DHAKA, 09 January 2022, (TON): Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding with Turkey on counter-terrorism, security cooperation and prevention of drug trafficking.

It was signed at a meeting between the visiting delegation led by Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan at the Secretariat.

Asaduzzaman said "the Turkish minister said they will further enhance their support after this MoU.”

He added "we talked about training, intelligence sharing, curbing cyber-crime, and enriching our police, coast guard, BGB and Ansar. Turkey will continue to train the Ansar and police at different levels."

Earlier in the day, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman visited Ukhia upazila's Rohingya camp no.9 where he inaugurated a 50-bed field hospital, run by Turkish government organisation AFAD. He went to the camp directly from the Cox's Bazar airport after landing at 8:00am.

DHAKA, 09 January 2022, (TON): Two Japanese vessels, JS URAGA and JS HIRADO of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force arrived in Chattogram Port for a goodwill visit until January 10.

Chattogram Naval Area Captain Masudul Karim Siddique received Commander Captain Noguchi Yasushi, commanding officer of the deployment and other officers. Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki greeted them, according to a statement of the Japanese embassy in Bangladesh.

During this port visit, the Bangladesh Navy will organise exchange programs such as visits onboard. JS HIRADO and JS URAGA will conduct a goodwill exercise with the Bangladesh Navy in the surrounding sea on January 10.

Ambassador Ito and Captain Noguchi will make courtesy calls on Rear Admiral Mohammad Mozammel Haque, Commander, at the Chattogram Naval Area; Commodore Mir Ershad Ali, Commander, Bangladesh Navy Fleet, and Rear Admiral M Shahjahan, Chariman, Chattogram Port Authority tomorrow.

The Japanese delegates will also make a courtesy call on Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, mayor of Chattogram City Corporation.

WASHINGTON, 08 December 2022, (TON): The Pentagon said “US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had a rare phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu about upcoming talks between the two sides in Geneva over Moscow’s military buildup on the Ukrainian border.”

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that the two discussed “risk reduction near Ukraine’s borders,” amid continuing worries in the United States and Western Europe that Russian could invade its pro-Western neighbor.

Moscow has amassed tens of thousands of troops on the Ukrainian border, and the Kremlin has made clear it wants guarantees that Kyiv will not be invited to join the NATO alliance.

The United States and NATO allies have threatened tough sanctions against Russia if it attacks Ukraine.

Moscow is accused of supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine who have been locked in a deadly war with Ukraine forces since 2014, leaving at least 13,000 dead.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that talks with Russia on Monday will not succeed so long as there is a “gun to Ukraine’s head.”

TEHRAN, 08 December 2022, (TON): Iran put three ballistic missiles on display at an outdoor prayer esplanade in central Tehran, as talks in Vienna aimed at reviving Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers flounder.

The paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said “the missiles, known as Dezful, Qiam and Zolfaghar and with official ranges of up to 1,000 kilometers, were already-known models.”

Diplomats from countries that remain in the 2015 nuclear deal, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China are working with Tehran to revive the accord, which had sought to limit Iran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for trade.

American diplomats are present in Vienna but they are not in direct talks with Iranians. The accord collapsed in 2018 when then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US and re-imposed sanctions on Iran.

The display came on the second anniversary of ballistic missile attacks on American bases in Iraq in retaliation for the US drone strike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in 2020.

WASHINGTON, 08 December 2022, (TON): Secretary of State Blinken, Secretary of Defense Austin, Minister for Foreign Affairs Hayashi, and Minister of Defense Kishi convened the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee virtually in Washington, D.C. and Tokyo, Japan on January 6 and 7, 2022, respectively.

The Ministers strongly reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region and recognized the U.S.-Japan Alliance’s critical role as the cornerstone of regional peace, security, and prosperity.

They expressed their determination to constantly modernize the Alliance and strengthen joint capabilities by fully aligning strategies and prioritizing goals together, to address evolving security challenges in an ever more integrated manner, with partners and across all instruments of national power, domains, and the full spectrum of situations.

They also discussed the trend of increasing malign activities in the cyber, space, and other domains, and attempts to change the status quo through coercive or predatory means short of armed conflict.

Japan reiterated its resolve to fundamentally reinforce its defense capabilities to bolster its national defense and contribute to regional peace and stability.

The United States welcomed Japan’s resolve and expressed its determination to optimize its posture and capabilities in the Indo-Pacific as expressed in the recently completed Global Posture Review.

ATHENS, 08 December 2022, (TON): Gen. Konstantinos Floros, chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, met the chief of staff of the Saudi Armed Forces, Ahmad Al-Mutairi.

Al-Mutairi is currently leading a delegation visiting the Hellenic Armed Forces’ military academies to examine how Greece develops its non-commissioned officers and soldiers.

Floros stressed the importance of cooperation between the two countries.

DUBAI, 08 December 2022, (TON): Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed said “the UAE supports the UN and is looking forward to working with the global body in various fields, state news agency WAM reported on Jan. 6.”

He said “the UAE worked for peace and stability, and supported everything that achieved regional and international development and prosperity.”

Sheikh Mohammed was speaking during a phone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres a day after the UAE announced its commitments as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2022-23 term.

Guterres congratulated Sheikh Mohammed on the UAE being elected to the world body and wished it success in serving the international community through the position.

The UN chief also praised Emirati humanitarian and development initiatives to support international stability and development.

The crown prince congratulated Guterres on his re-election for a second term as head of the UN, which began on Jan. 3.

BEIJING, 08 December 2022, (TON): China is firmly opposed to external forces creating unrest and inciting a color revolution in Kazakhstan, as well as against any forces that undermine the stability and peaceful life of the population of this country.

This was stated by the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping in his message to the President of Kazakhstan Tokayev.

The text of the message is quoted by the Central Television of China “China resolutely opposes any forces that undermine stability and threaten the security of Kazakhstan, resolutely against any forces that undermine the peaceful life of the people of Kazakhstan.”

The PRC chairman said “China resolutely opposes external forces that deliberately create instability in Kazakhstan and incite a color revolution.”

In his message, Xi Jinping noted that the PRC strongly opposes any attempts to undermine the Sino-Kazakh friendship and interfere with cooperation between the two countries.

PRAGUE, 08 December 2022, (TON): The revision of the Czech Republic’s relations with Russia and China is envisaged by the program statement of the new government of the republic. The cabinet of Prime Minister Petr Fiala, which took office on December 17, 2021, published it on its website.

The 52-page document says “we will revise [the Czech Republic’s] relations with Russia and China.”

The Cabinet also plans to submit to the parliament of the republic a draft of its own “Magnitsky law” by the end of 2023.

It will allow the Czech Republic to impose its own sanctions against individuals and legal entities responsible for human rights violations.

Orientation towards the European Union and NATO, as follows from the mission statement, are the main priorities of the Fiala government.

The Cabinet of Ministers approved a policy statement on Thursday. It will be submitted on January 12 for approval by the Chamber of Deputies (lower chamber) of the republic’s parliament.

The government will simultaneously ask the deputies to express their support.

KUWAIT CITY, 08 December 2022, (TON): State news agency (KUNA) reported “the Kuwaiti embassy in Kazakhstan asked Kuwaitis in the Central Asian country to leave “for their safety.”

It also urged Kuwaitis who wanted to travel to Kazakhstan to postpone their plans “because of the emergency status” continuing in the country.

Demonstrations that began recently in Kazakhstan came as a response to a fuel price hike have swelled into a broad movement against the government and ex-leader Nursultan Nazarbayev.