COUNTRY REVIEWS

South Asia

Bangladesh

(September 16-22)

• India and Bangladesh are jointly working on riverbank protection; FBCCI urges the Russian government to grant duty-free market benefits to Bangladeshi products; Flag of a new infantry division of Bangladesh Army was raised; Bangladesh welcomes the agreement between the US and Russia on elimination of Syrian chemical weapons; United States hands over six metal shark boats to Bangladesh Coastguard; Bangladesh excels in the reduction of child mortality rate; PM leaves for UNGA summit.

Sri Lanka

(September 16-22)

• Provincial Council elections held in North, North-Western and Central Province; Tamil National Alliance (TNA) wins in North; United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) wins in North-Western & Central Province; President Rajapaksa leaves for UNGA summit; China-Sri Lanka to sign FTA; Sri Lanka's economy grew by 6.8 percent in the second quarter of 2013

Maldives
(September 16-22)

• Leader of Jumhoory Party (JP) Gasim Ibrahim meets with the Indian High Commissioner; The Maldivian government reaffirms its support to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

East Asia

(September 23-29)
China

• Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Indonesia and Malaysia; China welcomes UNSC Resolution on Syria; Chinese Foreign Minister calls for early resumption of six-party talks; China and Brazil decide to strengthen bilateral cooperation; Chinese Foreign Minister states that China will continue on the path of peace development; China-Laos decide to strengthen cooperation; China appoints five new ambassadors; China and India to conduct border talks in Beijing; China and UK to resume high level visits and dialogue soon; China negates claim of trying to hack the US drone technology; China urges for peaceful use of Space; China and Uzbekistan agree to increase military ties; China and Mongolian defence ministers conclude talks on bilateral ties

West Asia

Iran
(September 16-22)

• US Secretary of State welcomes Rouhani’s comments regarding Iran’s nuclear programme; White House spokesman: Possibility of a meeting between Obama and Rouhani

CENTRAL ASIA & RUSSIA

Central Asia
(September 16-22)

• Kazakhstan to get $100 million from China for a wind power plant project; The Presidents of China and Kyrgyzstan sign several bilateral agreements

Russia
(September 16-22)

• Russia ready to allocate its military and police for security of UN experts in Syria; Russia may change its position on Syria if Assad deceives; Russia and Syria discuss Russia’s agreement with US on Syrian chemical weaponry arsenal; Russia and China to further coordinate their positions on Syria; Russia prepared to receive Syrian national opposition coalition for talks; Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister meets with the Syrian opposition in Damascus; Russia ready to assist Egypt in political process resumption; Russia and US sign an agreement on atomic energy; Rosatom to open a nuclear information center in Bangladesh.

United States of America

(September 16-22)

• US Deputy Secretary of Defence Ashton B Carter holds a series of meetings with Indian officials in New Delhi ahead of India’s Prime Minister Dr. Singh’s visit to the United States; Carter: India and the US are destined to be partners on the world stage; Indian Foreign Secretary: Proposed immigration Bill being discussed in the US Congress will hurt Indian information technology (IT) companies; India’s National Security Adviser dismisses notions that India-US ties are drifting apart; United States and Russia unveil plan to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons by mid-2014; US President Barack Obama welcomes the deal reached on Syria; US special representative on Afghanistan and Pakistan James Dobbins: United States still hopes to talk directly with the Taliban to support an Afghan peace deal; The United States and Russia sign a joint agreement to significantly expand cooperation on nuclear energy, research and security projects; Brazilian President postpones an official visit to the United States in protest at the spying activities of the US National Security Agency

(September 23-29)

• India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh leaves for a five-day visit to the United States; Prime Minister Singh to meet his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif in New York; Prime Minister Singh: India needs United States on its side; US Senate unanimously passes a resolution welcoming Prime Minister Singh’s visit to the United States; Prime Minister Singh holds summit meeting with US President Obama at the White House; A joint statement and a joint declaration on defence cooperation issued after the meeting; US Secretary of State John Kerry meets with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif; UNSC reaches an agreement to push through a resolution calling for the swift elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile; President Obama addresses UNGA, mainly focuses on issues related to Middle East; US Secretary of State John Kerry to visit Japan and Indonesia; United States signs Arms Trade Treaty

DEFENCE REVIEW

National

(September 16-22)

• Ninth edition of the bilateral Indian Navy-Royal Omani Navy biennial exercise begins in the North Arabian Sea

(September 23-29)

• Indian army has ordered Court of inquiry (CoI) into the militant attack on army camp in Samba; Indian Navy has received the first of 17 Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers .

International
(September 16-22)

• Naval chief of the elite Revolutionary Guards says that Iran has the capability to strike US warships in the Gulf; Taiwan’s air force will be armed with smart munitions by the end of this year.

(September 23-29)

• US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel rules out any quick decision on extending US wartime command over South Korea troops; Britain is to set up a dedicated military unit to counter cyber-attacks.

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