Weekly Roundup

2 November 2023

Welcome to a brand new week!

Here, The Diplomatic Insight’s “Weekly Roundup” brings you its compelling publications and extensive coverage from across the globe, published within a week.?

Europe

EU is in the process of processing the 12th set of sanctions against Russia. The declaration comes amid discussions about ways for the? G7 nations to sanction Russian diamonds to minimize the revenue Russia generates from diamond exports to Europe.

During the two-day EU leaders summit in Brussels, Hungary's PM Orban called on the USA and Russia to find a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine. He added that Kyiv cannot win against the much weaker force of Moscow.

NATO-Industry Forum 2023 concluded in Sweden. This year's focus was on “ New Strategic Reality Together.” The forum focused on how NATO and industry can work together to address the security challenges of the present and the future.

NATO Secretary General met with the Prime Minister of Sweden to discuss finalizing Sweden's accession to NATO. The Secretary-General also welcomed the decision of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to submit the accession protocol to the Grand National Assembly.

South Asia

President Arif Alvi of Pakistan received the credentials of nominated ambassadors from Jordan, the Holy See, the Czech Republic, Brunei, and Qatar, highlighting Pakistan's dedication to strengthening international ties and global cooperation.

President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan met with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, General Syed Asim Munir, in Baku to discuss enhancing military cooperation and strengthening their regional alliances, as reported by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

Pakistan seeks Danish support to achieve 40% of the renewable energy share by 2025. During the meeting, the two nations discussed Denmark's experience and expertise in renewable energy.

Pakistans provided a deadline for the Afghan refugees to inch closer. Tuesday marked the final day for any illegal nationals to leave the country. To ensure compliance, law enforcement agencies have completed geo-fencing and geo-mapping of illegal residents.

In a joint statement initiated by Pakistan, the OIC expressed its strong condemnation of the disrespectful remarks by Israel against the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres. The OIC characterized the remarks as political coercion against the UN.

The US Ambassador shows his nation's commitment to strengthening the relationship between Pakistan and US in the health sector. The meeting discussed cooperation in various contexts of the initial two rounds of Pakistan-US dialogues.

East Asia-Eurasia

The China- Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan(CKU) railway project is facing significant funding challenges. The project is expected to cost around $5 billion, but Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are both struggling to meet their share of the costs.

The Chinese President met with the Iranian president, Ebrahim Rasisi, to discuss initiatives and steps to enhance communication and strengthen cooperation between the two countries. Iran aims to deepen its strategic partnership with China to promote regional and global peace.

China and Tajikistan have pledged to cooperate on global initiatives at the SCO meeting held The leaders from both sides discussed a wide range of issues, including bilateral ties, regional security, and global cooperation.

Pakistan aims to host the SCO conference on transport and connectivity of the SCO Council, as stated by Foreign Minister Jillani. Pakistan aims to enhance connectivity, transport linkages, and investment in key sectors such as mining, minerals, agriculture, and climate change.

China’s permanent representative to the UN, Zhang Jun, calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.?

At the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing, a prominent annual security conference, Chinese and Russian military leaders expressed concerns about the United States. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu issued a warning about Western involvement in the Ukraine conflict.?

Middle East

UNRWA provided an extensive report on the current crisis in Gaza. The report highlighted the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region due to the constant aerial bombardment of Israel.

The ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict indeed had a devastating impact on children, particularly in Gaza. The UN's humanitarian reports highlight the significant trauma and suffering endured by children in the region. UN Relief Chief Martin Griffiths expressed his concern.

The OIC criticized Israel's recent condemnation of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Prominent Israeli officials, including Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan, called for Guterres to resign "immediately" and asserted that he is "not fit to lead the UN."?

North West Syria witnessed the most intense military escalation in the period of three years. Airstrikes were carried out by Russia and the regime of Bashar Al Assad in the region against the Syrian National Army (SNA).

Putin shows Russia's support for a two-state solution for an end to the Gaza crisis. Putin blamed the Western nations and the ruling elites of the U.S. for the current chaos in the Middle East, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.

Eurasia and Central Asia

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov urged investors during his visits to the United States and Germany to support the underfunded China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway project, which aims to connect these countries.

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, arrived in Kazakhstan on an official visit. During the meeting, a wide range of issues was discussed, including trade, investment, energy, security, and culture.

Tajikistan sent humanitarian aid to the Earthquake victims of Herat, Afghanistan. The first batch arrived in Herat on October 30 and consisted of 130 trucks carrying 3250 tons of humanitarian aid. The aid was valued at USD 1.5 million.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan received Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Istanbul. The two leaders discussed bilateral relations, regional issues, and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The Kazakh Prime Minister highlighted the importance of developing e-commerce at the recent SCO summit. During the meeting, he noted that e-commerce in SCO countries could reach $1.5 million in 2023 and urged member states to support this growing sector.

Africa

The Rwandan delegation was welcomed by Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani upon their arrival and emphasized the importance of strengthening international relations and the significance of their visit.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan hosted a meeting with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia in Istanbul, where they discussed bilateral relations and international developments. The discussion also involved the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the Israel-Hamas conflict.?

Ethiopian-born scientist Gebisa Ejeta has received the prestigious National Medal of Science from US President Joe Biden in the United States. Ejeta is famous for his groundbreaking work in plant genetics, particularly in studying sorghum, a crucial food source in Africa.

Americas

Pakistan's Ambassador to the US, Masood Khan, met with 15 mid-career Pakistani professionals participating in the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program, expressing optimism that the program would facilitate skill enhancement for these individuals.

Canada's Foreign Minister, Melanie Joly, urgently calls for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza conflict. She is particularly concerned about the safety of around 400 Canadians trapped in Gaza and the need to evacuate them.?

Chile's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alberto van Klaveren, and Minister of Defense, Maya Fernández, participated in the eighth session of the Permanent Committee for Political Consultation with their Peruvian counterparts.

The US Ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome, met with Pakistan's Prime Minister, Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, to discuss the safe resettlement of Afghans in the United States.?

Multilateral Institutions and INGOs

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has released a comprehensive situation report on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza following the recent armed conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Ambassador Munir Akram, Pakistan's permanent representative to the UN, urged for an end to the conflict and violence in Gaza during his speech at the 10th Emergency Special United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Session. He emphasized the need for a lasting two-state solution to the Palestine issue.?

The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pederson, has issued a warning about the growing crisis in the Middle East, noting that it has started to impact Syria, posing a significant threat.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres made a heartfelt plea for urgent action on climate change during his visit to Nepal's Everest region, where rapidly melting glaciers pose a severe risk to communities. Guterres called this "the rooftops of the world caving in."?

The midwifery program in Afghanistan aims to address the alarming rates of maternal and infant mortality, especially in remote rural areas where access to healthcare and trained medical professionals is limited and life-threatening.

Maternal mortality in Afghanistan is a critical and urgent issue, with approximately one mother losing her life every two hours due to preventable complications during pregnancy and childbirth.?

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk has called for an end to the ongoing violence and destruction in the Gaza Strip.?

Brazil's Ambassador to the UN, Sérgio Fran?a Danese, strongly condemned the terrorist attacks by Hamas, including hostage-taking, during the General Assembly's emergency meeting.?

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has initiated a significant effort by establishing a High-Level advisory body on artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance global governance of rapidly advancing AI technologies. While AI holds tremendous potential for humanity's progress.?

Iran's Foreign Affairs Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, expressed deep concern about the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the West Bank. He strongly criticized the Israeli regime, describing the situation as a "war crime and genocide."

During the emergency meeting on the Gaza conflict, UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Francis highlighted that the top priority for the entire United Nations membership is to protect the lives of civilians.?

The UN Refugee Agency recently released a report indicating that the global forced displacement crisis has reached alarming levels, with more than 114 million people displaced by conflict, persecution, and rights violations as of September.

During the UN General Assembly, Ambassador Riyad Mansour highlighted the destruction of Palestinian homes by Israel and questioned the unequal international empathy for Israelis and Palestinians, suggesting possible complex factors influencing this discrepancy.

National and International Days

World Cities Day is an annual global observance celebrated on October 31 since 2014, marking the end of Urban October. Each year, it rotates to a different city and highlights a specific theme. In 2023, the theme for World Cities Day is "Financing a sustainable urban future for all."

The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage celebrated on October 27, focuses on the theme "Your Gateway to the Global Scene."?

Turkey celebrated the 100th anniversary of its modern, secular republic's establishment on October 29th. The commemorative events in Istanbul included a fireworks and drone show, as well as a procession of 100 navy ships.?

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