Category: Politics

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi visited Ankara on Wednesday for the first time in 12 years to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, marking a significant step towards normalising relations between Egypt and Turkey after a decade of conflict. The leaders will co-chair the inaugural session of the High-Level Strategic Collaboration Council, which aims to improve bilateral collaboration.

According to the Turkish presidency, the summit would evaluate all aspects of Egypt-Turkey relations and discuss new ways to strengthen the partnership. Several agreements are expected to be reached throughout the negotiations. In addition to bilateral talks, the leaders will discuss major regional and global concerns, such as Israeli attacks in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.

This visit follows Erdogan’s journey to Cairo in February, which signalled a thaw in relations after years of enmity. Tensions between the two countries rose in 2013 following the ouster of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, a close friend of Turkey’s government. Both countries expelled their ambassadors as relations deteriorated.

Efforts to repair ties began in 2020 when Turkey sought to improve relations with regional rivals such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The warming in relations reflects broader regional realignments, as both governments seek greater stability and collaboration.

On Thursday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to discuss ways to boost post-Brexit cooperation with Europe. Paris was the second stop on Starmer’s tour of key EU capitals, after Berlin, when he launched treaty talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Macron greeted Starmer warmly with a hug and a handshake, signalling a positive start to their conversations.

France, like Germany, is an important security partner for the United Kingdom, with a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and one of Western Europe’s nuclear-armed states. Both countries have shown strong support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion. However, migrant crossings from France to the UK continue to be a sensitive subject.

Despite continuous cooperation between respective security agencies, migrant arrivals in the UK have hit a new high this year, with 13,500 arriving in the first six months alone.

Starmer intends to strengthen EU connections, to sign a pact with Germany by the end of the year. However, obstacles remain as Scholz’s weak coalition prepares for regional elections and Macron grapples with parliamentary deadlock caused by a hung parliament.

On Thursday, France’s President Emmanuel Macron paid a visit to Belgrade to boost ties with Serbia and encourage it to align with the European Union, as Serbia attempts to strike a balance between the EU, Russia, and China. During his two-day visit, Macron met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to discuss a variety of issues, including the purchase of France’s Rafale fighter jets, energy cooperation, and advances in AI.

This is Macron’s second meeting with Vucic this year, following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Belgrade in May, highlighting Serbia’s key location on the EU’s outskirts. In an op-ed in Serbia’s Politika daily, Macron emphasised that Serbia’s independence could be secured “only under the auspices of the EU,” dismissing the idea of Serbia navigating its course between the global powers.

While the EU is Serbia’s largest investor, the country has been unwilling to impose sanctions on Russia, despite cutting military cooperation following the invasion of Ukraine. Serbia’s military uses Soviet technology but also incorporates Western equipment, such as France’s Mistral missiles. Serbia strives to diversify its energy sources, although it remains highly reliant on Russian gas.

Vucic noted ongoing negotiations with Macron about future energy and AI cooperation and prospective bilateral agreements.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed in Berlin to pursue an ambitious bilateral treaty aimed at re-establishing UK-EU relations. This treaty will address issues ranging from defence to trade and try to move beyond the strained ties that existed under the previous Conservative government.

Starmer, who assumed office last month, emphasised the significance of repairing partnerships with European allies to help Britain’s economy develop.

The proposed pact aims to improve collaboration in science, technology, business, and culture while expanding trade. However, Starmer noted that this reset does not imply reversing Brexit or rejoining the EU’s single market or customs union, but rather forging greater cooperation on a variety of fronts, including the economic and defence.

Germany applauded the initiative, recognising the UK’s critical role in addressing Europe’s difficulties.

Following a joint announcement in July, the two nations hope to finalise the cooperation treaty early next year, as well as a new defence deal. Concerns over a potential drop in US military backing for Ukraine, particularly if former US President Donald Trump is re-elected, are also fuelling calls for closer Anglo-German defence collaboration.

Starmer intends to improve connections with France by engaging with President Emmanuel Macron and business leaders during his visit to Paris.

Prime Minister Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke over the phone, and PM Modi reaffirmed his willingness to attend the BRICS Summit, which is scheduled for Kazan from October 22–24.

Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have joined Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa as founding members of the BRICS group; this summit is the first gathering of the expanded BRICS group.

The leaders reviewed the upcoming implementation of the trade agreements made during PM Modi’s July visit to Moscow. The two parties were pleased with the progress made in the BRICS partnership. The Kremlin claims that Modi has reaffirmed his intention to attend the summit as a participant, with Russia serving as chair.

The two heads of state have committed to keeping in touch on a variety of levels to facilitate the actualisation of their prior trade and economic accords.

Russia, as the current chair of BRICS, will head the forthcoming summit in Kazan, and the goal is to strengthen collaboration among the ten members of the bloc that have recently grown. Aiming to strengthen economic and geopolitical links within the organisation, the integration of new members is underway.

On Monday, thousands of military troops from Indonesia, the US, and eight other nations began two weeks of Super Garuda Shield exercises in Sidoarjo, East Java, emphasising joint capabilities in Asia-Pacific.

Indonesia has deployed around 4,400 troops, with approximately 1,800 US forces and several hundred from other countries taking part. The exercise began in 2007 and has grown into a “world-class joint/multinational event designed to enhance our collective capabilities,” according to Major General Joseph Harris, Commander of the Hawaii Air National Guard.

The program includes expert academic exchanges, professional development workshops, command-and-control exercises, and field training, which culminate in a live-fire event.

Staff and cyber exercises, airborne operations, combined strikes, amphibious exercises, and simulated ground operations will all be included in the training program. According to US Army Pacific Commanding General Charles Flynn, the drills reinforce the Army’s commitment to a stable and secure Indo-Pacific area. Participants from Australia, Japan, UK, Singapore, South Korea, Canada, New Zealand, and France are taking part in the drills, which will continue until September 6 at various sites throughout Indonesia.

Brazil, Germany, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, the Netherlands, Timor Leste, and Papua New Guinea are all participating in the exercise as observer nations.

The Union Minister of Home Affairs, Amit Shah, has announced the formation of five additional districts in Ladakh, bringing the total to seven from two. The new districts—Sham, Nubra, and Changthang in Leh, and Zanskar and Drass in Kargil—are intended to enhance governance and bring services closer to inhabitants. A committee will evaluate several features of the new districts, including boundaries, headquarters, and administrative structures, and report back within three months.

Political groups and organisations in Ladakh, including the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), applauded the decision, while they continue to advocate for statehood and Sixth Schedule status. The LAB and KDA want to continue their campaign with a padayatra to New Delhi beginning September 1.

Despite some regional unhappiness with district distributions, many regard this as a step towards improved governance. Concerns exist regarding whether the new districts will have autonomous hill development councils similar to those in Leh and Kargil or if a single regional council will be established. The government has not extended the Sixth Schedule or conferred statehood, but newly formed districts will now receive special administrative attention.

On Monday, four high-ranking Indian ministers will attend the second India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable, an event that aims to fortify bilateral relations between the two countries. Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw (Electronics and IT), Piyush Goyal (Commerce and Industry), S. Jaishankar (External Affairs), and Nirmala Sitharaman (Finance) will meet with their Singaporean counterparts and senior leadership for high-level discussions.

Given that Singapore received around $11.77 billion in FDI for India’s fiscal year 2023-24, making it the top source of FDI inflows, the timing of the roundtable is noteworthy. From April 2000 to March 2024, a total of approximately $159.94 billion has been invested in India by Singapore.

With a global ranking of 6th in FY 2023-24, Singapore is also an important trading partner for India. The total value of commerce between the two countries was $35.61 billion, or 29% of India’s trade with the ASEAN area.

Minister Piyush Goyal will meet with important Singaporean business executives before the roundtable to discuss potential new partnerships and strengthen economic relations. These leaders include representatives from DBS Bank, Temasek Holdings, OMERS, Keppel Infrastructure, and the Owners Forum.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Malaysian counterpart Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim recently strengthened bilateral relations by signing Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements at Hyderabad House in Delhi.

A joint statement emphasised the opportunity for more collaboration, particularly in new technologies such as finance, semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and quantum computing. A major statement included plans to integrate India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Malaysia’s PayNet, to revolutionise cross-border digital payments.

Malaysia’s digital payment business, famed for its fintech innovation, has drawn Indian startups like Pine Labs and Razorpay. Razorpay’s acquisition of Malaysian recurring payment company Curlec, now known as ‘Curlec by Razorpay,’ has increased its service offerings to over 700 Malaysian firms, including Tune Protect and Mary Kay. Through Curlec’s participation in Malaysia’s DuitNow system, which is similar to UPI, the country is moving towards a cashless society.

Beyond fintech, PM Modi and Anwar talked about developing educational and cultural ties. PM Modi offered 100 scholarships for Malaysian students under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program and the establishment of an Ayurveda Chair and a Thiruvalluvar Chair in Malaysian universities. He praised the expanding alliance, which demonstrates the countries’ commitment to mutual growth.

Australia has approved a $13.5 billion solar project to send energy from a large solar farm in the north to Singapore via a 4,300-kilometre underwater cable. The SunCable Australia-Asia Power Link will create enough energy to power three million homes, establishing Australia as a global leader in green energy, according to Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.

The project, which includes solar panels, batteries, and an eventual cable link, intends to address the growing need for domestically and internationally green energy. Electricity supply is planned to commence in the early 2030s, with a final investment decision made in 2027.

The approval is subject to stringent environmental requirements, including measures to protect the habitat of the greater bilby, a tiny marsupial. The project will be constructed in two stages, with the eventual goal of providing up to 6 gigawatts of green electricity to industrial users in Darwin and Singapore.

Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) is in talks with SunCable as part of the city-state’s overall ambition to import up to 4 GW of low-carbon electricity by 2035, accounting for around 30% of its total electricity supply. EMA has previously given conditional clearance to projects from Indonesia, Cambodia, and Vietnam, deeming them technically and commercially viable.