to send MSDF destroyer to join an international anti-piracy fleet

South Korea

(JUNE 24-30)

• South Korean President visits China, seeks greater economic ties between the two countries

West Asia

Turkey

(JUNE 24-30)

• Turkish government proposes amendment to curb army power

Israel/Palestine

(JUNE 24-30)

• No breakthrough in peace talks as US Secretary of State hails “real progress”

Saudi Arabia

(JUNE 24-30)

• Saudi Arabia and Qatar urge EU to arm Syrian rebels

GCC

(JUNE 24-30)

• GCC and EU plan meeting on Syria.

(JULY 1-7)

• GCC calls for urgent UN Security Council meeting on Syria

Qatar

(JUNE 24-30)

• Qatar gets a new Emir and a new Prime Minister

Iran

(JUNE 24-30)

• President-elect Hassan Rohani: Iran follows moderate foreign policy; The bilateral trade between Iran and Iraq increased during the last financial year

(JULY 1-7)

• Iran to launch major air defence system Velayat 5; MRPL preparing to resume oil imports from Iran

Iraq

(JUNE 24-30)

• Seven people killed in attacks in west Baghdad

(JULY 1-7)

• Kurdistan’s President Barzani visits Iraq; ready to resolve problems through dialogue.

Russia

(JUNE 24-30)

• Russia, US and the UN holds preparatory meeting for an international peace conference on Syria; Russia will not close its military base in Tartus; President Putin and Turkish Prime Minister discuss the situation emanating in Syria; Syrian opposition praises Russia’s efforts to contribute towards Syrian settlement; Moroccan Foreign Minister: Russia is playing a positive role in the Sahara-Sahel settlement issue; Russia and Fiji sign an agreement to combat money laundering; Russian Foreign Minister: Israel should stop building settlements on occupied territories; Russia and Myanmar agreed to step up their defence cooperation; Russia Foreign Ministry: Russia law enforcers have no legal grounds to detain American whistleblower Snowden; Iran’s President elect has praises ties with Russia.

(JULY 1-7)

• Foreign Ministers of Russia and US discuss the possibility of organising the Geneva-2 conference on Syria; Russia criticises the supply of weapons from Libya to Syria; Russia and Indonesia agree on no first deployment of weapons in outer space; Russia and ASEAN call for strengthening of trade, economic and investment cooperation; Russia and Colombia sign a number of agreements; Russian and Chinese Foreign Ministers discuss North Korean nuclear issue; Russian and Venezuelan oil companies sign an agreement on cooperation in shelf projects; Russia urges all political forces in Egypt to show restraint; Sea trials of the INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier commenced; Russia and Kazakhstan Presidents discuss various aspects of their bilateral cooperation

United States of America (USA)

(June f24-30)

• Fourth India-US strategic dialogue held in New Delhi; United States tries to ease India's concerns about the impending withdrawal of US troops from war-torn Afghanistan; US Secretary of State John Kerry: If some “impediments” in trade between India and the US were removed, the two-way trade could surpass $100 billion; India-US Higher Education Dialogue held; US Vice President Biden to visit India in late July; President Obama visits Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania; calls Nelson Mandela a “personal hero”.

(July 1-7)

• United States pledges to focus on the Asia-Pacific region; US secretary of State John Kerry: US presence and interest in the region was not aimed at containing “any one country”; United States celebrates its Independence Day on July 4th; President Obama urges US citizens to live up to the words of the Declaration of Independence by securing liberty and opportunity for their own children as well as for future generations; US economy adds a net 195,000 new jobs in June, 2013.

DEFENCE REVIEW

National

(JUNE 24-30)

• INS Trikand commissioned into the Indian Navy; Defence Minister emphasizes the need for DPSUs to become competitive in order to remain relevant and procure orders

(JULY 1-7)

• Defence Minister AK Antony visits China; C-17 Globemaster-III makes its maiden flight to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

International

(JUNE 24-30)

• Air sector drives United Kingdom’s best performance in defense exports in five years; IHS Jane Report: Asia-Pacific defense budgets to bypass North America by 2021.

(JULY 1-7)

• Defense firms and government join hands to fight cyber crimes in United Kingdom; Israeli F-16 combat aircraft crashes into the Mediterranean Sea.

INTERNAL SECURITY REVIEW

North East India

(JUNE 24-30)

• Migrant workers fleeing on large scale in Western Meghalaya; Border pillars surveyed by both officials of India and Bangladesh; Centre-ULFA peace talks to be held; Assam-Nagaland border meet held; Border fence work at Moreh put on hold following objections by Myanmar; ULFA leader Anup Chetia to be handed over by Bangladesh.