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New Delhi CNN —India’s defense minister told his Chinese counterpart on Thursday that violations of their shared border erode the “entire basis” of relations between the two Asian neighbors. Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh made the comments during a meeting with newly appointed Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu in New Delhi ahead of a regional security summit on Friday. “He reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation,” the statement added. His visit comes four days after India and China concluded the 18th round of talks to attempt to resolve the border issue. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s visit to the country will be the most senior-level one in seven years.

Zelensky, who has long expressed interest in speaking with Xi, said he had “a long and meaningful phone call” with the Chinese leader. Wednesday’s phone call is the first time Xi has spoken to Zelensky since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. China’s positioning as a mediator was also viewed critically as Xi visited Moscow but had still yet to speak with Zelensky. “Xi Jinping doesn’t want to put political capital behind an effort that then blows up in his face. In this case, this could mean Putin indicated to Xi that he was willing to talk to Kyiv, Menon added.

☆ China walks back ambassador's claim that ex-Soviet states aren't real countries, a position that played strongly into Putin's hands
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China's foreign ministry walked back ambassador's comments dismissing ex-Soviet states' sovereignty. Other former Soviet Union countries include Ukraine and Moldova, as well as Central Asian countries that Russia has retained closer ties to. And Lu's comments seemed to suggest that China's foreign policy was inching closer to that of Russia. The Baltic countries have already questioned China's efforts to play peacemaker in Ukraine, and Lu's comments appear to have made them even more concerned. Estonia's foreign minister said Lu's comments were "false and a misinterpretation of history," and Latvia's foreign minister called them "completely unacceptable."

☆ Israel cements ties to Turkmenistan on Iran's border
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Although the countries established diplomatic relations 30 years ago, there had only been a temporary Israeli mission in Ashgabat and predominantly Muslim Turkmenistan still has no embassy in Israel. "I came to open an Israeli embassy 17 kilometres from the border with Iran, and to hold a series of meetings with the president and other officials," Cohen tweeted on Thursday. In English remarks to Israeli reporters accompanying Cohen, his Turkmen counterpart, Rashid Meredov, described the embassy inauguration as "a very shining example of our friendship". Cohen, who also met Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, called his visit "historic" and said Israel's ties with Central Asia's "energy superpower" were of strategic importance. "We intend to widen economic relations to include agriculture, water, technology and border defence," Cohen said in a video issued by Israel's Foreign Ministry.

☆ The F-35 is becoming the most popular fighter jet among NATO militaries — with one 'baffling' exception
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Romania is the latest NATO member to say it will buy the F-35 stealth fighter jet. To some in the West, Turkey's decision to choose the S-400 over the F-35 just does not compute. As one of the original partners in the US-led F-35 program, Turkey should have been among the first to get the cutting-edge stealth fighter. The F-35/S-400 controversy illustrates Turkey's position as the odd man in NATO since it joined in 1952. Putin and Erdogan inspect a Russian Su-57 fighter jet at the MAKS air show in Russia in August 2019.

☆ An economic crisis in Pakistan means many are going hungry during Ramadan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Sophia Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Javed IqbalIn Karachi, Pakistan’s financial center, 13 women and children died in March when hundreds of people caused a stampede in the rush for free food. Nine were killed in late March at separate government run flour distribution sites in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has expressed concern at what it called “mismanagement” that caused stampedes at wheat flour distribution centers set up by the government. Khan said a shortage of basic imports such as animal feed and other raw materials essential for food production contributed further to the food crisis and widespread hunger. Ramadan is a period of thanksgiving and shared meals, but the festivities have been overshadowed by the economic crisis.

☆ Landslide in Pakistan's Khyber Pass buries trucks, kills at least two people
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/8] People search for survivors next to a damaged supply vehicle after a landslide close to the Torkham border, Pakistan, April 18, 2023. REUTERS/Fayaz AzizPESHAWAR, Pakistan, April 18 (Reuters) - A landslide during a thunder and lightning storm on the main road through northwest Pakistan's Khyber Pass buried more than 20 trucks on Tuesday, killing at least two people, with dozens more feared trapped, officials said. "Twenty to twenty five containers are buried in the wreckage," Abdul Nasir Khan, deputy commissioner of the Khyber district, told Reuters. Photos shared by officials showed truck containers mostly buried in huge piles of rocks. Reporting by Jibran Ahmad in Peshawar, writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ancient DNA reveals secrets of empire that pushed China to build its Great Wall
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Known as the Xiongnu, the empire saw conflict with great rival imperial China that resulted in the construction of the Great Wall, parts of which still stand today. Now, ancient DNA evidence, combined with the fruits of recent archaeological digs, is spilling the secrets of one of the era’s most powerful political forces. Excavation of the Xiongnu Elite Tomb 64 contains a high-status aristocratic woman at the site of a cemetery at Takhiltyn Khotgor in Mongolia's Altai Mountains. Golden icons of the sun and moon, symbols of the Xiongnu, decorate a coffin found in Elite Tomb 64 at the Takhiltyn Khotgor site. “And it was this potent legacy…that the Mongols took up when they created their own empire many more centuries later.”

☆ Saudi stocks gain on rising oil prices; Qatar falls
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Ateeq Shariff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 16 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's stock markets ended higher on Sunday after Friday's rise in oil prices, although the Qatari index extended losses for a second session. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index (.TASI) gained 0.6%, led by a 1.2% increase in Al Rajhi Bank (1120.SE), while oil giant Saudi Aramco (2223.SE) added 0.8%. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman launched on Thursday four new Special Economic Zones in Saudi Arabia, state media reported on Thursday after the market had closed, citing a statement. In Qatar, the index (.QSI) fell 0.4%, extending losses for a second session, with petrochemical maker Industries Qatar (IQCD.QA) losing 1.5%. Reporting by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru; Editing by Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ IMF sees high rates, oil prices and inflation worries in Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, April 15 (Reuters) - Banks in the Middle East and Central Asia have very limited exposure to last month's banking turmoil in the United States and Europe, but financial pressures are adding to strains caused by high interest rates, volatile oil prices and years of double-digit inflation, a top IMF official said on Saturday. Jihad Azour, director of the International Monetary Fund's Middle East and Central Asia department, said the banking sector strains came on top of tighter monetary policies that raised rates and reduced accessibility to finance. "We are worried because the matrix of risks keeps growing: high interest rates, volatility in oil prices, geopolitical tensions, and it's the third year in the row where you have double-digit inflation," he said. "And they have a window of opportunity with governments now willing to do more, and not to put money in the central bank coffers." The IMF on Thursday forecast that GDP growth in the Middle East and North Africa region will slow to 3.1% in 2023, from 5.3% a year ago.

☆ IMF says has not received request from Tunisia to re-examine reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The Fund did not impose any diktats," Azour said, according to the TAP state news agency. The IMF postponed in December its board meeting on a loan program for Tunisia that was scheduled to give the authorities more time to finalize it. "This program has been designed, proudly by the Tunisian authorities," Azour said during the briefing. Without a loan, Tunisia faces a full-blown balance of payments crisis. Most debt is internal but there are foreign loan repayments due later this year, and credit ratings agencies have said Tunisia may default.

☆ IMF says yet to agree date with Egypt for programme review
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Disbursements under the 46-month programme are subject to eight reviews, the first of which was dated March 15, 2023, in an IMF staff report published in December. "Egypt really needs to show some meaningful measures to rebuild confidence and show that the process has started," said Monica Malik of ADCB. "It's better to start the review once there is tangible signs of process with reforms, including on a flexible currency." In its December accord with the IMF, Egypt also promised to sell state assets worth billions of dollars over the next four years. "Egypt has done important reforms over the last few years, and the fund has been very supportive..," Azouri said.

KARACHI, Pakistan, April 13 (Reuters) - Pakistan's debt continues to be sustainable, International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Kristalina Georgieva said on Thursday, after the government reiterated it had completed all requirements to receive a critical bailout from the IMF. Pakistan's finance ministry on Thursday said IMF deputy managing director Antoinette Moniso Sayeh was confident of signing the staff level agreement very soon. Pakistan's government reiterated on Thursday it has completed all requirements to receive the critical bailout money from the fund following a meeting with Sayeh. "The finance minister also shared that all the international obligations have been addressed in time," the finance ministry said in a news release. On Wednesday, Pakistan's finance ministry release a statement following talks with the IMF's Middle East and Central Asia Director Jihad Azour.

☆ Exclusive: Russia starts fuel supplies to Iran by rail -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, April 11 (Reuters) - Russia started fuel exports to Iran by rail this year for the first time after traditional buyers shunned trade with Moscow, according to three industry sources and exports data. Russia and Iran, both under Western sanctions, are forging closer ties in order to support their economies and to undermine Western sanctions which both Moscow and Tehran cast as unjustified. Iran has been under Western sanctions for years with limited access to global markets. However the rail exports face bottlenecks along the route, the sources said. "We expect fuel supplies to Iran to rise this year, but we already see several issues with logistics due to rail congestion.

☆ Kazakhstan takes oil majors to arbitration over costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ASTANA, April 11 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan has started arbitration proceedings against companies developing its giant Kashagan and Karachaganak oilfields over $13 billion and $3.5 billion, respectively, in deducted costs, Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev said on Tuesday. "I can only say these lawsuits have been filed in the interest of the people of Kazakhstan," Satkaliyev told reporters, refusing to provide any further details about the claims. The offshore Kashagan field, one of the biggest discoveries in recent decades, is being developed by Eni (ENI.MI), Shell (SHEL.L), TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA), ExxonMobil (XOM.N), KazMunayGas (KMGZ.KZ), Inpex (1605.T) and CNPC (CNPC.UL). Both projects are covered by production sharing agreements stipulating that companies can deduct certain costs from income before splitting it with the government. Kashagan and Karachaganak are the second- and third-biggest producers of oil respectively in the Central Asian nation whose economy relies heavily on energy exports.

☆ Kyrgyz eco-activist's 'trashion' tackles a burning problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Kyrgyz artist and environmental activist Cholpon Alamanova poses for a picture in her workshop in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan March 30, 2023. Alamanova and her team of more than 80 women use the Kyrgyz traditional patchwork sewing technique, kurak, in order to recycle the textile waste, usually burned in landfills, into colourful blankets, clothes and accessories. In doing so, her workshop has become part of a global "trashion" trend promoting the use of recycled, used, thrown-out and repurposed elements to create garments, jewellery and art. The task engenders a warming feeling that motivates her to keep doing it, says Alamanova, while helping to keep alive the tradition. Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China has not provided extensive assistance to Russia as part of its war against Ukraine even as the two countries forge closer ties, senior Treasury officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Sam Fossum | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

One senior Treasury official said that China is, as of now, unwilling to provide material support to Russia at scale and in a significant way, pointing instead to Russian efforts to source material from North Korea and Iran. The US and its allies have also taken more direct action, sanctioning a Chinese satellite company providing intelligence to Russian forces in January and putting some Chinese companies on the US export control list. But in recent months officials have also begun to see some results from their public and private efforts. Turkish officials told the US last month that their government has been taking further action to block the transit of sanctioned goods directly to Russia, according to a source familiar with the discussion. In a speech earlier this year on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion, US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo publicly warned Russian intelligence services that the US is monitoring their efforts and is cracking down.

☆ World Bank says Ukraine, Russia boost eastern Europe, Central Asia growth outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, April 6 (Reuters) - The World Bank on Thursday lifted its 2023 economic growth forecast for eastern Europe and central Asia to 1.4% from an earlier 0.1% prediction, citing improved outlooks for both Russia and Ukraine despite their ongoing war. The regional forecast, released just days before the World Bank and International Monetary Fund hold their annual spring meetings, has Ukraine's economy growing by 0.5% this year following a staggering contraction of 29.2% in 2022, the year Russia launched its invasion. Russia's economy shrank 2.1% last year, considerably less than the 3.5% contraction the World Bank forecast in January. For 2023, the World Bank forecast Russia's economy to contract by 0.2%, compared to its previous forecast of a 3.3% contraction. The World Bank's regional grouping includes Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

☆ Moscow is trying to play it cool, but its military moves hint at growing concern over NATO's newest member
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Finland's admission this month doubles the length of NATO's border with Russia and does so in a region with important Russian military outposts. But Putin's invasion of Ukraine scared not only Finland into joining NATO but also Sweden, which hasn't fought a war since Napoleon was alive. This boosts the alliance's military, political, and economic power considerably and confronts Russia with the prospect of even more NATO forces on its border. There is the possibility of NATO forces and infrastructure being deployed to those countries. Russia's Arctic forces also field an array of powerful weapons, including submarine- and land-based cruise missiles and air-launched hypersonic weapons.

☆ Asia faces 'tough decisions' on inflation as oil prices rise, ADB says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Higher oil prices will challenge regional governments to make "tough decisions" on inflation, said Albert Park, chief economist at the Asian Development Bank. As a result, the latest sudden OPEC+ oil production cut could lead to a spike in prices, the economist added. "With the OPEC oil price increase and the expected rising demand coming from China, we could see oil prices go beyond our forecast of $88," he told CNBC "Squawk Box Asia" on Tuesday. "That would put pressure on the region because higher oil, obviously, increase costs of production. This puts "a lot of pressure" on regional governments to make "some tough decisions about trying to control inflation and support economic recovery," the economist added.

☆ Kosovo war crimes court begins trial of ex-guerrilla chief and president Thaci
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

THE HAGUE, April 3 (Reuters) - Former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci stands trial at a special court in The Hague on Monday for alleged war crimes during the 1998-99 insurgency that eventually brought independence from Serbia and made him a hero among compatriots. Thaci was indicted in 2020 by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers on 10 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity including persecution, murder, torture and forced disappearance of people, including after fighting ended. Thaci and three co-defendants, all former close associates in the guerrilla Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and later in peacetime politics, have pleaded not guilty to all 10 counts. The trial, conducted by international judges and prosecutors, will begin with opening statements by the prosecution followed by defence lawyers and a representative of Kosovo's war Victims Council over the ensuing three days. Thaci, 54, resigned as president shortly after his indictment and was transferred to detention in The Hague.

LONDON, March 31 (Reuters) - China’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports fell sharply in 2022 because of the disruption caused by lockdowns to control the coronavirus epidemic and the massive exit wave of infections when they were lifted. But the import rebound could be smaller than some analysts anticipate because domestic gas production is rising strongly and the country has mostly completed its transition to natural gas for urban residents. Both LNG and pipeline imports remained subdued in the first two months of this year with any rebound delayed until later in 2023. China’s LNG purchasers have proved price-sensitive and will likely wait for prices to decline before increasing imports and refilling storage. PIPELINES NOT LNGThe shift from LPG and especially gasworks gas has turbocharged consumption of natural gas over the last decade.

☆ Kazakh airline says business is booming as Russia loses traffic
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ALMATY, March 29 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan's flagship airline, Air Astana, is speeding up its expansion plans to take advantage of a drop in air traffic via Russia and the reopening of China, chief executive Peter Foster told Reuters. Many global airlines stopped flights to Russia after it invaded Ukraine last year. The company plans to grow its fleet to 50 aircraft by the end of this year from the current 44 aircraft, Foster said, and is accelerating expansion plans for the coming years. "We see very big opportunities in China, as China has opened again, following COVID, India is doing well.., Pakistan is a growth market." "And that's been resolved, we have no problem with accessing spare parts,"Kazakhstan's sovereign wealth fund, which owns a 51% stake in Air Astana, plans to list the company publicly next year.

☆ Riyadh joins Shanghai Cooperation Organization as ties with Beijing grow
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

RIYADH, March 29 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's cabinet approved on Wednesday a decision to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as Riyadh builds a long-term partnership with China despite U.S. security concerns. Saudi Arabia has approved a memorandum on granting the kingdom the status of a dialogue partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), state news agency SPA said. Joining the SCO was discussed during a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Saudi Arabia last December, sources have told Reuters. Dialogue partner status will be a first step within the organisation before granting the kingdom full membership in the mid-term, they said. Riyadh's growing ties with Beijing have raised security concerns in Washington, its traditional ally.

☆ China is 'openly playing in Russia's backyard' with Central Asia summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Ted Kemp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailChina is 'openly playing in Russia's backyard' with Central Asia summitBoth China and the United States want a tighter relationship with the countries of Central Asia, which has rich resources and diverse trade relationships, CNBC's Ted Kemp reports.

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