LONDON, 05 February 2022, (TON): Aaron Bell, a British lawmaker in the ruling Conservatives, said on Friday he had submitted a letter of no confidence in Boris Johnson, saying the prime minister’s handling of Downing Street lockdown parties had made his position untenable.

Johnson could face a vote of no confidence in his leadership if 54 of his 360 Conservative lawmakers submit a letter to the chairman of the party’s 1922 Committee.

Bell said “he was profoundly disappointed in the situation after he backed Johnson to become leader.”

He said in a statement on Twitter “however the breach of trust that the events in No. 10 Downing Street represent, and the manner in which they have been handled, makes his position untenable.”

RIYADH, 05 February 2022, (TON): Dr. Awwad bin Saleh Al-Awwad, president of the Saudi Human Rights Commission, met Carl Hallegard, deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa department at the European External Action Service, in Riyadh.

They discussed human rights cooperation and future development possibilities and other issues of common concern.

Al-Awwad pointed out the efforts of the Kingdom to protect human rights, and the pioneering changes endorsed by Saudi Arabia according to the Vision 2030 reform plan.

AMMAN, 05 February 2022, (TON): Saudi Shoura Council Speaker Abdullah Al-Asheikh met Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh in Amman.

Al-Khasawneh said during the meeting “his country was proud of the strong relations between the two countries, that Jordan supported and stood by the Kingdom against any aggression toward its security and stability, and that the security of the Kingdom was an integral part of Jordan’s security.”

He also praised the development projects in the Kingdom, especially NEOM which is part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

He said that the extension of the project to Jordan and Egypt would boost the economy and attract more investments which would benefit the three countries and their people.

Al-Asheikh stressed the strong ties between the two countries and their people, saying the Shoura Council in the Kingdom, under the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was keen on strengthening joint work and cooperation with the Jordanian Parliament, which would boost the economic, investment, and commercial development and cooperation between the two countries.

WASHINGTON, 05 February 2022, (TON): Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Australia, Fiji, and Hawaii February 7-13 to engage with Indo-Pacific allies and partners to advance peace, resilience, and prosperity across the region and demonstrate that these partnerships deliver.

In Australia on February 9-12, Secretary Blinken will attend the fourth Quad Foreign Ministers Ministerial Meeting, hosted by Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne. 

With our Quad partners, we are delivering results for our populations and the region, including by advancing cooperation on humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, maritime security, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, countering disinformation, climate change, and critical and emerging technologies.

Secretary Blinken will meet with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Foreign Minister Payne, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Hayashi Yoshimasa, Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and other senior officials to discuss a range of bilateral and global priorities. 

The Secretary will also engage with students, scholars, and technology leaders in Melbourne.

WASHINGTON, 05 February 2022, (TON): Counselor of the Department Derek Chollet will lead an interagency delegation to Sofia, Bucharest, and Brussels from February 7 to 11 to engage with our partners in Europe on a range of issues, and to consult with NATO Allies and the European Union partners on Russian aggression towards Ukraine. 

Counselor Chollet’s trip is a continuation of the extensive diplomacy undertaken with our European Allies and partners in support of a united approach to Russia’s unprovoked military build-up along Ukraine’s borders and our joint efforts to encourage Russia to choose diplomacy and de-escalation.

Counselor Chollet will meet with members of Bulgaria’s new government to continue the strategic dialogue talks begun in January 2020 on security, energy, and the rule of law. 

In Romania, the Counselor will reaffirm the importance of the U.S.-Romania Strategic Partnership in addressing common threats and challenges, particularly with regard to U.S. troop deployments to help defend European allies in light of Russia’s military buildup on Ukraine’s borders. 

Following both countries’ recent invitations to begin accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, he will offer U.S. support to the governments in their economic reform and anti-corruption efforts.

KABUL, 05 February 2022, (TON): Acting head of Chamber of Commerce and Investment has termed the economic situation of Afghanistan as improving and called banking restrictions and frozen assets of the country by the US biggest challenges for investments.

Mohammad Younus Mohmand, acting head of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, also considered prevention of scarcity of goods in markets during the last six months as one of the achievements of the chamber and said, “Now it is up to the Islamic Emirate to seize the opportunity of security, absence of corruption and absence of illegal extortions and convince the international community that Afghanistan has the capacity for big investments.”

The world should discuss its problems with governments and should not involve the general public and the private sector and they should not be harmed, he said.

On the other hand, he in a message to investors and businessmen who have left Afghanistan said there was no threat to them and they could return to their country and play their part in the development of Afghanistan.

Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment was established in 1932 by Afghan businessmen to respond to trade related disputes and bring coherence in trade activities.

Mohmand has been working in different areas of this chamber for several years and has been serving as acting head of the chamber since last two years.

DHAKA, 05 February 2022, (TON): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called upon Austria to make larger investment in Bangladesh.

She said when Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer phoned her "make investment in Bangladesh as the geographical location is convenient for it.”

The two leaders held talks for around 10 minutes marking the golden jubilee of the diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Austria.

PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed newsmen after the talks.

PM's press secretary said “during the phone conversation, the Austrian chancellor expressed his desire to be a development partner of Bangladesh.”

The prime minister thanked the Austrian head of government for giving Bangladesh Covid-19 vaccine while the chancellor assured of giving more vaccine in future if required.

NEW DELHI, 05 February 2022, (TON): As the Ukraine crisis involving US and Russia continued to escalate, New Delhi opted for siding with its decades-old partner, Moscow.

During a vote at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on whether to hold an official session to discuss the Ukraine crisis, India (along with Kenya and Gabon) did not support the US-led push for the meeting by abstaining.

Since nine positive votes were needed in the 15-member council to approve the meeting, India’s absence dealt a blow to the US efforts, according to a report published in Responsible Statecraft.

Far from being an isolated instance, this incident is part of a larger pattern in India’s actions that presents challenges to ‘American neo-primacy’.

India has just begun a two-year innings as a non-permanent member at the UNSC, where it was widely expected to work closely with the US-led coalition and take on China.

But matters have turned out rather differently. The latest UNSC vote comes on the heels of another, on climate security, in which India openly voted with Russia and against the United States.

NEW DELHI, 05 February 2022, (TON): The government told Parliament “India and China continued to maintain dialogue through both diplomatic and military channels regarding disengagement in the remaining area of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).”

In a written reply to an unstarred question during the ongoing Budget session in the Lok Sabha, Union minister V Muraleedharan said, “Our approach in these talks has been and will continue to be guided by three key principles. First, both sides should strictly respect and observe the LAC.

“Secondly, neither side should attempt to alter the status quo unilaterally and thirdly agreements between two sides must be fully abided by in their entirety.”

As regards disengagement in the remaining areas along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, India and China have maintained dialogue through both diplomatic and military channels: MoS MEA V Muraleedharan in a written reply to an unstarred question in Lok Sabha.

This comes a day after India said its top diplomat in China will skip the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Winter Olympics over the "regrettable" decision by the Chinese side to depute a military officer involved in the Galwan Valley clash as a torchbearer for the mega sporting event.

DHAKA, 05 February 2022, (TON): British High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson said “British High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson said “the United Kingdom looks forward to strengthening bonds with Bangladesh in the next 50 years and beyond.”

He said in a message “modern links between the UK and Bangladesh include trade and investment. We share a mutual vision of a modern 21st-century partnership bound by strong historical ties.”

The envoy said the world looks with admiration today at what Bangladesh has achieved in its first half-century, an RMG powerhouse, a leading contributor to peace and security, especially as a provider of troops to UN peacekeeping missions, and one of the most influential global voices on climate change that reacted at COP26 in Glasgow.

He said “I am happy to reflect on Bangladesh’s transformation from ‘one of the world’s poorest countries’ into ‘one of the world's fastest-growing economies’ and the UK’s part in that story.” 

The high commissioner also lauded the British Bangladeshi contribution to the UK National Health Service, education, development, defence, culture, cricket and curry.