U.S. expects news of major India deals Saturday

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE: U.S. officials said on Friday they expect major contracts involving U.S. companies and India to be announced during President Barack Obama’s visit to India on Saturday.

“We expect several deals to be announced around the president’s visit tomorrow,” Mike Froman, Obama’s deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs, told reporters traveling to India with Obama.

Administration officials declined to provide further information on the agreements.

Obama left on Friday for a 3-1/2 day visit to India, his first stop on a 10-day tour of four Asian countries. Obama has said he wants the trip to lead to more U.S. exports and jobs.

Lobbying for billions of dollars in contracts to overhaul India’s mostly Russian-supplied military, a relic of their Cold War-era partnership, has underlied preparation for the trip.

Making sure transparent use of military aid to Pak: US

WASHINGTON: US has said Wednesday it was making sure the transparent use of US military aid to Pakistan through two systems of accountability.

US said it monitored previously given aid to Pakistan and it will again make sure the aid is not used against India.

After an Indian Defense Minister A.K Antony raised concerns over misuse of US military assistance to Pakistan, fearing it may be misused against India, US state department spokesman Philip Crowley said, well, again, a stable Pakistan is not a threat to India. A stable India does not need to be a threat to Pakistan.

In giving military assistance to Pakistan, we have systems of accountability to be sure that it is being employed in accordance with the agreements that we have with Pakistan, he said.

He said and where we have questions about the nature of Pakistani employment of U.S. assistance, we raise those questions directly with the Pakistani Government. We have in the past and we will continue to do that.

So building up the capability of Pakistan to deal with the threat within its own borders should not be seen as a threat to India, he replied to a question.

US vows to work for successful meet on nuclear-free Mideast

UNITED NATIONS: The United States vowed Friday to work for a successful meeting on establishing a nuclear weapon-free zone in the Middle East as agreed at a landmark conference here on curbing the spread of nuclear arms.

Speaking after the conference agreed to hold a regional meet in 2012 on a Middle East free of atomic weapons, US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Ellen Tauscher said: “We will work with the countries in the region to create conditions for a successful conference.”

‘Shoaib-Sania matter should be kept away from politics’

SIALKOT: Member of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and National Assembly Khwaja Asif, who is also heading the organizing committee formed for the arrangement of the welcome dinner for Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza, said here on Sunday that the arrangements of the reception have been finalized and tight security arrangements have been made for the event.

The meeting of the Shoaib-Sania welcome dinner organizing committee was attended by Khwaja Asif, Chaudhry Akhlaq, Jalaluddin and other members.

Khwaja Asif told Geo News after the meeting that fool-proof security arrangements have been made on the occasion of the reception in honour of the newly-married couple.

He said that this matter should be kept away from politics of the two countries. However, he prays for the happy married life of Shoaib and Sania.

Foreign Secretaries meet for Saarc summit draft

THIMPHU: The foreign secretaries of the SAARC member countries are currently holding a meeting on Sunday to consider the fine print of draft agreements due to be signed at the 16th SAARC summit scheduled for April 28 and 29.

The agreements relate to cooperation on environment and on trade in services in the SAARC region.

The secretaries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka also considered the text of the final summit declaration. Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir is leading Pakistani side.

The standing committee meeting will suggest amendments to the drafts made by the SAARC programming committee that sat on Saturday.

On Tuesday, foreign ministers of the eight countries will propose further changes to the declarations and the drafts of the agreements– one on cooperation on environment and the other on trade in services in the SAARC region.

The resolution of the council of ministers will then go to the meeting of the top leaders on April 28 and 29 for final approval and adoption.

The summit is expected to draw regional attention to the pressing issue of climate change, which is also the theme of the summit. Bhutan has also proposed a summit declaration entitled “towards a green and happy south Asia” and a separate ministerial declaration on climate change, according to news agencies.

The SAARC agreement on trade in services is expected to enable the realisation of the region’s immense potential in service areas, such as health, hospitality, communications, computer and information services and air transport and augment intra-regional trade in services.

The SAARC convention on environment is expected to promote cooperation among the SAARC countries in the field of environment and sustainable development.

ASEAN signs agreement to help resolve conflicts

HANOI: Southeast Asian ministers on Thursday fleshed out their vision of a rules-based regional community by signing a protocol to help member nations resolve conflicts.

Foreign ministers from the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) states signed the agreement on dispute settlement mechanisms, ahead of a leaders” summit.

Focused on economic issues for most of its existence, ASEAN in 2008 adopted a charter committing it to tighter links. The group aims to form by 2015 a community of 600 million people with economic, political and social ties.

While the charter sets out the basic principles of ASEAN, Thursday”s protocol and other documents are needed to more clearly define how the vast community will function as a legal entity.

The protocol said ASEAN leaders want to transform the bloc into “a rules-based organisation with practical, efficient and credible mechanisms in place to resolve disputes in an effective and timely manner.”

It added that efficient dispute settlement mechanisms would help the bloc prevent “festering conflicts and confrontation” among member states.

The protocol applies to disputes related to ASEAN”s charter or other ASEAN documents.

It provides for a variety of means to settle disagreements, including consultation between parties, mediation, and arbitration. Unresolved disputes can be referred to the ASEAN summit.

Scarred by wars in the 1960s and 1970s, Southeast Asian nations have largely lived peacefully together for at least two decades, but smaller-scale conflicts persist.

Cambodia and Thailand have been locked in nationalist tensions and a troop standoff over a disputed temple on their border since July 2008. Soldiers have died on both sides.

There are also conflicting maritime sovereignty claims in the region, and other bilateral disagreements.

Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo told reporters that the protocol “commits us politically to having a dispute settlement mechanism which will give our agreements concrete reality.”

ASEAN secretary general Surin Pitsuwan said he hoped the “rather comprehensive” document would enhance stability and security in the region.

But it will be up to the parties themselves whether to bring an issue for resolution, said Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.

“When all is said and done, the most important thing is the political will to use or not to use such a mechanism,” he said.

Natalegawa said the protocol could not be used to deal with Myanmar, which has long been the bloc”s most troublesome issue, because such mechanisms normally apply only between states.

“It won”t apply to internal situations,” he said.

ASEAN members are divided on how to deal with Myanmar, and its failure to heed calls to embrace democracy.

The military state is accused of widespread rights abuses and is subject to European Union and United States sanctions, but has always escaped formal censure from ASEAN, which adheres to a principle of non-interference in members” internal affairs.

Thailand recalls envoy from Cambodia

Thailand and Cambodia recalled their ambassadors from each others’ countries, deepening a diplomatic row after Cambodia made fugitive former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra an economic adviser.

The tit-for-tat spat threatens to worsen a political crisis in Thailand by giving Thaksin and his red-shirted anti-government supporters an ally just across the border, causing a diplomatic embarrassment for Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

It also suggests deepening enmity between leaders of the two countries after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen soured the start of an Asian summit hosted by Abhisit last month by turning up and offering Thaksin the job of adviser.
“We will also review all of the agreements between the two countries along with any other cooperation with them,” Chavanont added.

Dollar 350 Million Loan Pacakage Signed By WB For Pak

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will get USD 350 million loan from World Bank that would be spent on promoting higher education, social security and other sectors in the country.

Government of Pakistan and World Bank signed three agreements in this connection here Tuesday which will enable Pakistan of receiving the concessional loan to be paid back in 35-year time span at zero point five per cent interest rate.

According to the agreements, $200 million would be spent on developing social security net, $100 million on promoting higher education and remaining $50 million on development of irrigation system in Sindh.

WB’s Country Director for Pakistan Yusupha Crookes and Secretary Economic Affairs Division Farrukh Qayyum signed the agreements in a ceremony here.

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Dollar 350 Million Loan Pacakage Signed By WB For Pak was first posted on September 15, 2009 at 1:31 pm.
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