Neighbourhood News Digest: 8th February, 2019

PAKISTAN

Kartarpur: Pakistan team to visit on March 13: Dawn

February 8, 2019

In the first set of bilateral meetings on activating the Kartarpur corridor, a Pakistani delegation will visit India on March 13 to discuss the modalities for the cross-border pilgrimage. Pakistan has also proposed a reciprocal visit by an Indian delegation 15 days later to “finalise the draft agreement”. The meetings will be held to facilitate the travel of Sikh pilgrims to Darbar Sahib Kartarpur Gurudwara in Narowal, nearly 4 km from the Gurdaspur border.Click here to read... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

Moscow Talks Will Have No Impact On Peace Process: Govt: Indian Express: Tolo

February 8, 2019

The Afghan government has said the recent meeting between Afghan politicians and Taliban members in Moscow was a political debate rather than a peace talks meeting and that no one had any executive authority to forge agreements. This comes a day after delegates attending the peace talks in Moscow issued a joint declaration in which they outlined a nine point approach to promote “intra-Afghan” dialogue aimed at finding a political settlement to the conflict in the country.Click here to read... [3]

NEPAL

Fault lines in ruling party exposed as Oli, Dahal spar over Venezuela: Kathmandu Post

February 8, 2019

Venezuela rarely figured in Nepal’s foreign policy, let alone the domestic political discourse. But all of that changed last month after a co-chairman of the ruling party issued a strong statement on the country. Since then, the Latin American nation, which is in the middle of a power struggle, has driven a wedge between two top leaders of the ruling party, exposing the political fault lines in the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) that is struggling to complete its formal unification process.Click here to read... [4]

MYANMAR

Myanmar villagers flee to Bangladesh amid Rakhine violence: Al Jazeera

February 8, 2019

Scores of ethnic-minority villagers have crossed from western Myanmar into Bangladesh in recent days amid fighting between the Myanmar military and ethnic Rakhine rebels, according to Bangladesh border guards and an activist. Members of 38 families said they fled their homes fearing attack from military helicopters, Colonel Zahirul Haque Khan, the Border Guards Bangladesh commander in Bandarban district where the group of 136 people are now living in shelters, was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency on Thursday.Click here to read... [5]

CHINA

MOFCOM: USTR report on China's WTO compliance contrary to the facts: People's Daily

February 7, 2019

The report of the U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) office on China's World Trade Organization (WTO) compliance is contrary to the facts, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said in a statement Tuesday. The ministry said the accusations made in the report against China are beyond the country's commitment to the WTO and are without merits.Click here to read... [6]