WASHINGTON, 12 March 2022, (TON): The United States Friday urged Moscow and Tehran to take the decisions needed to revive the 2015 nuclear accord, putting the ball squarely in their camp as last-minute Russian demands threatened to derail the process.

State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters after the European Union announced a pause in negotiations on the deal limiting Iran’s nuclear program “there will need to be decisions made in places like Tehran and Moscow.”

Price said “we are confident that we can achieve mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA if those decisions are made in places like Tehran and Moscow.”

The current round of talks between world powers and Iran, taking place in the Austrian capital Vienna, had appeared close to its goal until Russia made a sudden new set of demands last week.

Russia said “it wanted guarantees that the Western economic sanctions imposed in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine would not affect its trade with Iran.”

KABUL, 12 March 2022, (TON): The Antalya Diplomacy Forum included officials and envoys from around 200 countries, including acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, and the meeting focused on Ukraine but Afghanistan was also on the agenda. 

A delegation of the Islamic Emirate left Kabul for Turkey earlier in the week, and the forum will run from March 11-13.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs “on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Muttaqi held a trilateral meeting with Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and the US special envoy for Afghanistan, Thomas West.” 

Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesman for MoFA said “in this meeting, many different matters including the recognition of the Islamic Emirate, economic development and the extension of political relations were discussed.” 

Muttaqi told the reporters in Turkey “the Islamic Emirate has fulfilled all conditions for recognition and should be recognized by the international community. The Afghan assets should be released and there should be engagement with Afghanistan and the right Afghans.” 

NEW DELHI, 12 March 2022, (TON): A top American admiral has told lawmakers “the US will continue to support India with equipment and other things it needs along the Line of Actual Control with China.”

Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on ‘Military Posture in the Indo-Pacific Region, Admiral John Aquilino, Commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, said “the military-to-military relationship between the two countries is probably at its highest point.”

He was responding to a question from Senator Gary Peters.

Peters asked “my question for you, Admiral, is can you speak to the relationship you have with our Indian counterparts and what more can we do to strengthen our security relationship between our two countries?”

NEW DELHI, 12 March 2022, (TON): As Russia called for a Security Council meeting on the issue of biological laboratories in Ukraine, India said any matters relating to obligations under the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention should be addressed through consultation.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador TS Tirumurti said “we have repeatedly expressed serious concern over the ongoing situation in Ukraine.”

Speaking at the UN Security Council briefing on Ukraine: Reports of Biological Programmes, he said “India has noted the recent statements by States and wider information regarding biological activities relating to Ukraine.”

He said “in this context, we would like to underline the importance attached by India to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) as a key global and non-discriminatory disarmament Convention, prohibiting an entire category of weapons of mass destruction.”

NEW DELHI, 12 March 2022, (TON): The Defence Ministry said “a missile was fired accidentally from the Indian side into an area in Pakistan earlier this week, blaming the incident on a technical malfunction that was deeply regrettable.

The Ministry of Defence said in a statement "on 9 March 2022, in the course of routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile. The Government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry.”

It added "it is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident.”

According to Pakistan, the missile flew more than 100 km inside their airspace, at an altitude of 40,000 feet and at three times the speed of sound, before it landed.

There was no warhead on the missile so it did not detonate.

But the country's foreign office said it had summoned India's charge d'affaires in Islamabad to protest what it called an unprovoked violation of its airspace.

DHAKA, 12 March 2022, (TON): Philippines will give assistance to Bangladesh for producing exportable and high quality pineapple variety MD2, G9 banana, Delmon tea, rare and high value Macapuno coconut. 

A memorandum of understanding also will be signed soon between Bangladesh and Philippines in this regard.

The information came in a meeting between Agriculture Minister Dr M Abdur Razzaque and Philippines Agriculture Minister William Dollente Dar held before concluding session of the 36th Asia-Pacific regional conference of Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations at Hotel Inter Continental here.

According to the meeting “Bangladesh already has launched cultivation of MD2 pineapple variety by bringing 3 lakh plants of the pineapple from Philippines.”

He added that it is underway to bring more 4 lakh plants for cultivation. 

The Filipino minister said "Philippines will give this high quality pineapple plants to Bangladesh in cheaper price and easy term and condition.”  

DHAKA, 12 March 2022, (TON): The 36th Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization ended, calling for a One Health Approach.

The four-day conference was held at the InterContinental Hotel in the capital.

The conference was hosted by Bangladesh for the first time.

Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque told reporters that, during the conference, 46 members accepted the final report giving importance on the One Health Approach.

He added “several issues were considered in the conference such as establishing digital hubs, raising research funds, enhancing greenery and climate-tolerant agriculture, and building sustainable agri-food systems.”

A proposal by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to set up a “special fund” for research and innovation in agriculture has been accepted.

The minister said that the One Health Approach was adopted to protect the health of the people, the animals and the environment.

He said “the negative impacts of climate change have already begun and it is far greater than we thought.”

WASHINGTON, 11 March 2022, (TON): Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra in Algiers.

The Deputy Secretary and Foreign Minister welcomed the opportunity to hold the fifth U.S.-Algeria Strategic Dialogue to discuss a range of issues in the bilateral relationship.

They agreed on the importance of promoting regional stability, including support for ongoing UN-led diplomacy on the Western Sahara. 

They also discussed Putin’s premeditated, unprovoked and unjustified attack on the people of Ukraine.

They agreed to expand academic exchanges and English language instruction in Algeria and advance diplomatic efforts for regional security.

BEIJING, 11 March 2022, (TON): The meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Russian Federation and Ukraine Sergey Lavrov and Dmitry Kuleba in Turkey was another positive step towards peace.

This was stated by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, during a video conference meeting with his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio.

He said in a message from the Chinese Foreign Ministry “the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine are meeting today. The parties are striving for contacts and negotiations at an even higher level this is a positive step towards peace.”

As Wang Yi pointed out, the international community should encourage Russia and Ukraine to stick firmly to the mainstream of the negotiations and make unremitting efforts to achieve peace.

According to him “negotiations between the Russian Federation and Ukraine are the only way to a ceasefire.

He said in a document on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry “Russia and Ukraine have held three rounds of negotiations. Despite the fact that there are still large differences in the positions of the two sides, negotiations are the only feasible way to cease fire and stop hostilities.”

MOSCOW, 11 March 2022, (TON): Nuclear war is impossible by definition, as it would mean the end of civilization.

This was stated by Igor Vishnevetsky, Deputy Director of the Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control of the Russian Foreign Ministry, during a discussion at the Valdai International Club.

He said “such a war is impossible. I think many specialists and experts understand what the consequences of a nuclear war could be.”

Vishnevetsky stressed that nuclear war cannot be by definition.

Tthe diplomat added “this is the end of civilization, it should not be allowed under any circumstances.”

Vishnevetsky said “the countries of the nuclear five; Russia, China, the USA, Britain and France, despite the contradictions that exist today, share the opinion that nuclear war is impossible.”

He said “we are five nuclear powers. Some of them have very serious contradictions among themselves. This is now noticeable against the backdrop of the Ukrainian crisis. Nevertheless, we are making a joint statement. This is a common understanding, the basis on which the understanding of the situation is based.”