Russian President Vladimir Putin and the head of Mali's junta, Colonel Assimi Goita, discussed security and economic relations between their two countries, both sides reported on Wednesday.

During the phone talks, "at the initiative of the Malian side", the two leaders paid "particular attention" to trade and economic relations, including the delivery of cereals, fertilisers and fuel from Russia to Mali, the Kremlin said in a press release.

Colonel Goita thanked Putin "for the humanitarian aid provided, as well as for the help given to ensure security, neutralise the terrorist threat and stabilise the situation" in his country, the Kremlin added.

The landlocked Sahel state has been battling a security crisis since jihadist and separatist insurgencies broke out in the north in 2012.

It has since August 2020 been ruled by a military junta, which broke a long-standing alliance with France and other Western partners in the fight against jihadism and turned to Russia for political and military assistance.

Mali received shipments of Russian military supplies in March and August 2022, and again in January 2023.

In March, the Malian army received several aircraft from Russia.

"Very satisfied with my telephone conversation" with Putin, Goita said on Twitter.

"We had direct and sincere exchanges on subjects of common interest and on our desire to strengthen our diplomatic, economic and security relations", he added.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and the head of Mali's junta, Colonel Assimi Goita, discussed security and economic relations between their two countries, both sides reported on Wednesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and the head of Mali's junta, Colonel Assimi Goita, discussed security and economic relations between their two countries, both sides reported on Wednesday. During the phone talks, "at the initiative of the Malian side", the two leaders paid "particular attention" to trade and economic relations, including the delivery of cereals, fertilisers and fuel from Russia to Mali, the Kremlin said in a press release. Colonel Goita thanked Putin "for the humanitarian aid provided, as well as for the help given to ensure security, neutralise the terrorist threat and stabilise the situation" in his country, the Kremlin added. The landlocked Sahel state has been battling a security crisis since jihadist and separatist insurgencies broke out in the north in 2012. It has since August 2020 been ruled by a military junta, which broke a long-standing alliance with France and other Western partners in the fight against jihadism and turned to Russia for political and military assistance. Mali received shipments of Russian military supplies in March and August 2022, and again in January 2023. In March, the Malian army received several aircraft from Russia. "Very satisfied with my telephone conversation" with Putin, Goita said on Twitter. "We had direct and sincere exchanges on subjects of common interest and on our desire to strengthen our diplomatic, economic and security relations", he added. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Mali junta leader discusses security, economy with Putin

As the airstair on Pakistan One slowly unraveled at Palam Airport in New Delhi on the 26th of May 2014, many naively hoped that this was the dawn of a new chapter in the historically tense Indo-Pak relationship. Pakistan One was carrying the Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif as he landed in Delhi to attend his counterpart&rsquo;s inauguration. The coveted handshake was beamed all over the world as those with a keen eye on South Asian affairs hoped that this BJP Prime Minister would bring the same vivacity to Indo-Pak relations that Atal Behari Vajpayee did. Understandably, Modi enjoyed a tainted reputation in Pakistan but if Sharif was willing to overlook it so were many others.&nbsp;

The presence of the other South Asian leaders was dwarfed by the Nawaz-Modi dynamic but as long as their union meant prosperity for their region, they did not mind. Fast forward four years and Indo-Pak relations are at their lowest ebb in perhaps a decade with cross-border attacks, the Jadhav case and lack of progress on terror cases causing discontent on both sides.

What many don&rsquo;t realise are the spillover effects of the enmity between the two warring neighbours. Due to the friction between Pakistan and India, all of South Asia has to suffer. Despite being home to a whopping 1.7 billion (almost one-fourth of the global population) and with an average economic growth per annum of 7 per cent, South Asia is perhaps the least socio-economically integrated region in the world. This fact is alarming in light of the fact that the region enjoys shared history, culture and geography and political systems.&nbsp;

The World Bank reports that Intra-regional trade accounts for only 5 per cent of South Asia&rsquo;s total trade, compared to 25 per cent in ASEAN republics and intra-regional investment is smaller than 1 per cent of overall investment. An interesting tidbit on the situation is the fact that it costs India 20 per cent less to trade with Brazil over 9000 miles away than it does with to trade with Pakistan just next door due to red tape. The South Asian region has one of the highest working-age populations and a fertile environment for entrepreneurship.&nbsp;

Despite this array of possible opportunities, this potential remains untapped. Due to this hitherto untapped potential the region is home to 40 per cent of the world&rsquo;s poor with high poverty and abysmal statistics for school enrolment and access to healthcare and sanitation.&nbsp;

All of these problems can be undone with greater regional integration but this seems a mammoth task due to a number of reasons. Chief amongst these are the historical political tensions, security issues and cross-border conflict as well as the relative asymmetry in the size of South Asian countries. Another hindrance is the high trade costs, regulatory impediments and lack of infrastructure.&nbsp;

Past experiences of efforts to foster regional cooperation have been met with hostility from skeptics (often right-wing) and those who oppose it due to sheer misinformation.&nbsp; Though risky, efforts at regional integration can pay high dividends and prove exceptionally rewarding. There are a number of reasons for doing so.&nbsp;

Let us look at the US-Mexico model for inspiration. Despite the underlying animosity, much of which came to the fore during President Trump&rsquo;s run for office both countries are major trading partners with the total money value of all commodities traded coming up to $580 billion dollars. This gives both countries a stake in the other and keeps a healthy relationship going despite any figurative or actual walls that might be built.&nbsp;

Similarly, despite being arch-rivals, the United States and China enjoy a total two-way trade of up to $578 billion. Even in the Middle East, despite a total diplomatic boycott, the Emirates still get 45 per cent of its energy needs from the state of Qatar. There is certainly a leaf to be taken out of the books of these countries as far as South Asian countries are concerned.&nbsp;

For the two largest economies in the region, Pakistan and India, economic ties are virtually non-existent. This vacuum gives way for extremist narratives to dominate mainstream discourse; the establishment on the Pakistani side and the socio-political right wing in India. For a stable peer dynamic, it is essential to rise above the extremist rhetoric and give each other a stake in each other&rsquo;s economy.&nbsp;

Not only will this greater communion make Indo-Pak tensions harder to come by but will also open doors for other South Asian countries, such as Afghanistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. Again, as the World Bank reports, trade between India and Pakistan can rise up to $20 billion and Bangladesh can increase trade with India by up to 300 per cent.&nbsp; And one hopes this synergy will lead to greater constructive discourse on forums such as SAARC and also give us a fruitful implementation of treaties such as the SAFTA.&nbsp;

The implementation of greater regional cooperation requires a two-fold approach. Firstly, there needs to be a narrative built around this cooperation with greater people-to-people contacts. Secondly, there is the technical aspect of doing away with regulatory impediments and doing away with needless red tape and building the required infrastructure. Policymakers on both sides need to have an informed policy dialogue with an aim of realising the inimitable benefits of increased regional cooperation. Greater prosperity for the region awaits, all we need to do is look past petty biases.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Learning from the examples of US-Mexico and US-China, policymakers in India and Pakistan should rise above the extremist narrative to foster economic relation.

As the airstair on Pakistan One slowly unraveled at Palam Airport in New Delhi on the 26th of May 2014, many naively hoped that this was the dawn of a new chapter in the historically tense Indo-Pak relationship. Pakistan One was carrying the Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif as he landed in Delhi to attend his counterpart’s inauguration. The coveted handshake was beamed all over the world as those with a keen eye on South Asian affairs hoped that this BJP Prime Minister would bring the same vivacity to Indo-Pak relations that Atal Behari Vajpayee did. Understandably, Modi enjoyed a tainted reputation in Pakistan but if Sharif was willing to overlook it so were many others. The presence of the other South Asian leaders was dwarfed by the Nawaz-Modi dynamic but as long as their union meant prosperity for their region, they did not mind. Fast forward four years and Indo-Pak relations are at their lowest ebb in perhaps a decade with cross-border attacks, the Jadhav case and lack of progress on terror cases causing discontent on both sides. What many don’t realise are the spillover effects of the enmity between the two warring neighbours. Due to the friction between Pakistan and India, all of South Asia has to suffer. Despite being home to a whopping 1.7 billion (almost one-fourth of the global population) and with an average economic growth per annum of 7 per cent, South Asia is perhaps the least socio-economically integrated region in the world. This fact is alarming in light of the fact that the region enjoys shared history, culture and geography and political systems. The World Bank reports that Intra-regional trade accounts for only 5 per cent of South Asia’s total trade, compared to 25 per cent in ASEAN republics and intra-regional investment is smaller than 1 per cent of overall investment. An interesting tidbit on the situation is the fact that it costs India 20 per cent less to trade with Brazil over 9000 miles away than it does with to trade with Pakistan just next door due to red tape. The South Asian region has one of the highest working-age populations and a fertile environment for entrepreneurship. Despite this array of possible opportunities, this potential remains untapped. Due to this hitherto untapped potential the region is home to 40 per cent of the world’s poor with high poverty and abysmal statistics for school enrolment and access to healthcare and sanitation. All of these problems can be undone with greater regional integration but this seems a mammoth task due to a number of reasons. Chief amongst these are the historical political tensions, security issues and cross-border conflict as well as the relative asymmetry in the size of South Asian countries. Another hindrance is the high trade costs, regulatory impediments and lack of infrastructure. Past experiences of efforts to foster regional cooperation have been met with hostility from skeptics (often right-wing) and those who oppose it due to sheer misinformation. Though risky, efforts at regional integration can pay high dividends and prove exceptionally rewarding. There are a number of reasons for doing so. Let us look at the US-Mexico model for inspiration. Despite the underlying animosity, much of which came to the fore during President Trump’s run for office both countries are major trading partners with the total money value of all commodities traded coming up to $580 billion dollars. This gives both countries a stake in the other and keeps a healthy relationship going despite any figurative or actual walls that might be built. Similarly, despite being arch-rivals, the United States and China enjoy a total two-way trade of up to $578 billion. Even in the Middle East, despite a total diplomatic boycott, the Emirates still get 45 per cent of its energy needs from the state of Qatar. There is certainly a leaf to be taken out of the books of these countries as far as South Asian countries are concerned. For the two largest economies in the region, Pakistan and India, economic ties are virtually non-existent. This vacuum gives way for extremist narratives to dominate mainstream discourse; the establishment on the Pakistani side and the socio-political right wing in India. For a stable peer dynamic, it is essential to rise above the extremist rhetoric and give each other a stake in each other’s economy. Not only will this greater communion make Indo-Pak tensions harder to come by but will also open doors for other South Asian countries, such as Afghanistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. Again, as the World Bank reports, trade between India and Pakistan can rise up to $20 billion and Bangladesh can increase trade with India by up to 300 per cent. And one hopes this synergy will lead to greater constructive discourse on forums such as SAARC and also give us a fruitful implementation of treaties such as the SAFTA. The implementation of greater regional cooperation requires a two-fold approach. Firstly, there needs to be a narrative built around this cooperation with greater people-to-people contacts. Secondly, there is the technical aspect of doing away with regulatory impediments and doing away with needless red tape and building the required infrastructure. Policymakers on both sides need to have an informed policy dialogue with an aim of realising the inimitable benefits of increased regional cooperation. Greater prosperity for the region awaits, all we need to do is look past petty biases. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: India and Pakistan can bond over economic issues to bypass enmity

There are no &quot;plans&quot; of a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting at Davos next week, the external affairs ministry said today.

The annual meet of the WEF would be beginning on January 22. Modi would address the opening plenary on January 23.

&quot;As far as I am concerned there are no plans for meeting with the Pakistan Prime Minister,&quot; Secretary (Economic Relations) at the External Affairs Ministry Vijay Gokhale told reporters here.

He was responding to a query on whether Modi would be meeting his Pakistani counterpart as the latter would also be there at WEF on the same day.

The relations between India and Pakistan are strained following series of attacks by Pakistan-based terror groups and incidents of ceasefire violations, causing casualties on both sides.

When asked whether Modi would be meeting US President Donald Trump, he said the two will not be there on the same day.

This would be Modi&#39;s first Davos visit and also the first by an Indian prime minister since the one by H D Deve Gowda in 1997. In case of Trump, he would be the first US President to attend since Bill Clinton in 2000.

To a question on whether Modi is sending a message by not meeting Trump at the event, which has the theme of &#39;Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World&#39;, Gokhale said there were never any plans for the two leaders to meet.

&quot;Besides, this is a multilateral event and the Prime Minister&#39;s central message will be that we are an economy that can be an engine of global growth. We want others to participate in our growth and we also want to participate in others&#39; growth,&quot; he said.

There were never any plans for the two leaders to meet and therefore whether they are present at the same event and are not meeting is not important, he said, adding, &quot;Our focus has always been in a global economy that is open and inclusive&quot;.&nbsp;

The annual meet of the WEF would be beginning on January 22. Modi would address the opening plenary on January 23

There are no "plans" of a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting at Davos next week, the external affairs ministry said today. The annual meet of the WEF would be beginning on January 22. Modi would address the opening plenary on January 23. "As far as I am concerned there are no plans for meeting with the Pakistan Prime Minister," Secretary (Economic Relations) at the External Affairs Ministry Vijay Gokhale told reporters here. He was responding to a query on whether Modi would be meeting his Pakistani counterpart as the latter would also be there at WEF on the same day. The relations between India and Pakistan are strained following series of attacks by Pakistan-based terror groups and incidents of ceasefire violations, causing casualties on both sides. When asked whether Modi would be meeting US President Donald Trump, he said the two will not be there on the same day. This would be Modi's first Davos visit and also the first by an Indian prime minister since the one by H D Deve Gowda in 1997. In case of Trump, he would be the first US President to attend since Bill Clinton in 2000. To a question on whether Modi is sending a message by not meeting Trump at the event, which has the theme of 'Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World', Gokhale said there were never any plans for the two leaders to meet. "Besides, this is a multilateral event and the Prime Minister's central message will be that we are an economy that can be an engine of global growth. We want others to participate in our growth and we also want to participate in others' growth," he said. There were never any plans for the two leaders to meet and therefore whether they are present at the same event and are not meeting is not important, he said, adding, "Our focus has always been in a global economy that is open and inclusive".

No plans of bilateral meeting between Modi and Pakistan PM in Davos: MEA

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