SOFIA, 02 April 2022, (TON): Bulgaria’s foreign ministry said “it would expel another Russian diplomat on suspicion of spying, just two weeks after the Balkan country declared ten Russian diplomats ‘persona non grata.”

“The foreign ministry handed a note declaring the diplomatic official ‘persona non grata’, giving him a 72-hour deadline to leave the country,” the ministry said in a statement.

The move followed an alert by the Bulgarian prosecution that the diplomat, a first secretary at Russia’s embassy in Sofia was “involved in unregulated intelligence activity” by collecting “information of national importance,” the prosecution said in a statement.

Specialized prosecutors announced that two mid-level officers at Bulgaria’s counter intelligence State Agency for National Security (SANS) and a third ministerial official were being investigated for suspected spying for Russia, without giving further details.

SANS chief Plamen Tonchev said at a subsequent news conference that the two long-time officers, a sector chief and a department chief, were suspended from work after an internal investigation at the agency revealed that one of them was “working in the interest of Russia.”

KABUL, 02 April 2022, (TON): Unites States pledged to provide nearly $204 million in humanitarian assistance to help the people of Afghanistan.

The pledge was made at the high-level “Pledging Event on Supporting the Humanitarian Response in Afghanistan.”

The US Department of State said that this new funding includes nearly $134 million from the Department of State and more than $70 million from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), continuing America’s commitment to the Afghan people.

According to the statement “the current amount will bring the total amount to more than $720 million since August 2021.”

Statement said “this assistance from the United States will support the scaled-up humanitarian response in Afghanistan and neighboring countries through independent humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, International Organization for Migration, United Nations Population Fund.”

The statement adds “US will remain committed to supporting the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people, and to continue to press the Islamic Emirate leadership to abide by its commitments to respect the human rights of all of Afghanistan’s citizens, including the right of Afghan girls to receive an education.”

KABUL, 02 April 2022, (TON): Norway will provide NOK 700 million in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in 2022, Minister of Foreign Affairs announced in pledging conference in Geneva, ‘Afghanistan is facing enormous political and humanitarian challenges.

The situation for children is particularly grave.

Norway will provide NOK 700 million in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in 2022. No support provided by Norway will go to the Taliban regime.

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is alarming and the Afghan people need support from the international community. Minister of Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt is representing Norway at the High-level Pledging Event on Supporting the Humanitarian Response in Afghanistan on 31 March.

The meeting is being convened by the UN and co-hosted by the UK, Germany, and Qatar. The meeting will take place on a digital platform. Norway FM said in a statement.

Huitfeldt said ‘the war in Ukraine is demanding a great deal of attention and resources, but we must not forget the humanitarian crises in other parts of the world. This applies in particular to Afghanistan, where half the population is facing famine and over 90 % of the population are now living under the poverty line.”

DHAKA, 02 April 2022, (TON): World Bank has approved a $250 million financing to help Bangladesh strengthen its policies to sustain growth following the pandemic and enhance resilience to future shocks.

The Bangladesh First Recovery and Resilience Development Policy Credit, the first in a series of two credits, supports fiscal and financial sector policies to enhance macroeconomic stability and sustain growth.

It supports expanding and modernizing social protection programs and energy sector policies to improve efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

World Bank said in a release “these actions will help the country build resilience against future shocks, including climate change.”

World Bank country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, Mercy Tembon said “since 2020, the World Bank has provided over $3 billion to Bangladesh to support emergency response, vaccination, and other Covid-19 recovery efforts.”

“This credit will further accelerate the government’s endeavours to strengthen its policies and regulatory framework to pave the way for a green, resilient, inclusive recovery and low-carbon growth.”

DHAKA, 02 April 2022, (TON): Prime minister Sheikh Hasina said “her government was working to secure democracy, establish the rule of law and ensure justice for all.”

She said “we have a target to protect democracy and establish the rule of law in the country as the people will get justice.”

The prime minister said “this while inaugurating the newly constructed 12-storey modern building Bijoy Ekattor of Bangladesh Supreme Court, joining virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence in Dhaka.”

The inaugural ceremony was held on the Supreme Court premises in the capital in the morning.

The prime minister said “her government was trying to ensure justice for all sections of people.”

She said “we’re working to make sure that all including the tortured women, children and acid victims get justice” spelling out her government’s various measures for overall development of the judiciary.

Mentioning that they have taken steps to implement Article 116 of the Constitution, she said that her government had allocated separate budget for the judiciary and formulated necessary rules to split judiciary from the executive body.

NEW DELHI, 02 April 2022, (TON): US has warned India against warming up to Russia, ahead of a visit by Moscow's top diplomat to press New Delhi to resist Western pressure to condemn its invasion of Ukraine.

India has abstained from UN resolutions censuring Moscow and continues to buy Russian oil from its longstanding and time-tested friend and biggest supplier of arms.

But Delhi shares Western alarm over Beijing's assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region, with 20 Indian and four Chinese troops killed in a brawl on their disputed Himalayan border in 2020.

Daleep Singh, Washington's chief sanctions strategist, was quoted by local media in a visit to Delhi as saying that India could not rely on Russia if there was another clash.

Singh was quoted as saying “Russia is going to be the junior partner in this relationship with China. And the more leverage that China gains over Russia, the less favourable that is for India.”

He said “I don't think anyone would believe that if China once again breached the Line of (Actual) Control, that Russia would come running to India's defence.”

NEW DELHI, 02 April 2022, (TON): Prime Minister Modi met with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and said “India is ready to contribute in any way to peace efforts.”

Amid international pressure on India to take a stand against Russia's Ukraine invasion, PM Modi and the Russian Foreign Minister met for 40 minutes.

The Prime Minister has not publicly met any other visiting Ministers in the past two weeks, including those from UK, China, Austria, Greece and Mexico.

According to a press release from the Prime Minister's Office, PM Modi called for an end to violence as Mr Lavrov briefed him on the situation in Ukraine, including peace negotiations.

The press statement said "Prime Minister reiterated his call for an early cessation of violence, and conveyed India's readiness to contribute in any way to the peace efforts.”

NEW DELHI, 02 April 2022, (TON): President Ram Nath Kovind arrived on a three-day state visit during which he will meet his Turkmenistan counterpart Serder Berdimuhamedov and discuss ways to boost bilateral ties with the resource-rich Central Asian country.

This is the first-ever visit of the President of India to independent Turkmenistan and comes just after the inauguration of the new Turkmen President Berdimuhamedov.

President's official Twitter account tweeted "President Kovind arrived in Ashgabat on the first part of his two-nation visit. As per the Turkmen tradition, the President was offered bread and salt by children at the airport.”

Sanjay Verma, Secretary West in the MEA, told media "the state visit of the president will reaffirm the importance we attach to Turkmenistan, not only bilaterally but also in terms of our extended neighbourhood concept and role in India-Central Asia partnership.”

BRUSSELS, 01 April 2022, (TON): The North Atlantic Alliance will supply weapons to Ukraine as much as needed. This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a press conference in Brussels.

Answering a journalist’s question about whether NATO has a time frame for arms supplies to Ukraine, he said “we need to keep supplying arms to Ukraine for as long as it takes because Ukraine is fighting for our values, freedom and democracy.”

Stoltenberg said “we have been supplying Ukraine for many years.”

He said “after the outbreak of hostilities, NATO countries expanded military assistance, arms supplies, humanitarian and financial assistance to Ukraine.”

According to Stoltenberg, any proposals involving the intervention of individual NATO countries in the conflict in Ukraine are dangerous, as this will lead to its escalation.

The head said “NATO has an obligation to help Ukraine, but also to prevent the escalation of this conflict. Therefore, any idea of a small group of NATO allies entering this conflict is dangerous.”

RIYADH, 01 April 2022, (TON): Saudi Shoura Council Speaker Sheikh Abdullah Al-Asheikh received Tajik Ambassador Akram Karimi at the advisory body’s headquarters in Riyadh.

During the meeting, Al-Asheikh praised relations between the two countries and noted the need to strengthen and develop them in all fields, especially with regard to parliamentary ties.

They discussed issues of common concern, and the need to activate communication between the joint parliamentary friendship committees.