Category: Politics

On Friday, India and the European Union held a security and defense consultation in Brussels. This significant move was made with the aim of focusing on cyber security, maritime awareness, terrorism, joint exercises, training modules, and threat assessments, among other issues.

The Ministry of Defence Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) Sommanth Ghosh and Sandeep Chakravorty-MEA Joint Secretary (Europe West) from India and Director Security and Defence Policy Mr. Joanneke Balfoort from the EU side, co-chaired the consultations.

The sides discussed ways to increase India-EU cooperation, including implementing the European code of conduct on arms export to India’s neighbors and co-developing and co-producing defense equipment, including India’s involvement in Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO).

PESCO is an integral part of the EU’s security and defense policy. Its creation in December 2017 has elevated cooperation among EU member states in the field of defense to a whole new level.

The Indian Embassy in Brussels issued a statement, “The two sides noted a number of positive developments in the area of security and defense cooperation in recent years, including the establishment of a regular maritime security dialogue, which met for the second time in February 2021, the first-ever joint naval exercises held in June 2021, and a number of joint workshops on the subject of fostering maritime security”.

The director of the U.N.’s atomic custodian has set foot in Israel and is soon going to begin discussions with top officials

The visit comes as Israel indicates escalating concerns about Iran’s atomic activities and comeback to the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and international superpowers.

It is believed that Israel is the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East but has never admitted to having such weapons.

The office of the Israeli Prime Minister stated that PM Naftali Bennett would meet with the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi

Israel fiercely opposed the 2015 nuclear deal and was pleased with the unilateral withdrawal by the Trump Administration from the agreement, which resulted in its fall down. The Biden administration has been trying to reopen the agreement which ended sanctions on Iran in return for limits to its nuclear program.

Iran has always claimed its nuclear activities are solely for non-violent purposes but has increased uranium enrichment after the fall down of the nuclear pact to near weapons-grade levels.

U.S. intelligence agencies, Western countries, and the IAEA have alleged Iran ran a systematic nuclear weapons program until 2003. The U.S. and Israel have said that they would not eliminate the use of military force to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

On Wednesday, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appointed a record number of women to the new cabinet. The new federal ministry was into office with a diverse cabinet team that includes religious minorities and indigenous aboriginals.

In the Albanese 23-member cabinet, a total of 10 women were included surpassing the seven in the previous cabinet led by Liberal-National coalition leader Scott Morrison.

In a ceremony in Canberra, Linda Burney became the first Aboriginal woman to hold the Indigenous Australians ministry, Claire O’Neil as the home affairs and cyber security minister, Katy Gallagher as finance minister, and Ed Husic and Anne Aly became Australia’s first Muslim federal ministers.

Penny Wong was sworn in last week so that she could fly to Tokyo for a summit with Prime Minister Albanese. There are some new faces in Albanese’s cabinet as well as some who served in the previous Labor government nine years ago.

Albanese said at the conference, “This is an exciting team. It’s a team that is overflowing, I think, with talent, with people who are absolutely committed to making a difference as ministers and assistant ministers”.

He further added that this is the largest number of women who have served in the Australian cabinet. Morrison’s government also had to deal with a string of sexual misconduct scandals that contributed to the conservatives’ ouster after nearly a decade in power.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern met US President Joe Biden in her first-ever White House visit and stated that the meeting reflected the kind of relationship that the two countries share “warm, friendly, shared values and shared challenges”. This also makes it the first visit to the White House for a New Zealand Prime Minister since 2014.

Arden, who met Vice President Kamala Harris before meeting Biden, said that she was pleased with the nature of the discussion that dealt with topics such as trade in the Indo-Pacific to New Zealand’s involvement with gun reforms. They also discussed USA’s efforts to oppose China in the Indo-Pacific region. The meeting became even more significant as New Zealand recently raised worries about China’s growing presence in the Indo-Pacific region after news emerged that Beijing had signed a security deal with the Solomon Islands. Biden assured Ardern to do more work in the Pacific Islands and work together and in cooperation with other countries.

Biden also sought advice from Arden over tackling shooting incidents in America that have been increasing in recent times. The duo met in the Oval Office, and the meeting went overtime by half an hour.

On Friday, India organized a DefExpo in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania to expand its defense sector footprints in Africa. A Mini-DefExpo was organized by the Indian High Commission in Dar-es-Salaam led Indian delegation by Anuraj Bajpai, Joint Secretary, Indian Ministry of Defence.

The occasion witnessed seven companies from the government and nine companies from the private sector participating. The companies were HAL, BEL, BDL, AVNL, MDL, GRSE, L&T, Ashok Leylands, Bharat Forge, Idea Technology, Tata Advanced System, and Adani Defence, Zen Technology, MKU Ltd, Tunga Aerospace, and AWEIL.

The event was held in a one-to-one session between the TPDF officers and company representatives.

It was inaugurated by the chief guest Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax, Minister of Defence of Tanzania. TPDF and Indian Partners were encouraged by Dr. Tax to work together with an open mind and build a partnership. ​​

TPDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. M. E. Mkinguke and senior TPDF officials were also in attendance. COL Lt Gen Mkingule reviewed historical relations between India and Tanzania and stressed the importance of bilateral defense cooperation between the two countries.

India and Tanzania might have longstanding defense cooperation in trading, capacity building, and the supply of equipment.

On Wednesday, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was proclaimed as the next president of the Philippines with a huge win with 31 million votes. The joint session of Congress voted for him after 36 years in which his father was ousted from power in a pro-democracy uprising.

A huge Philippine flag draped the podium in a plenary hall bedecked with a huge Philippine flag, as the Senate president and the House speaker raised Marcos Jr.’s hands to applause from the audience, which included diplomats.

Additionally, both the Senate and House of Representatives declared that his separate vice presidential candidate, Sara Duterte, who is the daughter of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, who will leave office on June 30, had also won by a wide margin with 32 million votes.

Marcos Jr. said, “I am humbled, I thank our people and beyond that, I promise you that we may not be perfect but will always strive to perfection”.

Despite the Covid-19 lockdowns, crushing poverty, gaping inequality, Muslim and communist insurgencies, crime, and political divisions further triggered by the May 9 election, the new administration will face challenging tasks.

A 64-year-old former governor, congressman, and senator, Marcos Jr. refused to admit or apologize for massive violations of human rights and plundering that occurred under his father’s rule and has defended the legacy of his father.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden launched the technology cooperation initiative and investment initiative at the bilateral meeting in Tokyo.

The leaders agreed to expand defense cooperation and welcomed the signing of an investment incentive agreement to focus on healthcare, renewable energy, infrastructure, and other sectors. Defense and security cooperation was described by Modi and Biden as crucial pillars of the bilateral agenda and they agreed to work closely on emerging technologies.

This initiative, spearheaded by the National Security Council Secretariat in India and the National Security Council of the United States, iCET, aims to build links between public, private, and academic sectors in areas like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, 5G/6G, biotech, space, and semiconductors.

Modi invited American companies to participate in the ‘Make in India’ program, which may be mutually beneficial. Both nations are committed to expanding cooperation in new defense areas, including cyber and artificial intelligence.

Mr. Modi met with the leaders of the US, Japan, and Australia on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders Summit, to discuss increasing economic relations and cooperation for peace and stability in the region. Biden said he would strive to make the US-India relationship “among the closest” in the world, articulating a view he has expressed for years. Meanwhile, Mr. Modi called the Indian-US relationship a “partnership of trust”.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu along with the Energy Minister Fatih Donmez, will visit Israel this week in what seems to be an effort to improve the relationship between the two countries that has seen tensions and stormy ties for more than a decade.

Cavusoglu met Palestinian officials on Tuesday and will meet his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, on Wednesday, which will make it the first visit by a Turkish foreign minister in 15 years. The ministers are expected to hold talks on re-establishing ties and enhancing diplomatic links.

Relations between Israel and Turkey saw a sudden and dramatic deterioration when in 2010, Israeli commandos raided a Turkish flotilla headed for the Gaza Strip causing the death of 10 civilians. Ankara has been condemning Israel’s strategy toward the Palestinians, and Israel has accused Turkey of supporting Hamas, the Islamic fundamentalist and militant group that rules the Gaza Strip.

 In May 2018, Turkey threw out the Israeli ambassador to Ankara and called back its envoys from Israel and the US after 60 Palestinians who disapproved of the transfer of the American embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv were killed by Israeli soldiers. Ever since the two countries have always had a turbulent relationship. The Turkish Foreign minister’s landmark visit to Israel signifies the warming relations between both countries.

Australia’s economy minister on Wednesday urged China to drop the taxing trade tariffs if it wants to improve bilateral relations after Beijing showed interest in fostering ties.

China, Australia’s biggest trading partner – levied official and unofficial trade sanctions and threw into disorder several big industries such as wine, barley, and coal, as relations between both countries worsened in the last couple of years.

Earlier in the week, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang sent a congratulatory note to the newly elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, which is considered  to be a significant top-level correspondence between Beijing and Canberra in the last two years. Li’s letter stated that China was all set to work with Australia to analyze the past, look into the future and develop a “comprehensive strategic partnership”, as reported by Xinhua news agency on Monday. In reply, Australian prime minister said that it would respond “appropriately.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said Australia felt a heavy blow due to demanding trade tariffs imposed by China and persuaded the lifting of sanctions “as soon as possible.” He added that the tariffs are damaging the Australian economy and making life harder for employees and workers. Lifting of sanctions would be a really great start in building the relationship between both countries

The Quad leaders are set to discuss laying a long-term strategic groundwork to further solidify cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Leaders from India, the United States, Australia and Japan are among the Quad leaders.

The leaders of India, the United States, Australia and Japan are expected to show that the group is a “force for global good” and has a unifying commitment to a rules-based international order amidst China’s increasing threats.

PM Narendra Modi is expected to discuss India’s outlook and vision for the Indo-Pacific and ways to boost cooperation in multiple areas, including ensuring resilient supply chains, at the summit. Ahead of his trip to Tokyo, Mr Modi said that the summit will give an opportunity to review the progress of the Quad initiative and discuss the developments in the free and open Indo-Pacific region, along with global issues of mutual interest.

The leaders are also looking forward to resolving and expanding cooperation in the areas of emerging technologies, clean energy, connectivity, supply chain security, digital trade, and infrastructure.

The summit is held at a time when China and the member countries of the Quad have experienced a tense relationship in recent years, with Beijing increasingly challenging democracy and resorting to coercive trade practices.