1. India developing Chabahar Port holds ‘great value’ to landlocked Central Asian states: PM Modi
2. Olympic-bound athletes will make country proud: PM Modi
3. Nurturing ties with time-tested friend & China factor — strategic importance of Modi’s Russia visit
4. India to host BIMSTEC foreign ministers’ meet next week
5. ‘If left unchecked..’: Jaishankar takes veiled dig at Pak, China at SCO summit

What Else

1. Kiren Rijiju hints at possible privilege proceedings against Rahul Gandhi
2. Amritpal to be flown to Delhi, will take oath as MP along with Engineer Rashid in LS Speaker’s chamber
3. India: JMM leader Hemant Soren takes oath as chief minister of Jharkhand state
4. BJP’s Kirodi Lal Meena resigns from Rajasthan cabinet
5. India set to carry out trials for US-made Stryker combat vehicles in Ladakh & deserts
6. Pakistan: Energy minister admits to high electricity costs
7. ‘High-profile’ terrorist slain in Gilgit-Baltistan
8. Taiwan reports more Chinese military activity, calls for de-escalation
9. China’s BYD opens EV factory in Thailand, first in South-east Asia

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India developing Chabahar Port holds ‘great value’ to landlocked Central Asian states: PM Modi

• The progress made by India in developing Iran’s Chabahar Port not only holds “great value” to landlocked Central Asian states but also “de-risks” commerce between India and Eurasia, PM Modi said on Thu.
• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is in Astana to attend the SCO Summit, delivered Modi’s remarks at the extended format meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State here in the Kazakh capital.
• He also said, “While standing resolute on challenges, it is equally important to actively and collaboratively explore avenues of progress. The current global debate is focused on creating new connectivity linkages that would better serve a rebalanced world.”
• “If this is to gather serious momentum, it requires the joint efforts of many. It must also be respectful of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states and be built on the foundation of non-discriminatory trade and transit rights to neighbors.”
• The Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman – which India proposed to develop way back in 2003 – will provide Indian goods with a gateway to reach landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asia using a road and rail project called the International N-S Transport Corridor, bypassing Pakistan.
• US sanctions on Iran over its suspected nuclear program had slowed the development of the port.
• Chabahar port was last year used by India to send 20k tonnes of wheat aid to Afghanistan. (here)

Olympic-bound athletes will make country proud: PM Modi

• PM Modi conveyed his unwavering belief on Thu that India’s contingent heading to the Olympics will bring honor to the nation and fulfill the hopes and dreams of the country’s 140 crore citizens.
• India is set to dispatch approx 120 athletes to Paris, aiming to surpass their achievement of securing seven medals in the Tokyo Games, which notably included Neeraj Chopra’s triumphant gold medal in the javelin throw event.
• “Interacted with our contingent heading to Paris for the Olympics. I am confident our athletes will give their best and make India proud,” the PM posted on ‘X’ (here)

Nurturing ties with time-tested friend & China factor — strategic importance of Modi’s Russia visit

• PM Modi’s decision to officially visit Russia after assuming a 3^rd term is strategically important to ensure the Russia-China alliance does not hurt India’s interests.
• It also comes amid a “fluid moment” in international affairs where all eyes are on Washington, which may see a potential change in the WH.
• In the past, Modi has looked towards the neighborhood as his first port of call upon assuming the prime ministership.
• This will be the first time in nearly a decade that Modi will travel to Moscow, though he was in Vladivostok in 2019.
• Earlier this week, the Kremlin remarked that no topic is “off-limits” when PM Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in the country from July 8-9.
• The visit will also resume the annual India-Russia summit, which has been on ice since the war in Ukraine began, and the last time it was in Dec 2021 when Putin visited India.
• Engaging with Russia and ensuring its proximity with China doesn’t hurt India’s interests is an important factor behind Modi’s upcoming visit (ThePrint)
• The deepening of the Russia-China military relationship, advanced technology, and potential intelligence-sharing as factors that may work against New Delhi’s interests.
• Yet, there are no indicators as yet to substantiate these apprehensions.
• Hit by Western sanctions, Russia may have its compulsions in cozying up to China, but India should be wary of hyphenating the two. (here)

India to host BIMSTEC foreign ministers’ meet next week

• New Delhi will host the FMs of the BIMSTEC grouping next week, on July 11.
• BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) is a 7-member grouping, which has Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand as its members.
• The grouping includes countries that border the Bay of Bengal as its members, working towards cooperation in the region in several areas.
• The meeting comes ahead of the summit that will take place in Sept, this year in Thailand for which PM Modi is expected to travel.
• The inaugural BIMSTEC FMs meet was hosted in Bangkok, Thailand last year.
• India hosting the BIMSTEC FMs meet shows New Delhi’s continuous focus on the “Neighbourhood First” policy.
• Last month, leaders of Nepal, Bhutan, B’desh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, and Seychelles were in New Delhi to attend the oath-taking ceremony of PM Modi
• The group came into its present form in 2004, though its precursor emerged in 1997, with Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand as its founding members.
• With SAARC losing its momentum, the group has seen a lot of vigor, and enthusiasm, especially with strong support from New Delhi.
• Notably, the current secretary general of the BIMSTEC grouping is Indra Mani Pandey, an Indian Diplomat. (here)

‘If left unchecked..’: Jaishankar takes veiled dig at Pak, China at SCO summit

• At the 2024 SCO Summit in Kazakhstan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar delivered a ‘powerful speech’ on behalf of PM Modi, taking a veiled swipe at China and Pakistan while calling for action against terrorism and climate change.
• Earlier, reports mentioned that PM Modi opted to skip the event due to his planned visits to Russia and Austria, which is now confirmed to take place from July 8 -10.
• Jaishankar highlighted India’s concerns over the need for decisive action against terrorism, a clear reference to Pakistan’s reluctance to crack down on terrorist groups.
• Jaishankar said, “Many of us have had our experiences, often originating beyond our borders. Let us be clear that if left unchecked, it can become a major threat to regional and global peace.”
• Dig at China: Jaishankar also spoke about the importance of “respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity” for connectivity and infrastructure projects, as well as “non-discriminatory trade rights and transit regimes“.
• This statement was a clear reference to India’s concerns over the CPEC, which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). (here)

Kiren Rijiju hints at possible privilege proceedings against Rahul Gandhi

• Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju indicated on Wed that the govt will request Speaker Om Birla to initiate privilege proceedings against Rahul Gandhi, LoP
• The minister said that under Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, the Speaker can direct a member to provide validation of claims made in the House, failing which the matter could head to a privilege committee.
• LoP Rahul Gandhi’s speech, which he delivered in the Lok Sabha on Tue, had led to an outburst by the Cabinet members, including the PM, DM and HM, among others (here)

Amritpal to be flown to Delhi, will take oath as MP along with Engineer Rashid in LS Speaker’s chamber

• Jailed Sikh separatist Amritpal Singh and terror funding accused Sheikh Abdul Rashid, aka ‘Engineer Rashid’, will be brought to Delhi on parole to take oath as LS MPs Fri.
• While Amritpal, who won from Punjab’s Khadoor Sahib in the parliamentary elections, is lodged in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail under the Public Safety Act, Rashid, who won from Kashmir’s Baramulla constituency, is in Tihar jail under the UAPA.
• Both will be brought to Parliament by the Delhi Police and taken to the Speaker’s chambers where they will take the oath and complete other formalities.
• Amritpal’s lawyer said the district magistrate of Amritsar had granted his client a 4-day parole, but he would not be allowed to go anywhere else apart from Parliament.
• Rashid, who fought the Lok Sabha polls as an Independent, defeated former J&K CM Omar Abdullah by a margin of over 1.7 lakh votes. (here)

India: JMM leader Hemant Soren takes oath as chief minister of Jharkhand state

• JMM Hemant Soren was sworn in as the CM of Jharkhand on Thu evening after Guv CP Radhakrishnan invited him to form the government.
• Champai Soren had tendered his resignation as chief minister on Wed.
• After taking the oath, Soren said, “During the political ups and downs, Champai Soren took forward those initiatives, because I was in jail…because of the court’s order, I could come out.”
• While speaking on the oath ceremony, Hemant’s wife and JMM leader, Kalpana Soren, said: “It is a blessing from people and our party workers. Following the High Court’s decision, Hemant Soren is once again Jharkhand CM.”
• Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in Jan on charges related to an alleged land scam and money laundering.
• Ahead of his arrest, Soren resigned as CM. (here)

BJP’s Kirodi Lal Meena resigns from Rajasthan cabinet

• Rajasthan Agriculture Minister and senior BJP leader Dr Kirodi Lal Meena has resigned from the cabinet.
• “I had announced to resign if we lose Dausa and other Lok Sabha seats assigned to me, so I cannot back out,” he added.
• Meena said that he was in Delhi for two days. The party’s national general secretary had called him for talks, but could not meet him.
• Meena said that he has no resentment against the organization or the chief minister.
• The BJP leader had said during the Lok Sabha elections that if he loses the seats for which he has been given responsibility, he will resign.
• After the results, there was pressure on Meena to resign.
• Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra had also said that Meena should not back out and should resign.
• Meena and Panchayati Raj Min Madan Dilawar had a face-off recently over the transfer of engineers from the Agriculture Dept, which was resented by the former. (here)

India set to carry out trials for US-made Stryker combat vehicles in Ladakh & deserts

• The Army is set to initiate the trials of the US-made Stryker armored infantry combat vehicles here in both deserts and high-altitude Ladakh soon.
• (Sources)- the Army is looking to procure about 530 infantry combat vehicles (ICVs).
• The two countries had decided on the Stryker — the 8-wheel-drive combat vehicle developed by GDLS — as one of the joint-production technologies to be pursued as part of the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET).
• The project had come up for discussion last month between visiting US NSA and NSA Ajit Doval.
• Sources said the talks between India and the US are “at an advanced stage”.
• One reason Stryker is under consideration is that Indian vendors are unable to meet the qualitative requirements (QR), but Stryker also has its limitations.
• The Army is looking to procure new ICVs to replace the Russian-origin BMP-2 vehicles in use with the mechanized infantry.
• There are a total of 50 mechanized infantry battalions in the Army.
• Of these, while 10 are dedicated to recce and support, the other 40 are standard mechanized infantry. (here)

 [Neighborhood]

Pakistan: Energy minister admits to high electricity costs

• The federal minister for energy on Thu admitted in the upper house of parliament that electricity has become costly for common people.
• However, he also hoped that if things went smoothly, the price of electricity would go down by Jan next year.
• Answering questions during a Senate session, Minister for Energy Owais Leghari informed the house that there is news circulating about an increase in electricity prices by Rs 6 per unit.
• He said every Jun, the regulator—the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra)—sets the average price for the year.
• The govt has absorbed a burden of Rs440 billion to keep the unit price increase to Rs5.76,” he added.
• According to Leghari, there will be an increase of 2 to 9% in the current price for the coming six months.
• The minister said the burden on the industry has been reduced by Rs150 billion while currently, 25 million consumers are paying less than the average cost which is Rs35/unit.
• He said some consumers are even paying Rs7 to Rs15 per unit. (here)

 ‘High-profile’ terrorist slain in Gilgit-Baltistan

• Security forces on Thu killed a commander of a terrorist outfit — involved in last year’s Chilas bus attack — during an operation carried out in Diamer, Gilgit-Baltistan.
• At least 7 others, including the militant commander’s accomplice, were injured in the operation.
• G-B govt spox Faizullah Faraq said a “high-profile” terrorist, Shah Faisal, was gunned down while his accomplice was injured in the hours-long shootout during the IBO in the Darel district of the region.
• The region’s Interior Minister Shams Lone said the injured included a girl, an elderly man, and 4 G-B Scouts. (here)

Taiwan reports more Chinese military activity, calls for de-escalation

• Taiwan on Fri reported renewed Chinese military activity nearby with another “combat patrol” as the govt called on Beijing not to escalate tensions after the seizure of a Taiwanese fishing boat.
• China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its territory, has stepped up its pressure over the past four years, both militarily and politically.
• On Tue, Chinese officials boarded and detained a Taiwanese fishing boat for “illegally operating” in the country’s waters, in what official said may be an act of psychological warfare.
• Taiwan’s defense ministry said that starting just before 7 a.m. on Fri, it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft, including J-16 fighters, carrying out a “joint combat readiness patrol” with Chinese warships.
• The Chinese aircraft flew into airspace to the north, centre and southern part of Taiwan, the ministry said.
• Taiwan has detected at least 127 Chinese military aircraft operating near the island since the start of this month. (here)

China’s BYD opens EV factory in Thailand, first in South-east Asia

• China’s BYD opened an electric vehicle plant in Thailand on Jul 4, the auto maker’s first factory in Southeast Asia, a fast-growing regional EV market where it has become the dominant player.
• “Thailand has a clear EV vision and is entering a new era of auto manufacturing,” BYD chief executive and President Wang Chuanfu said at the opening ceremony.
• “We will bring technology from China to Thailand.”
• The BYD plant is part of a wave of investment worth more than US$1.44 billion from Chinese EV makers who are setting up factories in Thailand, helped by govt subsidies and tax incentives.
• Hong Kong-listed shares of BYD, the world’s largest EV maker, climbed 1.6% to HK$235, after hitting their highest levels in a week.
• Thailand is a regional auto assembly and export hub and has long been dominated by Japanese car makers such as Toyota Motor, Honda Motor Co. and Isuzu Motors.
• By 2030, the country aims to convert 30% of its annual production of 2.5 million vehicles into EVs, according to a government plan.