INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS AUGUST 2016

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS AUGUST 2016

• India, Myanmar reaffirm their commitment to strengthen bilateral security
  India and Myanmar have reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen bilateral security and defence cooperation, which is crucial for maintaining peace and stability along the long India-Myanmar border.
  
  In a joint statement issued in New Delhi, the two sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to fight the scourge of terrorism and insurgent activity in all its forms and manifestations. Both sides reiterated their commitment to continue practising the policy of not allowing any insurgent groups to use their soil for hostile activities against the other.
  
  They emphasized the need for enhanced cooperation between security forces and border guarding agencies for securing peace, security and stability in the border area.The two sides agreed that Maritime Security Cooperation in the Bay of Bengal is vital for them.
  
  Both sides agreed that an arrangement for supply of pulses from Myanmar to India would be in the mutual interest of Myanmar farmers and Indian consumers. They encouraged Indian companies to cooperate with Myanmar farmers in order to improve the quality of pulses production and thus ensure better marketability of the produce in India.
  
  This is the first top level engagement between the two countries after iconic leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy wrested power in Myanmar from the military junta. The talks focused on imparting a new momentum to bilateral ties, particularly in areas of trade and investment.
  
  The management of the over 1,600 km- long Indo-Myanmar border which mostly criss-crosses militancy affected northeastern region is also in the agenda. This is Htin Kyaw's first overseas trip after assuming charge of the top office.
  
• India, US sign logistic exchange pact boosting defence ties
  India and the US on 29th August signed an important agreement that will make the two nations logistical allies and enable both the militaries to use each other's assets and bases for repair and replenishment of supplies. The agreement is known as 'Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement' (LEMOA)
  
  LEMOA facilitates the provision of logistical support, supplies, and services between the US and Indian militaries on a reimbursable basis, and provides a framework to govern them.
  
  The US has agreed to elevate defence trade and technology sharing with India to a level commensurate with its closest allies and partners.
  
• India, US Sign Logistics Exchange Agreement
  India and the US on 29th August signed an important agreement to use each other's land, air and naval bases for repair and resupply, taking a step toward reinforcing defence ties as they seek to counter an aggressive China. The US has agreed to elevate defence trade and technology sharing with India to a level commensurate with its closest allies and partners.
  
  The agreement is seen as a milestone in the India-US defence relationship because of the outsized political importance it had taken on in India, where concerns were raised over whether the country's autonomy would be undermined. But both leaders made it clear that the logistics agreement did not allow the basing of US troops in India.
  
  Washington's desire for deeper security cooperation with India had been complicated without the signing of the logistics agreement as well as two other pacts that would allow secure communications and the exchange of nautical and other data.
  
  India and the United States have a shared interest in freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded commerce as part of rule-based order in (the) Indo-Pacific.
  
• Cabinet clears signing new air services agreement with Fiji
  The Cabinet approved signing of a new air services agreement between India and Fiji that would allow Indian airlines to fly to any point in the island nation
  
  The pact is for revising the ASA, which was entered into in January 1974. The updation is being done as per the latest ICAO template with an objective to improve air connectivity between the two countries
  
  It was cleared during the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The existing route schedule annex to the ASA has also been revised and new points of call have been added for enhanced connectivity.
  
  Now Indian carriers can operate to any points in Fiji from points in India whereas the carriers of Fiji can establish direct operation to Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai in India and by code share with Indian carriers to Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad apart from points given for direct operation.
  
  Further, Kochi, Varanasi, Ahmedabad and Amritsar can be served through domestic code share operations. Among others, the designated airlines of both countries would have the right to establish offices in each other's territory for promotion and sale of air services.
  
  Routes and frequencies of the designated airlines would be decided subsequently. The pact also has provisions relating to "revocation or suspension of operating authorisation, principles governing operations of agreed services, commercial opportunities, safety related clause etc. that were incorporated in the line of Indian model ASA"
  
  Draft text of the ASA has been finalised in consultation with Ministries of Law & Justice, Finance, External Affairs, Tourism and Department of Commerce.
  
• India, China agree on foreign secretaries-level dialogue
  With less than a month to go before the Prime Ministers of India and China meet post the NSG fiasco, the two countries have decided to set up a dialogue mechanism at the level of foreign secretaries for the first time.
  
  The decision to set up a new mechanism at the level of foreign secretaries was taken during a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was on a three-day visit to India.
  
  The Foreign Secretary-level talks will be a new mechanism that will encompass all bilateral issues between both the countries. This will be over and above the Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) that both sides already have in place. The SED was held in 2014 and there has not been much headway in the talks between both the sides on issues such as India’s membership at the Nuclear Suppliers Group, defence cooperation between both the military establishments, rising trade deficit and shrinkage in Indian exports to China, among others.
  
  As a result, both countries have now decided to set up the new mechanism keeping in mind India’s decision to join the NSG, whereas China is firm that India should take a position on the South China Sea (SCS) issue. In fact, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang made it explicit that India takes a stand on the SCS when he came to India.
  
• India rejects Pak proposal to hold FS-level talks on Kashmir
  India on 17th August rejected Pakistan's proposal to hold Foreign Secretary-level talks on Kashmir. It asserted that it would like to discuss aspects related to cross-border terrorism which are central to the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
  
  Responding to Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry's invitation, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar expressed his willingness to travel to Islamabad but maintained Pakistan has no locus standi in addressing any aspect of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, which is an internal matter of India.
  
  India's response was handed over to Pakistan by Indian High Commissioner to Islamabad Gautam Bambawale. India also rejected the self-serving allegations regarding the situation in J&K in their entirety. On 15th August, Pakistan had invited India for talks on Kashmir, saying it is the international obligation of both the countries to resolve the issue.
  
• India inks deal to route petroleum products through Bangladesh
  India has signed a short-term route agreement with Bangladesh to allow transport of petroleum goods from Assam to Tripura through Bangladesh after heavy monsoon damaged roads and made the transportation between the two states difficult. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd and the Roads and Highways Department of Bangladesh signed the Memorandum of Understanding in Dhaka on 18th August.
  
  High Commission of India said in a statement in Dhaka that Government of Bangladesh has granted permission for the movement of petroleum goods on humanitarian grounds through the territory of Bangladesh till September 2016.
  
  The facilitation extended by the Bangladesh Government under the MoU is expected to improve the situation of shortage of petroleum products in Tripura.
  
  India made the request following heavy monsoons and extremely bad road conditions of NH 44 have resulted in the disruption in the supply of Petroleum Goods from Assam to Tripura. Both sides have also agreed to extend the transit facility for a further short period on need basis.
  
• Niti Aayog inks pact with US EIA to set up portal on energy data
  Niti Aayog on 10th August inked a pact with US Energy Information Administration (EIA) in a step towards setting up a portal to host all the data related to energy sector in the country.
  
  The web portal will host data including oil & gas, coal, solar & thermal energy etc. On the occasion, Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave made a case for having a global energy data grid which clearly specified the use of clean energy across the world to deal with climate change.
  
  The Minister said that the whole world is one family and universal problems like climate change would need a universal solution to it.
  
  Niti Aayog also inked an SOP with US Agency for International Development (USAID) and UK's Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) for collaboration in the area of energy research.
  
• Visa exemption schemes discussed in SAARC meeting
  The 7th meeting of SAARC Immigration Authorities was held in Islamabad on 2nd August. It reviewed different areas to maximize the potential of visa exemption scheme launched among the member countries in 1992. It also deliberated on development of security software for SAARC visa exemption scheme and immigration matters.