CAIRO, 04 July 2022, (TON): Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry held talks in Cairo, discussing the fight against terrorism, illegal immigration.”

At a joint press conference, Schallenberg stressed the importance of resolving the global food crisis resulting from the conflict.

Shoukry said “the war has impacted all the world’s countries.”

He added “Egypt is the largest importer of wheat in the world, but we have enough reserves for our people and we are working to provide other quantities.”

He said “Egypt is in contact with all parties, and its goal is to restore stability and end the conflict.”

RIYADH, 04 July 2022, (TON): Bahrain News Agency reported “Bahrain’s finance minister has stressed the importance of continuing to develop the partnership between his country and the UK in order to create more ambitious investment opportunities.”

Minister of Finance and National Economy, Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa, also affirmed the depth of UK-Bahraini relations which has strengthened economic cooperation and partnership between the two countries.

The minister also highlighted the importance of building on fruitful cooperation between the two countries and opening up new horizons so as to achieve common aspirations and goals.

The comments were made during the British Minister of State for Asia and the Middle East Amanda Milling’s visit to Manama.

BY DWAIPAYAN REGMI, TON, NEPAL

There had been different understandings and deals that turns into an agreement after formal procedure followed by signature signings. At the time when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, there were different agreements signed and exchanged too. Following is the list of such MoUs that were signed at that time.

1. Memorandum of Understanding between Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Lumbini Buddhist University on the establishment of Dr. Ambedkar Chair for Buddhist Studies

Lumbini Buddhist University (LBU) is an autonomous institution aiming to educate the people of Nepal and the global community on core Buddhist values for the promotion of World Peace it was established by the Government of Nepal with the Parliament Act of 2004 through the concept that was presented for First World Buddhist Summit held in Lumbini with constituent campuses of the University with Central Administration Offices. Currently, it has been offering the facility of Buddhist Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Development Studies and Applied Sciences There was a deal among them for the establishment of Dr. Ambedkar Chair for Buddhist Studies. It has been believed that this will be an example of cooperation between two nations. There were talks about construction tasks that will be done by one International Buddhist Confederation (IBC).

2. Memorandum of Understanding between Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and CNAS, Tribhuvan University on the establishment of ICCR Chair of Indian Studies

ICCR Chair is established in Indian Studies along with Indian languages through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a foreign university. The chairs where will be deputed from approved panels of ICCR which would consist of experts in respective subjects. ICCR has established Chairs of Indian Studies (Political Science, Economics, History, Sociology, Philosophy) and Hindi with the global university. For Nepal, it seems that Tribhuvan University for Nepal. Previously, there had not been any chairs for Nepal under this provision here. It is the council who would be deputing chairs based on the suggestion for such a host-based University.

3. Memorandum of Understanding between Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Kathmandu University (KU) on the establishment of the ICCR Chair of Indian Studies

Kathmandu University, which has often been regarded as an advanced and modern approach to university teaching an advanced form of education has been offering different faculties under science, medical, management, humanities, and arts section. The ICCR Chair of Indian studies will be opened at this university too. It helps in promoting Indian culture and various other aspects among Nepalese students. They would somewhere be working for supporting various academic activities like guidance-based research, conducting seminars and other coordination, delivering public lectures, and publications and ultimately generating scholarly interaction in academics of Nepal and university students here. This attempt will help in collaborative benefit as explained.

4. Memorandum of Understanding [in collaboration] between Kathmandu University (KU), Nepal, and Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M), India

There is a strong set of Memorandum of Understanding that was signed during this agreement under which Kathmandu University and IIT Madras will be collaborating through one aspect or the next. This university will be operating through any module there itself too. Be it in the academic sector uplifting or other dimensions, there will be tie-up seeking each other's benefit and coordination there. This will be immediately implied and there will be a long-term impact that would be seen too. They will somewhere work around for mutual benefit.

5. Letter of Agreement (LoA) between Kathmandu University (KU), Nepal, and Indian Institute of Technology (IITM), India [ For Joint degree program at Master’s level]

There was the next MoU with ICCR aiming to establish ICCR Chair at Kathmandu university it IIT-M for universities collaborations which would begin in 1998 there. There then exists a Letter of Agreement (LoA) between Kathmandu University and IIT-M to start a joint Master's Degree Program in Engineering starting from the very next semester. So, within the presence of both the Prime Minister and Indian Foreign Secretary the exchange task was done. This will help Nepalese students to acquire something that has been taught in an Indian reputed institute – the Indian Institute of Technology there itself. It thereby helps in promoting engineering education in any space there and then.

6. Agreement between SJVN Ltd and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for the Development and implementation of the Arun 4 Project

Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) is an Indian public sector that undertook involvement in hydroelectric power generation along with transmission. This was incorporated in 1988. Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is the only electricity authority for generating electricity based in Nepal. There was agreement about power-sharing of this hydropower project which will be generating 2.14 billion units of hydroelectricity every year. It has been agreed that India will be building this project and then Nepal will get 21.9 percent of electricity monthly from the project. Apart, Nepal has reserved the right to purchase electricity generated from the project if it can afford it.

Chances of Indian Influences on Nepalese heritage, traditions, and culture

It is obvious for the smaller nation to be dominated by a bigger one. Be it in the case of Russia and Mongolia or India and Nepal. Although the two-nation thereby share a similar cultural base, through all the signings - it is obvious that there will be a greater influence of India on Nepalese resources. Although through academic agreements, there will be a kind of cultural influence among Nepalese minds; through the resource sharing agreement of Arun 4, the power of Arun 4 will be drastically divided with their increased power.

India has always dominated Nepal, which was seen during the blockade India imposed a few years back on Nepal. This influence will be on their track. There have been huge criticisms that are being done in the Indian aspect thereafter and then. This influence would then be seen in various aspects – from political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, environmental, and legal policies there. There will be a certain influence on various aspects thereby.

Politically, the supremacy of India will always be at a higher rank. They will always have an influencing aspect on Nepalese academics and resources politically. This will then be followed through the economic aspect where they will have influence there. India already has been creating a suspicious environment regarding where Buddha was born. So, their influence will certainly be high. Their influences on social practices and customs would always be around through which the influencing capacity that they have is certainly a higher level of scale. And, these agreements would somewhere subconsciously impact the scene.

DHAKA, 04 July 2022, (TON): Export earnings of the country has fetched a record height of US$52.082 billion in the last fiscal year despite the unstable global economic situation mainly caused by the impacts of the pandemic and other global issues.

According to the latest statistics of the Export Promotion Bureau, the country's export earnings witnessed an eye-catching growth of 34.38 percent in the last fiscal year bagging US$52082.66 million exceeding the strategic export target of $43500 million.

The export earnings in the previous fiscal year (FY21) were 38758.31 million.

The EPB figures revealed that out of the total export earnings of $52082.66 million registered in the last fiscal year (FY23), the bulk of $42613.15 million came from the RMG exports.

Out of that volume, the highest $23214.32 million came from the knitwear exports while the second highest $19398.84 million came from woven garment export.

DHAKA, 04 July 2022, (TON): The eighth Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge will be handed over to the Bangladesh government and inaugurated soon.

According to the Chinese Enterprises Association in Bangladesh “Constructed by China Railway 17th Bureau Group Co Ltd and managed by China Railway Major Bridge Reconnaissance and Design Institute Co Ltd, the bridge passed the completion acceptance of the Roads and Highways Department on June 9.”

The CEAB said “the formal handover and inauguration of the bridge would take place soon.”

The 2.96-km bridge over the Kocha River is located 185km southwest of Dhaka in Pirojpur.

Local residents, who now use ferries and boats to cross the river, will benefit immensely once the bridge is opened to traffic, as it would cut travel time to just minutes.

MOSCOW, 04 July 2022, (TON): Russia said “it had taken full control of the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk after capturing the final Ukrainian bastion of the city of Lysychansk, where Kyiv said it had withdrawn to save the lives of its troops.”

The region's capture, a key Russian war aim, hands Moscow a boost after weeks of slow advances and shifts the battlefield focus to the neighbouring Donetsk region, where Kyiv still controls substantial territory.

Since abandoning an assault on the capital Kyiv, Russia has concentrated its military operation on the industrial Donbas heartland that comprises the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, where Moscow-backed separatist proxies have been fighting Ukraine.

Russia said “it is capturing the Luhansk region in order to give it to the Russian-backed Luhansk People's Republic whose independence it recognised on the eve of the war.”

KABUL, 04 July 2022, (TON): Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, in a meeting with envoys of Japan and Norway in Doha, asked the International community to take part in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Muttaqi said “this is the responsibility of the whole world to help and support the new government of Afghanistan, so that we can rebuild the damage caused by the four decades of war in Afghanistan.”

Takal tweeted “meanwhile, Japan's ambassador to Afghanistan Takashi Okada pledged $14M from Japan for Afghan agriculture and development projects in the meeting with acring Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.”

Aziz Marij, former diplomat said "it has its own benefits if the Taliban side has a strong agenda.”

DHAKA, 04 July 2022, (TON): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has allocated Tk5 crore for the flood victims in Sylhet.

This money will be given to those whose houses were destroyed in the floods, Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Mujibur Rahman confirmed the matter to Bangla Tribune.

He added “the money will be distributed among the victims.”

He mentioned “we will use the money to help 5,000 affected families in the first phase, and assistance would be provided to other victims during the next phases.”

More than 37,000 people remained in shelter centres in flood-hit Sylhet after devastating floods swept through several parts of Bangladesh, as of Friday.

DHAKA, 04 July 2022, (TON): Sweden and the United Nations Development Programme in Bangladesh will be continuing their partnership to create economic opportunities for ultra-poor rural women in the country.

A cost-sharing agreement was signed to this end at the Swedish embassy office in Dhaka to extend the Swedish embassy and UNDP Bangladesh’s flagship project ‘Strengthening Women’s Ability for Productive New Opportunities’ until 2025.

Sudipto Mukerjee, resident representative of UNDP Bangladesh, and Christine Johansson, charge d’ affaires of the embassy of Sweden in Dhaka, signed the cost-sharing agreement on behalf of their respective sides.

Christine Johansson said “the Swedish embassy has been working closely with Bangladesh.”

The engagement and continuous support from the government for project SWAPNO gives us extra confidence to move forward with this phase and shows how it can be replicated for further development.

DHAKA, 04 July 2022, (TON): Bangladesh will host the 20th session of the council of ministers of D-8, also known as Developing-8, on July 27.

The country has already invited the foreign ministers of D-8 members.

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen said “he had another chance to request during his recent visit to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.”

While talking to reporters at his office, Momen said “some countries were yet to confirm their participation, while a few countries had already confirmed.”

He said “he had a discussion with the Nigerian president and his Malaysian counterpart during his stay in Kigali.”