[ NATIONAL ]

These are the 28 agreements India, Russia signed at summit-level talks

President Putin and PM Modi held summit-level talks Mon in New Delhi. The nations signed agreements ranging from commercial deals to cooperation programs.

India, EU discussed need to engage with Taliban but no recognition yet: EU special envoy

Tomas Niklasson, Special Envoy of the EU for Afghanistan, says they are planning to reopen their mission in Kabul with limited diplomatic staff for carrying out relief work.

Assam Rifles Seize Drugs Worth Over Rs 500 Crores In Manipur’s Moreh Town

Drugs worth over Rs 500 crores, including 54 kg brown sugar and 154 kg Ice Meth, were caught in Moreh town of Manipur by Assam Rifles troops.

Successful Flight Test of Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile

ANI-India successfully test-fired the Vertically Launched Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from off the coast of Odisha. The air defense system can engage targets at around 15 km is being developed by DRDO for naval warships: DRDO officials

Armed forces’ excesses don’t go well in a democracy like India: Neiphiu Rio 

Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio on Tue said the excesses committed by the armed forces through the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which allows the latter to act with impunity, do not go well with people of a democratic country like India. [see the last newsletter]

Samyukt Kisan Morcha to hold a meeting on Wed to decide the future course of action

Samyukt Kisan Morcha an umbrella body of 40 Farmer Unions, said Govt’s proposal says after we end the movement, then only will they withdraw cases (against farmers)… We’re apprehensive about it..Govt should immediately begin with the (cases’ withdrawal) procedure. Final decision to be taken at tomorrow’s meeting at 2 pm. For compensation to over 700 deceased farmers, we want the Centre to follow the Punjab model; Rs 5 lakh compensation and a job as announced by Punjab govt should be implemented by Govt of India as well.

‘Bring change, otherwise, change will happen’: PM Modi pulls up BJP MPs for skipping Parliament

At a BJP parliamentary party meeting, PM Modi directed all the party MPs to be present in the Parliament and actively participate in the legislative work. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tue expressed unhappiness over the absence of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs from the Parliament session as he stressed maintaining punctuality and discipline. 

International arrivals: Centre updates rules, ‘at risk’ list

India has removed Bangladesh from its list of Omicron at-risk countries and Ghana and Tanzania have been added to the same to mandate additional measures for arrivals from there. The government has also mandated contactless self-declaration on Air Suvidha Portal.

Elgar Parishad case: SC rejects NIA’s plea against bail to Sudha Bharadwaj

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the plea of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) challenging the Bombay High Court order of granting default bail to advocate-activist Sudha Bharadwaj, who was arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case in Aug 2018 under the provisions of stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Indian economy shows strong signs of recovery

Indian economy is showing strong signs of recovery from the devastation caused by the pandemic, with an upswing being reported in 19 out of the 22 economic indicators as compared to the pre-Covid levels.

Section 144 CrPC invoked in Lucknow till January 5

Lucknow Police on Tue invoked Section 144 CrpC in Lucknow district from Dec 7 till Jan 5, 2022, because of Christmas and New Year’s celebration, Covid-19 threat, and protest declared by various farmers’ organizations.

[ NEIGHBORHOOD ]

US and Taiwan aim for a new trade framework to tackle supply chain and semiconductor issues

Taiwan and the US have agreed during high-level talks to set up a new trade framework as the two sides forge closer ties.

China says US diplomatic boycott of Winter Olympics could harm cooperation

China warned on Tue that a US diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics could harm two-way dialogue and cooperation in important areas, and called for politics to be kept out of sports. Russia on Tue slammed the US move for a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing asserting that it should be “free of politics”. The US went ahead with the boycott even as President Biden had spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping last month. Biden is now set to speak to Russian President Putin on Tue over a video link.

US and Taiwan aim for a new trade framework to tackle supply chain and semiconductor issues

US secretary of commerce and the island’s economics minister discuss ways to make trade systems more resilient. The agreement signals the Biden government’s intention to further deepen ties with Taiwan amid soaring tensions with Beijing

PM Imran vows to go after those resorting to violence in the name of religion

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday categorically said that the government will not spare those who resort to violence in the name of Islam or the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). The premier made the comments while addressing a condolence reference for Sri Lankan national, who was lynched to death by a mob in Sialkot last week, at the PM’s Office in Islamabad.

Myanmar foreign minister visits Cambodia after Suu Kyi sentencing

Myanmar’s military-appointed Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin held talks in Cambodia on Tue, a day after the junta drew global condemnation for sentencing deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi to jail for incitement and breaching Covid-19 rules.

‘Violators will be prosecuted’: Taliban responds to human rights watch over amnesty decree

ANI – Reacting to the recent report issued by Human Rights Watch, the Taliban said that any Islamic Emirate member “found breaching the amnesty decree will be prosecuted and penalized.

These are the 28 agreements India, Russia signed at summit-level talks

India and Russia signed 28 agreements Mon at the 21^st edition of their annual summit. The summit made headlines as President Vladimir Putin came calling for a 5-hour visit and the two old friends also held their first 2+2 dialogue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the initiatives under the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership will widen the scope of cooperation to new areas.

“Supplies (S-400) have begun this month and will continue to happen,” India’s foreign secretary, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, told reporters after the meeting between Mr. Putin and India’s PM Modi.

“It is important to note that whether it is us or Russia, we conduct an independent foreign policy.”

• India has deep ties to Moscow, and India’s military has for decades largely depended on Russian equipment.
• Even as the country has diversified its weapons imports and grown closer to the US in trade and defense cooperation, India still relies on Russia for about half of its arms supplies.
• The two countries have also set an ambitious goal of more than tripling bilateral trade to $30bn by 2025.

“In the last few decades, several fundamentals have changed,” Mr. Modi said in welcoming Mr. Putin. “New geopolitical angles have emerged. Amidst all such variables, Indo-Russian friendship has been constant.”

Here’s a list of all the agreements/MoUs signed:

• Roadmap for science, technology, and innovation cooperation.
• Memorandum of cooperation in the field of intellectual property
• Agreement on Program of the Military-Technical Cooperation from 2021-2031. [This 10-year defense cooperation program outlines the ongoing defense cooperation and future possible cooperation between the two countries, continue since 1994.]
• An MoU in the field of earth sciences and geological study of subsoil, long-term cooperation in the area of geological onshore and offshore exploration works.
• Protocol on the introduction of amendments to the Merchant Shipping Agreement
• A cultural exchange program for the years 2021-2024.
• Protocol between the Department of State Support of the Art and Folk Creativity for 2022-2023.
• An agreement to cooperate in the field of research and use of outer space for peaceful purposes and building and operation of launch vehicles and ground-based space infrastructure.
• Protocol of land plots for allocation of Consular offices of the Republic of India in the Russian Federation and terms of housing the Consulate General of the Republic of India in the city of Vladivostok.

Commercial and other Agreements/MoUs

• An MoU between Opto-electronics Factory, Dehradun, and JSC Rosoboronexport.
• A cooperation agreement between the Reserve Bank of India and the Bank of Russia in the field of responding to cyber attacks
• An MoU on cooperation between ICAI (The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India) and IPAR (The Institute of Professional Accountants of Russia).
• An MoU for cooperation in the power sector [It seeks to jointly provide services for capability-building exports in the power sector, outside their respective countries of origin]
• A memorandum of cooperation between SAIL and Russian Company SSC FSUE TsNIIchermet im. I. P. Bardin.
• A memorandum of cooperation between JSPL (Jindal Steel and Power Ltd) and Russian Company SSC FSUE TsNIIchermet im. I. P. Bardin.
• An MoU between JSW Steel Ltd and Russian Company SSC FSUE TsNIIchermet im. I. P. Bardin.
• A statement of intent of collaboration between IOCL and SIBUR. [It seeks to consider the possibility to explore the feasibility of setting up a Dual Feed Cracker Unit along with downstream units at Paradip, Odisha.]
• An MoU between National Sports University, Imphal, and Russian International Olympic University (RIOU), Sochi, Russia.
• An MoU between the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata (India) and A.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Centre of Marine Biology of the Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (NSCMB FEB RAS) (Russian Federation).
• An MoU between Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India, and Southern Federal University, Russia.
• An agreement for academic collaboration between the University of Delhi and Skoltech University, Moscow.
• An agreement between the Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education I.M.Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University) and the University of Delhi.
• An MoU between Uttar Pradesh FICCI and BCCI, Russia.
• An MoU on manpower supplies between Magic Billion and Volshebny Milliard.
• A statement of intent of collaboration between IOCL and Gazpromneft for VGO Hydrocracking Technology, Catalytic Iso-dewaxing for lobs, and catalyst regeneration for fixed bed catalyst.
• An MoU between Rosneft and OVL-led Indian Consortium on Training Cooperation.
• An MoU between Indian Trade Promotion Organisation and Roscongress Foundation for bilateral trade cooperation.
• A crude oil supply agreement between Rosneft and Indian Oil Corp. Ltd. [It seeks to renew the previous contract between Rosneft and IOCL.]

CGTN (China state-affiliated media)-Indian Foreign Secretary announced that Russia had started to deliver the S-400 missile system, as President Putin is on an official visit in New Delhi. The talks between Putin and Modi which lasted three-and-a-half hours touched on joint efforts within the G20, BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the struggle with terrorism, and Afghanistan.

India, EU discussed need to engage with Taliban but no recognition yet: EU special envoy

ThePrint -India and the European Union (EU) share a common vision on the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, and discussed the need to engage with the interim regime while staying focused on assisting the Afghan people, Tomas Niklasson, Special Envoy of the European Union for Afghanistan, has said.

“We already have people on the ground in Kabul working to have this assistance distributed to the people in need across the country. We work not through the interim government but we work through UN organizations and NGOs and this we have done for the last two decades,” he said.

The EU envoy met Indian officials in New Delhi last week, where both sides discussed the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and agreed on not recognizing the Taliban’s interim government.

He said the humanitarian need is “extremely critical” in Afghanistan and the situation is “getting worse”, which has led the EU to pledge €300 million, which is separate from the €400 million being committed by EU’s member countries.

‘India well-placed to engage with Afghanistan’-Calling India the “most generous regional donor” in Afghanistan, Niklasson said India can continue helping the war-torn country.

India is planning to send 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat and life-saving drugs and other essential items to Afghanistan.

He added, “I understand the concerns by Indian officials. You need, like we do, security guarantees, — those decisions will take some time.”

On recognizing the Taliban regime: According to Niklasson, the EU is “very clear” about its position in recognizing or giving legitimacy to the Taliban government in Kabul.

Niklasson added that the EU is still seeking “answers to many questions …. We are nowhere near that for the moment”.

He also said the Taliban has to first obtain domestic recognition for the international community to recognize it.

‘Taliban lacks resources, experience’- Niklasson, who has been negotiating with the Taliban since much before the militant group forcefully took over the Afghan capital on 15 August, said the Taliban is now “in a difficult situation”.

EU to reopen mission in Kabul-While the EU has “people on the ground” in Kabul, it is planning to reopen the mission with limited diplomatic staff for carrying out relief work there and also to facilitate the “safe passage” of those Afghans who want to seek asylum in European countries.

“So from that point of view, it could be important and could be useful and we are looking into the possibilities of establishing such presence.”

‘Risk of violence to increase in Afghanistan’-According to Niklasson, the increase of attacks by ISIS-K is a matter of concern for the EU.

He reiterated that there is also a link between the humanitarian crisis and security. “There is a risk for violence to increase… Our focus very much is to now prevent the situation from getting worse and to provide assistance as quickly as we can,” he said.

Successful Flight Test of Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile

Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile was successfully flight tested today (Tue) by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha.

• The launch against an electronic target at a very low altitude.
• All sub-systems performed as per expectation.         
• The first trial was conducted on 22 Feb 2021 and this is a confirmatory trial to prove the consistent performance of the configuration and integrated operation.         

Today’s launch of the system was conducted to validate the integrated operation of all weapon system components including the vertical launcher unit with controller, canisters flight vehicle, weapon control system etc. required for future launches of the missile from Indian Naval Ships.

Assam Rifles Seize Drugs Worth Over Rs 500 Crores In Manipur’s Moreh Town

A troop of Assam Rifles on Tue seized drugs worth over Rs 500 crore in Manipur’s Moreh town.

ANI (sources)- the seized drugs included 54 kg of brown sugar and 154 kg of Ice Meth, from the house, belonging to a woman who is suspected to be in Mandalay in Myanmar and married to a Chinese national.  

Assam Rifles thwarts cross-border trafficking of brown sugar in Manipur-Earlier this month, the Assam Rifles prevented cross-border trafficking of brown sugar worth Rs 1.20 crores in Manipur’s Tengnoupal area. On Nov 25, the Assam Rifles seized 95,000 ‘World Is Yours’ drug pills worth Rs 3 crore in Tadubi Village in Manipur’s Senapati district.

Suspended Manipur cop arrested for drug trafficking- Mohammed Kashim Ali, a suspended Manipur Police constable accused of being the kingpin of an interstate narcotics gang, was nabbed by the Delhi Police Special Cell on Thu in Churachandpur district.

• Ali is accused of selling high-grade heroin worth crores of rupees on the black market.
• Also, earlier this month, militants ambushed an Assam Rifles convoy near the Myanmar border, killing 7 persons, including 46 Assam Rifles CO.
• Ali’s involvement in the heroin trade has been under investigation since two members of his suspected cartel, Iqbal Khan and Mohammed Ishaq, were detained in July.
• The two were apprehended in the national capital with a large consignment of 10 kg heroin worth Rs 40 crore on the international market.

NIA disclosed 64 cases of terror funding from 2018: MoS Home Rai

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Tue informed the Lok Sabha that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has disclosed 64 cases of terror funding from 2018 to date in the answer to a question of Trinamool Congress MP Sajda Ahmed.

On details of the domestic and international attachment of assets and penalties under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA),and charge sheet filed by the probe agencies, Rai informed the House, that under PMLA the Enforcement Directorate is the nodal agency and it has attached 250 Movable and immovable properties worth 881 Cr (Rs 677.73 crore from India + Rs 203.27 crore from abroad)

• Nityanand Rai further informed Lok Sabha that a total of 24 prosecution complaints (charge sheets) have been filed under the PMLA.
• The Govt of India has constituted a separate Cell, i.e., Countering of Financing of Terrorism (CFT Cell) in the Ministry of Home Affairs for coordination on combating terror funding.
• MoS further informed House that A Terror Funding and Fake Currency (TFFC) Cell has been constituted in the NIA to conduct a focused investigation into terror funding and fake currency cases.

“The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, has been strengthened by criminalizing the production or smuggling or circulation of high-quality Counterfeit Indian currency as a terrorist act and enlarging the scope of proceeds of terrorism to include any property intended to be used for terrorism.” He said India is already a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) since June 25, 2010.

Stating that the delimitation of Assembly and Parliament constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir will be completed as early as possible, Rai said on Tue that the Delimitation Commission held extensive consultation with various stakeholders in the Union Territory.

Amid COVID, CDS Rawat asks nations to be prepared for tackling biological warfare

ANI – Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat on Tue warned that this may be developing into biological warfare and in such case, the nations need to be prepared to counter it.

At the curtain raiser event of the disaster management exercise involving BIMSTEC member countries, Indian Army Chief Gen MM Naravane also warned about the emergence of new variants and resurgence of cases which suggests that COVID-19 is far from over.

Countries including Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India are participating in the exercise.

“… is this is also becoming a new kind of warfare… If biological warfare is beginning to take shape, we need to put our act together and strengthen ourselves to ensure our nations are not affected by these viruses and diseases,” CDS Rawat said at the PANEX-21 curtain raiser event.

• He said that now the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is also there and “if it is going to mutate in other forms, we have to remain prepared for it.”
• Gen Rawat said, “it is very important for all of us that we put our heads together and support each other in any of our nations.”
• The CDS also pointed out that it could be seen that the defense forces were used by every nation to reach out and help their civilian population.
• The event was also attended by Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt who asked the member nations to work jointly in fighting natural and man-made disasters. (ANI)

[ NEIGHBORHOOD ]

US and Taiwan aim for a new trade framework to tackle supply chain and semiconductor issues

Taiwan and the US have agreed during high-level talks to set up a new trade framework as the two sides forge closer ties.

US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo held a videoconference with Taiwanese Economics Minister Wang Mei-hua on Tue to discuss the importance of the US-Taiwan commercial and investment relationship, according to the American Institute in Taiwan, the United States’ de facto embassy in Taipei.

The two “agreed to cooperate through a new Technology Trade and Investment Collaboration (TTIC) framework”, the AIT said.

The US has repeatedly pressed Taiwan, as a major chip producer, to do more to help resolve a global shortage of semiconductors which has shuttered some auto production lines and impacted consumer goods.

Taiwan says it is doing all it can to help.

Raimondo, in a Mon call with Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua, “underscored the United States’ support for Taiwan and the importance of the U.S.-Taiwan commercial and investment relationship,” the U.S. Commerce Department said.

The US and Taiwan will cooperate through a new Technology Trade and Investment Collaboration, or TTIC, framework, to develop commercial programs and explore ways to strengthen critical supply chains, it added.

Raimondo and Wang also committed to “identifying other steps to support semiconductors and other critical supply chains”.

China says US diplomatic boycott of Winter Olympics could harm cooperation

China warned on Tue that a US diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics could harm two-way dialogue and cooperation in important areas, and called for politics to be kept out of sports.

The step, encouraged for months by some members of Congress and rights advocacy groups, comes just weeks after talks by leaders Joe Biden and Xi Jinping that aimed to ease tense relations between their nations.

On Mon, the White House said US govt officials would boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing because of China’s human rights “atrocities”, although US athletes are free to travel there to compete.

• China opposed the boycott and would take “resolute countermeasures”, the foreign ministry said.
• The US’s “plot” of trying to disrupt the Olympics was doomed to fail, leading to a loss of “moral authority and credibility”, Zhao told a regular media briefing in the Chinese capital.
• Xinhua- A spokesman for the Chinese UN mission on Mon called the US boycott a self-directed political farce. 
• The US government’s decision reflects its Cold War mentality and just wants to politicize sports, create divisions and provoke a confrontation, the statement said.
• The approach would find no support and is doomed to fail, it added.

Myanmar foreign minister visits Cambodia after Suu Kyi sentencing

Myanmar’s military-appointed Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin held talks in Cambodia on Tue, a day after the junta drew global condemnation for sentencing deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi to jail for incitement and breaching Covid-19 rules.

• Lwin met Cambodian Prime Minister Hun at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, with the men tapping elbows in a greeting before talks, govt handout pictures showed.
• Hun and Lwin had discussed bilateral relations, ASEAN issues, and ways to re-establish good relationships within the bloc, said Mr. Eang Sophalleth, an assistant to the PM.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the coup, which led to widespread protests and raised international concern about the end of tentative political reforms following decades of military rule.

A Myanmar court found Ms. Suu Kyi guilty of charges of incitement and breaching coronavirus restrictions on Mon, drawing international condemnation of what critics described as a “sham trial”.

In response to a media query about the proceedings against Aung Sang Suu Kyi and others in Myanmar, the Ministry of External Affair, Spokesperson Shri Arindam Bagchi said:

“We are disturbed at the recent verdicts. As a neighboring democracy, India has been consistently supportive of the democratic transition in Myanmar. ….. It is our sincere hope that keeping their nation’s future in mind, efforts would be made by all sides to advance the path of dialogue.”

• She is set to serve two years in detention at an undisclosed location, a sentence reduced from four years after a partial pardon from Myanmar’s military chief.
• Kyi’s supporters say the cases against her are baseless and designed to end her political career and tie her up in legal proceedings while the military consolidates power.
• Her conviction had been widely expected in Myanmar.

‘Violators will be prosecuted’: Taliban responds to human rights watch over amnesty decree

ANI – Reacting to the recent report issued by Human Rights Watch, the Taliban said that any Islamic Emirate member “found breaching the amnesty decree will be prosecuted and penalized.

“In a report last week, the HRW said that Afghanistan’s amnesty has not stopped “local commanders from summarily executing or disappearing former Afghan security force members.”

The report was followed with a joint statement by the Govts of the US, EU, and 20 other countries, expressing their concerns over the findings of the HRW – Tolo News.

“Mujahidin are fully committed to implementing amnesty decree and employees of the previous administration are not being persecuted for their former opposition,” said Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry.

The reform commission of the Islamic Emirate said that the commission has not registered any cases of killings of former members of the security forces.

The report said that the killing of the former security forces was in contravention of the decree of the Islamic Emirate. “We hope that the Islamic Emirate follows the decree of general amnesty,” said Ahmad Khan Andar, a political analyst. (ANI)