VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: July 22, 2019

PAKISTAN

Afghan issue tops agenda of Bajwa’s talks with US officials: Dawn
July 22, 2019

Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa will interact with top US military leadership at the Pentagon during a three-day visit to Washington, the military’s media chief said. Briefing journalists at the Pak­stan Embassy, Washington, on Saturday afternoon, Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor urged the media not to link the army chief’s visit with that of Prime Minister Imran Khan. But he did say that the army chief would attend the prime minister’s meeting with US President Donald Trump on Monday. This marks the first time that the country’s top generals are accompanying the prime minister to a White House meeting with the US president. Click here to read... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

Iran Exports Value To Afghanistan, Pakistan At Over $5b: Tolo News
July 22, 2019

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs Gholamreza Ansari put his country’s current exports value to eastern neighboring countries at over five to six billion dollars, Iranian Mehr News Agency reported. He made the remarks on the sidelines of the meeting of Foreign Relations Coordination Headquarters, held in the presence of representatives of the Foreign Ministry and Iranian ambassadors in Afghanistan and Pakistan. “Given the policies adopted by the government for increasing level of economic ties with neighbors, it is necessary to carry out studies on the import and export barriers,” he said. Click here to read... [3]

NEPAL

Anticipating criticism, government puts Mass Communication Bill on hold: Kathmandu Post
July 22, 2019

Stung by criticism over a number of controversial bills, including the Media Council Bill and Information Technology Bill, the government has decided to hold back its plan to present the Mass Communication Bill at the federal parliament. The Mass Communication Bill, drafted by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, had been sent to the Ministry of Law and Justice for finalisation. Officials at the Law Ministry were told to finalise it by the first week of July so that it could be tabled in Parliament during the ongoing budget session. Click here to read... [1]

BANGLADESH

Bangladesh PM disapproves immediate sedition case against Hindu woman: The Hindu
July 22, 2019

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has disapproved a planned government move to file sedition charges against a Hindu woman who told US President Donald Trump in Washington that the minority communities in her country were being persecuted, a senior minister said on Sunday. Priya Saha, organising secretary of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (HBCUC), attended a meeting at the White House on July 19 and a video of the meeting with Trump subsequently went viral on social media, sparking a controversy back home. Click here to read... [4]

CHINA

China issues white paper on historical matters concerning Xinjiang: Xinhuanet
July 22, 2019

The State Council Information Office on Sunday issued a white paper on historical matters concerning Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China. China is a unified multiethnic country, and the various ethnic groups in Xinjiang have long been part of the Chinese nation. Throughout its long history, Xinjiang's development has been closely related to that of China, the white paper said. Click here to read... [5]

Imports of US foodstuff may resume: China Daily
July 22, 2019

Some Chinese enterprises have inquired with US exporters about prices for certain agricultural products and applied for the removal of tariffs on foodstuffs, Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday. The Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council will organize experts to review the exemption applications submitted by the enterprises, the report said. Click here to read... [6]