COUNTRY REVIEWS

South Asia

Bangladesh

December 17-23

• Bangladesh celebrated the 41st anniversary of victory in the Liberation War; The Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed an agreement with Bangladesh to provide a loan of US$160 million; Bangladesh's foreign exchange reserves hit a record high of $12.4 billion; Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra visits Bangladesh

Bangladesh

December 24-30

• NGO delegation of Ankara misuses “on arrival visa” facilities

Srilanka

December 17-23

• Afghan Foreign Minister visits Sri Lanka; Indian Chief of Army Staff General Bikram Singh visits Sri Lanka; GDP grew 4.8 percent in the third quarter of 2012; MR Congratulates Japan’s newly elect PM

Srilanka

December 24-30

• UN Security Council closes its dossier on Sri Lanka over the issue of child soldier; INS ‘Carnicobar’ arrived at the Port of Trincomalee on an operational visit

Maldives

December 17-23

• President congratulates new Japanese Prime Minister and New President –elect of South Korea

Maldives

December 24-30

• ISPS Code is required to avail port facility in Maldives; 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Maldives and China observed; Thailand donates US$10,000 to the Maldives to assist recovery from severe flooding caused by the cyclone ‘Nilam’

East Asia

China

December 17-23

• Chinese President calls for scientific innovation; China gives aid to Armenia; Xi Jingping calls for multi-party cooperation; Beijing opposes US Congress bill; Chinese vice-premier meets President Obama; Beijing asserts to improving Sino-Russian ties

Japan

December 17-23

• Japan’s leader-in-waiting Shinzo Abe insists on strengthening Japan-US ties, cooperating on issues involving North Korea

December 24-30

• Japan’s new Prime Minister signals his intention to review zero-nuclear goal, insists on promoting expansion of regional ties especially with Australia and India;

South Korea

December 17-23

• Report: China and South Korea’s claims on East China Sea shelf seem to overlap

December 24-30

• South Korea to join UN Security Council as a non-permanent member; The US proposes to sell Global Hawks surveillance ships to South Korea

North Korea

December 24-30

• North Korea’s trade with China in 2012 to reach all time high/a>

Centra Asia & Russia

Central Asia

December 17-23

• Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan discuss bilateral trade and security; The United States has said that Turkmenistan must revise its energy laws to attract new investment; Turkey expresses an interest in energy cooperation with Tajikistan; Russia’s Foreign Minister describes Uzbekistan as an ally despite it withdrawing from Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO); Iran and Turkmenistan agree on a technology for gas deal; Shadow economy accounts for 39 per cent of Kyrgyzstan’s GDP; Uzbekistan grants copper exploration license to Rio Tinto

Russia

December 17-23

• Russia’s volume of total defence exports in 2014 to touch US$ 14 billion; The leader of Japan’s new ruling party Shinzo Abe expresses desire to settle territorial disputes with Russia; Russia and the United Arab Emirates sign an agreement on cooperation in the peaceful use of atomic energy; State Duma bans adoption of Russian children by US citizens; Russia worried over Syria’s future and not that of Assad; President Putin: US Magnitsky Act poisons Russia-US relations and drags them into the past; Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan agreed to work towards drafting an agreement on the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union; Russia offers India the option to buy BMP-3 vehicles; Russia sends humanitarian cargo of 41 tonnes to Egypt; TNK-BP announces discovery of new fields in Orenburg region; Russia calls for an immediate holding of talks on the Iranian nuclear issue; Russia and the EU have called for direct Israel-Palestine negotiations without preconditions; Russia describes EU’s Third Energy Package as confiscation of its investment; CSTO leaders suspend Uzbekistan's membership

Internal Security Review

Jammu & Kashmir

December 17-23

• Fence along the Line of Control (LoC) to be relocated and fortified; Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants killed in an encounter in Sopore; Centre’s silence on Interlocutors report disappoint interlocutors; One of the accused in Delhi blast killed in Kishtwar

December 24-30

• Hurriyat Chairman Farooq terms Pakistan visit successful; 2012 remain the most peaceful year since eruption of militancy; Civilians injured in Pulwama firing; Rail track in the longest transportation tunnel in India ready to operate

Northeast India

December 17-23

• ASEAN-India Car rally flagged down in Guwahati; Panchayat polls in Assam from January 30; Roads in North-east along China border to be improved; NSCN cadres killed in factional feud; Nexus between North-East ultras and Maoists; Manipuri actress molested by NSCN (IM) cadre; Normal life affected due to indefinite bandh; National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) cadres surrender in Tripura; Sikkim declared best small state in India

December 24-30

• Cops suspended in firing case of Manipur; Unstable situation in Tinsukia kept under control; Communal clashes in Miao, Arunachal Pradesh claims lives; 12th Plan identifies connectivity as crucial to North-East; Normal life paralysed in Manipur due to curfew

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)

December 24-30

• Justice J.S. Verma committee holds first meeting; Union Home Minister holds meeting on Telengana issue