NEW DELHI, 05 March 2022, (TON): Nearly 1,000 Indians are still stranded in Ukraine's Kharkiv and Sumy, which are among the worst-hit areas during the ongoing Russian invasion.

India urged both Russia and Ukraine to find ways to move them out of the conflict zones.

Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Arindam Bagchi told media “around 700 Indians are in the eastern Ukrainian city Sumy while 300 are in Kharkiv, the country's second largest city.”

He said "we are urging both sides to find ways so that we can take out our citizens from conflict zones. Local ceasefire would help.”

Bagchi also said India is paying maximum attention to Kharkiv and Pisochin and managed to get some buses there.

He added “India is in touch with all sides concerned on the evacuation of its nationals from conflict zones in eastern Ukraine.”

Bagchi said "our primary focus is to get Indian students out of conflict zones in eastern Ukraine.”

More than 10,300 Indians have so far been brought back in 48 flights following the Ukraine crisis.

DHAKA, 05 March 2022, (TON): Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen has said that Bangladesh is willing to work closely with the US to find ways and means to waive sanctions on RAB and its officials on a priority basis.

According to a press release received in Dhaka “he also sought the support of the US Congress in this regard while meeting with a congresswoman and congressman during his New York visit from February 23 to March 2 to attend official meetings at the United Nations.”

The foreign minister held virtual meetings with congresswoman Grace Meng on February 28 and congressman James P McGovern, the co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, on March 1.

Expressing concern about the recent US sanctions on RAB and its seven current and former senior officials, foreign minister Momen informed the US  lawmakers that Bangladesh had always shown its readiness to deal with  specific allegations against RAB members.

He mentioned that RAB has emerged as the most efficient law enforcement agency in Bangladesh over recent years due to its forefront role in combating terrorism, violent extremism, drug and human trafficking, and other transnational crimes.

DHAKA, 05 March 2022, (TON): A delegation of diplomats stationed in Dhaka visited Bhasan Char and witnessed the facilities there.

Ambassador of the European Union to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley and South Korean ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun were among the ten diplomats who visited the island in Hatia, Noakhali.

Senior officials of Bangladesh’s foreign ministry accompanied them.

Ambassador Whiteley tweeted ”nsightful visit to Bhasan Char where 23,000 Rohingyas now live, good opportunity to see firsthand the infrastructure, livelihood opportunities, health and education services that are being put in place.”

DHAKA, 05 March 2022, (TON): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed her confidence that Bangladesh’s relations with Sri Lanka would grow further through cooperation in multiple sectors.          

She said “in recent years, our bilateral cooperation has widened and I have the conviction that it would grow even more through multi-pronged cooperation, particularly in agriculture, trade, shipping, people-to-people ties, and tourism.”

She said “this in a video message at a virtual program to mark the golden jubilee of the diplomatic ties between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.”

On this day in 1972, Sri Lanka recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign and independent country.

The prime minister said “the early recognition by Sri Lanka provided the newly emerging country with much-valued support.”

RIYADH, 04 March 2022, (TON): Saudi Arabia and Bahrain agreed to strengthen cooperation on all political issues and to work together to develop common positions that preserve security and stability in both countries.

It came a day after a visit to the Kingdom by Bahrain’s King Hamad, who on Wednesday held talks with King Salman, in the presence of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, about enhancing existing bilateral ties.

In a joint statement, both countries emphasized the importance of the AlUla Declaration that was signed by Gulf nations on Jan. 5, 2021, and its provisions relating to economic unity, joint defense and security systems, the coordination of positions, and the acceleration of work between Gulf states to resolve outstanding differences.

They praised the outstanding results during the second meeting of the Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council held in Bahrain on Dec. 10 and co-chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed and his Bahraini counterpart, Prince Salman bin Hamad.

As a result, a number of political, military, security, commercial, investment, cultural and tourism initiatives were launched to strengthen various aspects of cooperation.

King Salman and King Hamad issues directives for the development of military and security cooperation between their countries, and the integration of their security services to deter attempts to undermine security and stability.

They highlighted the threat posed by the growing capabilities of terrorist groups in the region, and the actions of the Iranian regime in smuggling missiles and drones to such groups that target countries in the region.

BUCHAREST, 04 March 2022, (TON): Officials said “seven military personnel died after their helicopter crashed in eastern Romania near the Black Sea while searching for a missing fighter jet and its pilot.”

The IAR 330-Puma helicopter crashed in the area of Gura Dobrogei, 11 kilometres (seven miles) from the airfield, killing all seven people aboard, according to the ministry of defence.

It was searching for a MiG 21 LanceR, shortly after the fighter jet lost radio contact with the control tower during an air patrol mission and disappeared from the radar.

A statement from the defence ministry said “search and rescue operations for the pilot of the MiG 21 LanceR aircraft are still ongoing.”

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the helicopter crash.

VIENNA, 04 March 2022, (TON): The IAEA said Thursday “the head of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, will travel to Iran on Saturday in order to meet officials there.”

An IAEA spokesman said in a statement “Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi will travel to Tehran for meetings with senior Iranian officials.”

He added that Grossi would hold a press conference on his return to Vienna on Saturday evening.

ROME, 04 March 2022, (TON): The Vatican announced that Pope Francis is planning to visit Congo and South Sudan in July, fulfilling a wish to minister to the faithful in the conflict-ridden countries.

The Vatican said “Francis is scheduled to visit the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, and the city of Goma on July 2-5, and plans to be in Juba, South Sudan, on July 5-7.”

The trip would be one of Francis’ longest in years and his third to sub-Saharan Africa. He visited Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic in 2015 and Mozambique, Mauritius and Madagascar in 2019. Francis also visited Egypt in 2017.

The trip will certainly test the 85-year-old pontiff’s stamina and mobility. He had 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his large intestine removed and spent 10 days in the hospital last July.

This week, the pope canceled two events because of acute pain in his knee that makes walking and standing painful.

Francis, who has long suffered from sciatica nerve pain, has said he strained a ligament in his right knee. The Vatican explained his cancellation of a day trip to Florence and his absence from Ash services by saying his doctors had prescribed a period of rest to allow the knee to heal.

CHISINAU, 04 March 2022, (TON): Moldovan President Maia Sandu signed a formal application for her country to join the European Union, charting a pro-Western course hastened by Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

Sandu’s move comes days after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a request for immediate EU membership as it battles invading Russian forces.

Moscow is fiercely opposed to the eastern expansion of both the EU and especially of NATO, which it sees as a direct threat to its own national security.

Sandu, the prime minister and the parliamentary speaker all signed the document during a briefing in the capital Chisinau, where pro-Russian and pro-EU politicians have vied for control since Moldova won independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Sandu said “it took 30 years for Moldova to reach maturity, but today the country is ready to take responsibility for its own future.”

She said “we want to live in peace, prosperity, be part of the free world. While some decisions take time, others must be made quickly and decisively, and taking advantage of the opportunities that come with a changing world.”

She said “the application will be sent to Brussels in the coming days.”

LONDON, 04 March 2022, (TON): The Foreign Secretary Liz Truss gave an opening statement at a press conference with Estonian Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.

Thank you, Minister Landsbergis, for bringing us together here together in Vilnius.

The United Kingdom stands with our allies in doing all we can to support Ukraine against President Putin’s war of choice. We must ensure Putin fails in this horrific enterprise and his ambitions go no further.

We were pleased to support Lithuania’s leadership referring war crimes to the ICC.

I’m here today in Vilnius with our Baltic friends, because I want to say that the UK’s commitment to Baltics and to Article 5 are unyielding.

Our Baltic friends know what’s at stake, having long lived in the shadow of Russian aggression, and I admire your courage. We are working together to deliver two clear objectives.