DHAKA, 12 January 2022, (TON): The pioneer ranking of world's travel documents “Bangladesh's passport climbed five spots in the latest edition of the Henley Passport Index.”

Out of a total 116 spots on the index, Bangladesh now ranks 103rd, according to the Henley Passport Index 2022 Q1 released recently. Last year, it ranked 108th in October.

In South Asia, the Indian passport now ranks 83rd with its holders allowed visa-free travel (or with visa-on-arrival) to 60 countries.

Although Myanmar is under a military regime, it's position is ahead of Bangladesh, at 97, with visa-free/ on-arrival access to 47 destinations.

Bhutan's passport, which allows its holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 53 destinations, ranks 90th in the ranking in 2022.

Sri Lanka ranks just ahead of Bangladesh in the 102nd position in the index. The country's passport gives people visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 41 countries.

Bangladeshi passport holders can still travel to 40 foreign destinations without prior visas, as in last year. In 2020, the number was 41.

KABUL, 12 January 2022, (TON): Officials at the Foreign Ministry said that they will soon sign the remaining seven agreements on the TAPI project with TAPI project partners.

Waliullah Shaheen, the director of strategic studies at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Turkmenistan will pay Afghanistan’s share for the TAPI project on loan.

“Regarding this issue, we have agreed with Turkmenistan that it will lend to Afghanistan the expenses to pay and Afghanistan will pay it back from the revenues of this project in the future,” said Waliullah Shaheen.

Based on data of the Foreign Ministry, there are sixteen documents for the implementation of the TAPI project, 9 of which were signed before the collapse of the previous government and seven of the remaining agreements will be signed soon.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance says that in the new fiscal year, the budget for the TAPI project will be allocated.

Ahmad Wali Haqmal, spokesman of the Ministry of Finance said “for the TAPI project and other development projects, in the year of 1401 the budget will be considered.”

NEW DELHI, 12 January 2022, (TON): The ministry of external affairs (MEA) said “the government was making all efforts to secure the early release of Indian sailors who were onboard the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-flagged ship Rwabee that has been seized by Houthis.”

The ministry said “in a statement, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said all the seven Indian crew members on the seized ship were safe. The ship was seized by the Houthi rebels off the port of Hodeidah (Yemen) on January 2.”

Indian sailors on the UAE flagged ship Rwabee seized by the Houthis are safe. Govt of India is making all efforts to secure their early release.

“The Government of India has been closely monitoring developments following the seizure of the UAE flagged ship. We are in touch with the company operating the ship and have been informed that out of the 11 crew members on board the ship, seven are from India.”

DHAKA, 12 January 2022, (TON): The seventh D-8 Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Food Security will begin virtually tomorrow.

"Organised by the Agriculture Ministry, the two-day ministerial level meeting of D-8 (Developing Eight), an alliance of developing countries, is going to begin today (Wednesday).

Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque said “the meeting will be held virtually due to coronavirus pandemic.”

He said “Bangladesh is the incumbent president of D-8 Forum and that is why the conference is very important as a part of South-South cooperation.”

He added “besides, the agriculture minister said, Bangladesh is now the president of Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) too. The meeting will discuss climate smart agriculture promotion, so it is very important.”

He said “agriculture and food ministers and secretaries and other senior officials from the alliance's member states - Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey - will join the high-level meeting.”

DHAKA, 12 January 2022, (TON): The European Union assured to continue trade benefits for Bangladesh even after graduation from LDC.

The newly appointed EU ambassador to Dhaka Charles Whiteley assured this while meeting with Tapan Kanti Ghosh, senior secretary, the Ministry of Commerce, at the secretariat office.

The meeting focused on bilateral interests of trade development and comprehensive cooperation, including expansion of trade and commerce between Bangladesh and the EU.

EU Officials, additional secretaries of the commerce ministry Md Hafizur Rahman (Export), Nur Mohammad Mahbubul Haque (FTA), among others, were present.

GENEVA, 11 January 2022, (TON): A top Russian official said “he had a difficult conversation with his US counterpart on Sunday as preliminary talks on Ukraine got under way amid fears of a Russian invasion of its pro-Western neighbor.”

“The conversation was difficult, it couldn t have been easy,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency after meeting US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman during a working dinner in Geneva.

Ryabkov described his talks with Sherman, which lasted a little over two hours, as “business-like.” A full day of talks was to follow Monday.

Ryabkov said “I think that tomorrow we won t waste any time.”

He added that he never loses optimism.

The United States and Russia had set firm lines ahead of the high-stakes security talks on Ukraine, with Washington warning of the risk of confrontation and Moscow ruling out concessions.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Russia to steer away from aggression and choose the diplomatic path as the Kremlin, facing strong pressure to pull back troops from the Ukrainian border, demands wide-ranging new security arrangements with the West.

NEW YORK, 11 January 2022, (TON): The United Nations mission in Sudan said it was starting consultations on Monday with the goal of launching direct negotiations to resolve the country’s political crisis after an October coup.

The military takeover derailed a transition towards elections in which the army had agreed to share power with civilian groups following the overthrow of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir in a 2019 uprising.

It also halted an economic opening in which Sudan began to emerge from decades of isolation and sanctions. A crackdown by security forces on frequent mass protests since the coup has left more than 60 civilians dead and many more injured.

The initial talks entail broad individual consultations aimed at moving to a second phase of direct or indirect negotiations between different players, UN special representative Volker Perthes told a news conference in Khartoum on Monday.

TEHRAN, 11 January 2022, (TON): Iran’s foreign minister said “talks between Tehran and world powers to revive a 2015 nuclear accord are approaching a “good agreement” but reaching one soon depends on the other parties.”

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said “the initiatives of the Iranian side and the negotiations that have taken place have put us on the right track.”

State news agency IRNA said “we are close to a good agreement, but to reach this good agreement in the short term, it must be pursued by the other side.”

Negotiations to restore the nuclear deal resumed in late November after they were suspended in June as Iran elected a new, ultraconservative government.

The deal offered Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme.

But then-president Donald Trump withdrew the US in 2018 and derailed the accord, prompting Tehran to begin rolling back on its commitments.

Amir-Abdollahian said the Islamic republic was not looking to “drag out” negotiations.

He said “it is “important for us to defend the rights and interests of our country.”

LONDON, 11 January 2022, (TON): British Defense Minister Ben Wallace considers false and distorted the idea that NATO is approaching the borders of the Russian Federation with aggressive intentions.

The minister said, speaking in the House of Commons of the British Parliament.

“It seems to me that first of all we need to deal with the main accusations [of Moscow against the alliance], which I consider to be false and which are that NATO has aggressive intentions and surrounds Russia.

NATO has a defensive, not offensive nature an attack one member is considered an attack on all,” Wallace said, when asked if NATO will stick to a firm position in negotiations with the Russian Federation.”

There are no NATO bases in Ukraine, which are also announced. who shares our values, and we will not be hindered by intimidation or distance. We will provide assistance to the countries of Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, as well as Ukraine, if they need our assistance, since they have the sovereign right [to seek NATO membership],which we respect and encourage other countries to do the same.”

BEIJING, 11 January 2022, (TON): Foreign ministers from oil-rich Gulf states arrived in Beijing for a five-day visit as turmoil in neighbouring Kazakhstan raises concerns about China’s energy security.

The foreign ministry has said “the officials from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, as well as secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Nayef bin Falah al-Hajrah, will be in China until Friday.”

Recent unrest in oil and gas-rich Kazakhstan has raised concerns in China, which has long invested heavily in its central Asian neighbour’s energy industry.

The visit follows a flurry of diplomatic activity by China’s foreign minister Wang Yi, including a tour of Africa as well as visits to the Maldives and Sri Lanka.

The foreign ministry did not provide further details on the Gulf ministers’ visit, the first group trip of its kind, but they are expected to discuss strengthening energy ties with Beijing.

China has sought in recent years to bolster its ties with the Gulf states, with President Xi Jinping in 2014 aiming to more than double trade with the region by 2023.