Neighborhood News Digest – 14 March 2023

Afghanistan

SAARC Secretary General Position not awarded to Afghanistan – The Print

It was Afghanistan’s turn to suggest a candidate for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation’s (SAARC) Secretary General Position. The seat has, however, not been awarded to the country because the organization’s states have not recognized the current Kabul administration, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported. Click here to read... [2]

Afghanistan’s central bank sells $16mn to keep local currency stable – Newsroom Odisha

Afghanistan’s central bank said on Monday that it sold $16 million by auction in a bid to stabilise exchange rate of the national currency afghani. The afghani has been tumbling against foreign currencies, especially the US dollar over the past several months, reports Xinhua news agency. The exchange rate for $1 increased from last week’s 88 afghani to 88.50 afghani on Monday. The Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) has injected millions of US dollars into the country’s money-exchange market over the past month to prevent the fall of afghani against foreign currencies. Click here to read... [3]

On training invite for Taliban diplomats, a clarification in Delhi follows – Hindustan Times

The possible participation of officials of the Taliban foreign ministry in an online training course being organised under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme doesn’t reflect any change in New Delhi’s policy towards the setup in Kabul, people familiar with the matter said on Monday. The leak of a letter from the head of Afghanistan’s Institute of Diplomacy under the Taliban foreign ministry asking officials to register for the course, to be conducted by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Kozhikode during March 14-17, caused consternation in New Delhi over the weekend. Click here to read... [4]

Are leftover US weapons in Afghanistan being used for violence in India and Pakistan? – Firstpost

The weapons left by the United States at the time of its withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 have reportedly found their way into the hands of Pakistani Taliban militants. As per a Nikkei Asia report, modern arms and “sophisticated” night-vision devices left by the US forces are being used by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to carry out attacks in Pakistan. Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, the TTP has returned to haunt Pakistan. Reports have also surfaced that these abandoned arms have found a way to militants in Kashmir in India. Click here to read... [5]

Bangladesh

Bangladesh welcomes Iranian-Saudi diplomatic ties resumption, lauds China's role - English News

Bangladesh has warmly hailed the normalization of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran in a major breakthrough announced in an agreement brokered by China. Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told journalists here Sunday night that Dhaka lauds China, Iraq and Oman for facilitating the negotiation, leading to the successful breakthrough which reflects the power of constructive engagement and meaningful dialogue.

Kolkata station gets Bangladesh visa info centre - Times of India

The Bangladesh visa information centre was inaugurated at the Kolkata railway station on Monday by deputy high commissioner of Bangladesh Andalib Elias and Deepak Nigam, divisional railway manager. The centre will guide Bangladesh visitors on how to process their visas. Click here to read... [6]

Bhutan

Cabinet okays Bhutan's use of land and sea ports – The Daily Star

The cabinet has permitted neighboring country Bhutan to use Bangladesh's land and sea ports for the country's import and export yesterday. The approval came from a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office today. "Bhutan is a landlocked country. They have no river or sea port of their own for import-export. Therefore, they get similar opportunities from India also. Now they are getting an opportunity to use Bangladesh's land and ports," said Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain after the meeting at the Secretariat. Click here to read... [7]

Inauguration of India – Bhutan SAT ground station – ISRO

Today, the ground station for India – Bhutan Sat at Thimphu was inaugurated. This ground station will enable Bhutan to receive data from India-Bhutan SAT, pertaining to its territory, directly from the satellite and process in real-time. Shri Somanath S, Chairman ISRO/ Secretary DOS along with Lyonpo Tandi Dorji, Foreign Minister, Lyonpo Karma Donnen Wangdi, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Employment, Royal Government of Bhutan and Shri Sudhakar Delela, Indian Ambassador to Bhutan inaugurated it. Director of ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre, and senior ISRO scientists involved in India-Bhutan SAT realization, ground station establishment and training were also present. Click here to read... [8]

Maldives

Maldivian foreign minister says Naval facility built with Indian help will boost maritime security capabilities Naval facility built with India’s help boosts maritime security - Pipa News

Under a bilateral agreement, work is underway to develop a port at Uturu Tila Falhu base. Shahid said in an interview that the project aims to create a hub for handling ships. He dismissed criticism of bilateral security cooperation. Click here to read... [9]

Solih’s win in primary ahead of Maldives Presidential polls shot in arm for India - Economic Times

In a shot in arm for India Maldives President Ibu Solih has won the primary of ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) enabling him to contest next Presidential polls scheduled in September. Solih defeated Mohamed Nasheed, the parliament speaker and a former president, in the Maldivian Democratic Party primary held Saturday night. Click here to read... [10]

Myanmar

The clock is ticking for Asean on Myanmar - Asia News

Indonesia has a limited window of opportunity to achieve progress on Myanmar while it chairs ASEAN but that window is already growing smaller. Regional and international support for ASEAN is needed to impose time-bound consequences for Min Aung Hlaing should he continue to flout the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus (5PC), Indonesia is best placed to lead the initiative. Click here to read... [11]

UN Security Council discusses continued violence in Myanmar - The National News

The UN Security Council met on Monday to hear reports from the UN's special envoy for Myanmar on the slow progress of reforms by the country's ruling military powers. The Security Council in December adopted a resolution demanding an end to violence and urging the junta to release all political prisoners, including removed leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Click here to read... [12]

Myanmar: Social media companies urged to stand up to junta - UN News

In an appeal to internet chat platforms to monitor content more carefully and allocate sufficient resources to do so, the rights experts warned that Telegram in particular had become “a hotbed of pro-military activity”. Tens of thousands of followers had been drawn to the junta’s “violent and misogynistic content”, warned the rights experts, who noted that women were often accused of having sex with Muslim men or supporting the Muslim population. Click here to read... [13]

Nepal

Oil corporation cites its debt burden for keeping fuel prices high, raking in profits – The Kathmandu Post

Despite a sharp drop in the international crude oil prices, Nepal’s oil monopoly is continuing with its “unfair profiteering” from consumers. Brent crude oil dropped to $80 per barrel in the first week of March, after peaking at $128 per barrel in June last year. But in the domestic market, Nepal Oil Corporation, which has no other competitor, has not bothered to review the retail prices at the pumps. “That’s an unfair profiteering from the consumers,” said Bishnu Prasad Timilsina, general secretary of the Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights-Nepal. “The corporation is exploiting the consumers.” Click here to read... [14]

Ram Chandra Paudel sworn in as Nepal's third President – The Hindu

Senior Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Paudel was on Monday sworn in as Nepal's third President, days after he comfortably defeated a candidate fielded by an alliance led by CPN-UML. At a special ceremony at Sheetal Niwas, the President’s Office, Acting Chief Justice Hari Krishna Karki administered the oath to 78-year-old Paudel. Click here to read... [15]

Nepal bans solo trekkers throughout the country – CNN

Five years after banning solo adventurers from climbing Mount Everest, Nepal’s government has extended the restriction to the whole country. Nepal is home to eight of the world’s tallest mountains, but it is also known for its beautiful rural trekking regions. From now on, travelers who hope to trek in remote regions must hire a government-licensed guide or join a group. While the trekking industry is one of the country’s biggest moneymakers, the cost of search and rescue missions for solo hikers who get lost is significant. Click here to read... [16]

Time is ripe to review role of the ‘useless’ position: Experts on Vice-Presidential elections in Nepal - Firstpost

As Nepal will be holding Vice-Presidential elections on 17 March, experts have said the time is ripe to review the role of the ‘useless’ position. According to a report in the Kathmandu Post, the powerless position has eventually turned into a major bone of contention in power-sharing negotiations. Meanwhile, Nepal’s top electoral body said on Sunday it has upheld the nominations of all four candidates, including three women, for the vice-presidential election. Click here to read... [17]

Pakistan

Govt releases Toshakhana gift records from 2002 onwards – Dawn

The government on Sunday released the much-awaited records of Toshakhana gifts received by public office holders from foreign governments and dignitaries since 2002. Established in 1974, the Tosha¬khana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries. According to Toshakhana rules, gifts/presents and other such materials received by persons to whom these rules apply shall be reported to the Cabinet Division. Click here to read... [18]

World Bank unhappy with Pakistan over its $200 million project – Firstpost

Amid severe economic and political crisis situation in Pakistan, the World Bank has expressed concerns over the Punjab Human Capital Investment Project (PHCIP), noting that it made ‘limited progress’ in the implementation of the components of social protection, education and health. According to local media reports, objective of the project was to “increase the utilization of quality health services, and economic and social inclusion programs, among poor and vulnerable households in select districts in Punjab.” Click here to read... [19]

Pakistan Making Efforts To Purchase Russian Oil At $50 Per Barrel: Report - NDTV

Cash-strapped Pakistan is making concerted efforts to procure Russian crude oil at USD 50 per barrel, at least USD 10 per barrel less than the price cap imposed by the G7 countries due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, media reports said on Sunday. Crude oil is currently being sold globally at USD 82.78 per barrel. Pakistan, which is currently grappling with high external debt and a weak local currency, is desperate to purchase cheap crude at discounted rates from Russia. Click here to read... [20]

Pakistan engaging in hostile propaganda against India to divert attention from its domestic failures: MEA report – The Hindu

There is no let-up in Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism and Islamabad is yet to show sincerity in delivering justice to the families of the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a report on March 13. In its annual report for 2022, the MEA also said that Pakistan continues to engage in "hostile and fabricated propaganda" to vilify India and to divert attention from its domestic political and economic failures. Click here to read... [21]

Sri Lanka

China to enter Sri Lanka's fuel market - Dajji World

China expressed its plans to enter Sri Lanka's fuel market by investing on importing, storage, distribution and supply fuel to the Indian Ocean island nation which went through a severe fuel crisis. Click here to read... [22]

Sri Lanka earned $169.9 mn from tourism in Feb - Siasat

Sri Lanka earned $169.9 million from tourism in February, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said on Monday. Fernando told the media that the figure represented an increase from the $169.4 million a year earlier, reports Xinhua news agency. Over 210,000 tourists arrived in Sri Lanka in the first two months of 2023, and $331.7 million were earned in the cited period, according to the Minister. Click here to read... [23]