The United States hopes for more stable and profitable relations with Russia but if the latter continues to 'attack', then Washington will respond, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a newspaper interview published on Tuesday. 
 
"If Russia continues to attack us, or to act as it did with the SolarWind attacks, the intrusions into our elections and the aggression against Navalny, then we will respond," he told Italian daily La Repubblica. 
 
Blinken, who was in Rome for a meeting on international efforts to combat Islamist militia, was referring to cyberattacks and the role of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-us-to-start-black-sea-military-drills-despite-russian-protest-394463">Ukraine, US to start Black Sea military drills despite Russian protest</a> 
 
Earlier this month, US&nbsp;President Joe Biden told Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Geneva that certain critical infrastructure should be 'off-limits' to cyberattacks. 
 
China was 'the most complicated'&nbsp;when it came to relations, Blinken added, but said the United States respected the different relations countries had with China and that it would not ask any of them to choose between the two countries, a Reuters report said. 
 
"It is, however, true that when we deal with China, as an opponent, a rival or a partner, we are much more effective if we act together," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-test-fires-new-intercontinental-ballistic-missile-report-394503">Russia test-fires new intercontinental ballistic missile: Report</a> 
 
Blinken also said that Italy had made important efforts in drafting legislation aimed at protecting its 5G network from 'unreliable sellers' and that it should continue to carry out checks should investments from other countries arrive. 
 
The United States has lobbied Italy and other European allies to avoid using equipment made by Huawei in their next- generation networks, saying the Chinese company could pose a security risk. Huawei has rejected the accusations. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The United States hopes for more stable and profitable relations with Russia but if the latter continues to 'attack', then Washington will respond, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a newspaper interview published on Tuesday.

The United States hopes for more stable and profitable relations with Russia but if the latter continues to 'attack', then Washington will respond, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a newspaper interview published on Tuesday. "If Russia continues to attack us, or to act as it did with the SolarWind attacks, the intrusions into our elections and the aggression against Navalny, then we will respond," he told Italian daily La Repubblica. Blinken, who was in Rome for a meeting on international efforts to combat Islamist militia, was referring to cyberattacks and the role of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. Also Read: Ukraine, US to start Black Sea military drills despite Russian protest Earlier this month, US President Joe Biden told Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Geneva that certain critical infrastructure should be 'off-limits' to cyberattacks. China was 'the most complicated' when it came to relations, Blinken added, but said the United States respected the different relations countries had with China and that it would not ask any of them to choose between the two countries, a Reuters report said. "It is, however, true that when we deal with China, as an opponent, a rival or a partner, we are much more effective if we act together," he added. Also Read: Russia test-fires new intercontinental ballistic missile: Report Blinken also said that Italy had made important efforts in drafting legislation aimed at protecting its 5G network from 'unreliable sellers' and that it should continue to carry out checks should investments from other countries arrive. The United States has lobbied Italy and other European allies to avoid using equipment made by Huawei in their next- generation networks, saying the Chinese company could pose a security risk. Huawei has rejected the accusations. (With inputs from agencies)

US eyes more stable, profitable ties with Russia, Blinken tells paper

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told visiting junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaingid that Moscow is committed to strengthening military ties with Myanmar, Russia's RIA news agency reported. 
 
"We are determined to continue our efforts to strengthen bilateral ties based on the mutual understanding, respect and trust that have been established between our countries," RIA quoted Shoigu as saying at a meeting late on Tuesday. 
 
Min Aung Hlaing was in the Russian capital to attend a security conference this week. 
 
Rights activists have accused Moscow of legitimising Myanmar's military junta, which came to power in a February&nbsp;1 coup, by continuing bilateral visits and arms deals. 
 
Russia said in March it was deeply concerned by the rising number of civilian deaths in Myanmar. 
 
Defence ties between the two countries have grown in recent years with Moscow providing army training and university scholarships to thousands of soldiers, as well as selling arms to a military blacklisted by several Western countries. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told visiting junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaingid that Moscow is committed to strengthening military ties with Myanmar, Russia's RIA news agency reported.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told visiting junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaingid that Moscow is committed to strengthening military ties with Myanmar, Russia's RIA news agency reported. "We are determined to continue our efforts to strengthen bilateral ties based on the mutual understanding, respect and trust that have been established between our countries," RIA quoted Shoigu as saying at a meeting late on Tuesday. Min Aung Hlaing was in the Russian capital to attend a security conference this week. Rights activists have accused Moscow of legitimising Myanmar's military junta, which came to power in a February 1 coup, by continuing bilateral visits and arms deals. Russia said in March it was deeply concerned by the rising number of civilian deaths in Myanmar. Defence ties between the two countries have grown in recent years with Moscow providing army training and university scholarships to thousands of soldiers, as well as selling arms to a military blacklisted by several Western countries. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia says to boost military ties with Myanmar as junta leader visits

The nominee to be the top US&nbsp;diplomat for East Asia said on Tuesday that Washington should develop its relationship with Taiwan in every sector, hours after China's largest reported incursion to date into the island's air defence identification zone. 
 
Daniel Kritenbrink said it was important for Washington to demonstrate its resolve to meet its 'rock-solid obligations' towards Taiwan in the face of pressure from China, which claims the self-governing island as its own territory. 
 
"It's ... incumbent upon us to further develop our robust relationship with Taiwan in every sector," Kritenbrink told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on his nomination to be assistant secretary of state for East Asia. 
 
Earlier, Taiwan said 28 Chinese aircraft, including fighters and nuclear-capable bombers, entered its air defense identification zone. 
 
The Group of Seven leaders issued a statement on Sunday scolding China for a series of issues and underscoring the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, comments that China called 'slander'. 
 
Kritenbrink, a career foreign service officer, who was most recently ambassador to Vietnam and a former deputy head of mission in China, was asked if Washington should switch from a long-standing stance of 'strategic ambiguity' to make a clear commitment to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack. 
 
He said the US&nbsp;'one-China' policy that formally recognises Beijing and not Taipei had ensured cross-strait stability and Taiwan's security for many decades. 
 
He added: "I do think that maintenance of that status quo and of that security is a dynamic situation. As the threat from (China) grows, as Beijing`s aggressive and bullying behavior vis-a-vis Taiwan grows, I think that our response has to be calibrated as well." 
 
Responding to a request for comment, Chinese Embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu said Washington should 'stop elevating its relationship with the Taiwan region in any substantive way ... so as to avoid serious damage to China-US&nbsp;relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait." 
 
Kritenbrink described China as the 'major challenge the United States faces today' and said new guidelines adopted by the Biden administration for Taiwan relations were 'significantly liberalized' and 'explicitly designed to further develop our relationships and our partnership'.&nbsp;He said Washington should continue to take steps to hold to account Chinese leaders responsible for what it calls genocide against Uyghurs and other Muslims in China's Xinjiang region. 
 
"The ongoing genocide in Xinjiang shocks the conscience," he said. "We estimate more than 1 million Uyghurs have been forcibly detained, put into re-education camps, forced to provide labor, and many other disturbing allegations about how they are being treated," he said. 
 
"We need to continue to take steps using all the tools that the US&nbsp;government has at its disposal to hold to account the leaders who are carrying out these atrocities," Kritenbrink said. 
 
Liu repeated Chinese denials of abuses in Xinjiang, saying: "Facts have proved that there has never been any genocide in Xinjiang." 
 
In a tweet, Sophie Richardson, China director for Human Rights Watch, called Kritenbrink's Xinjiang remarks a 'strong pledge',&nbsp;while adding: "Follow through critical." 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The nominee to be the top US diplomat for East Asia said on Tuesday that Washington should develop its relationship with Taiwan in every sector, hours after China's largest reported incursion to date into the island's air defence identification zone.

The nominee to be the top US diplomat for East Asia said on Tuesday that Washington should develop its relationship with Taiwan in every sector, hours after China's largest reported incursion to date into the island's air defence identification zone. Daniel Kritenbrink said it was important for Washington to demonstrate its resolve to meet its 'rock-solid obligations' towards Taiwan in the face of pressure from China, which claims the self-governing island as its own territory. "It's ... incumbent upon us to further develop our robust relationship with Taiwan in every sector," Kritenbrink told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on his nomination to be assistant secretary of state for East Asia. Earlier, Taiwan said 28 Chinese aircraft, including fighters and nuclear-capable bombers, entered its air defense identification zone. The Group of Seven leaders issued a statement on Sunday scolding China for a series of issues and underscoring the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, comments that China called 'slander'. Kritenbrink, a career foreign service officer, who was most recently ambassador to Vietnam and a former deputy head of mission in China, was asked if Washington should switch from a long-standing stance of 'strategic ambiguity' to make a clear commitment to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack. He said the US 'one-China' policy that formally recognises Beijing and not Taipei had ensured cross-strait stability and Taiwan's security for many decades. He added: "I do think that maintenance of that status quo and of that security is a dynamic situation. As the threat from (China) grows, as Beijing`s aggressive and bullying behavior vis-a-vis Taiwan grows, I think that our response has to be calibrated as well." Responding to a request for comment, Chinese Embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu said Washington should 'stop elevating its relationship with the Taiwan region in any substantive way ... so as to avoid serious damage to China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait." Kritenbrink described China as the 'major challenge the United States faces today' and said new guidelines adopted by the Biden administration for Taiwan relations were 'significantly liberalized' and 'explicitly designed to further develop our relationships and our partnership'. He said Washington should continue to take steps to hold to account Chinese leaders responsible for what it calls genocide against Uyghurs and other Muslims in China's Xinjiang region. "The ongoing genocide in Xinjiang shocks the conscience," he said. "We estimate more than 1 million Uyghurs have been forcibly detained, put into re-education camps, forced to provide labor, and many other disturbing allegations about how they are being treated," he said. "We need to continue to take steps using all the tools that the US government has at its disposal to hold to account the leaders who are carrying out these atrocities," Kritenbrink said. Liu repeated Chinese denials of abuses in Xinjiang, saying: "Facts have proved that there has never been any genocide in Xinjiang." In a tweet, Sophie Richardson, China director for Human Rights Watch, called Kritenbrink's Xinjiang remarks a 'strong pledge', while adding: "Follow through critical." (With inputs from agencies)

Biden's Asia nominee says US should develop Taiwan ties in every sector

France has suspended military operations with Central African Republic, accusing its government of failing to respect political opposition and failing to stop a 'massive' anti-French disinformation campaign.

The French government is also suspending about 10 million euros (USD 12.1 million) in budgetary support for CAR, two French officials said on Tuesday.

The move comes amid high tensions and diplomatic wrangling over influence in the mineral-rich former French colony. Russia has business interests in the country and also sent military instructors there last year.

Central African Republic has faced deadly inter-religious and inter-communal fighting since 2013. After a 2019 peace deal, violence erupted anew after the constitutional court rejected former President Francois Bozize's effort to run for president again last year.

President Faustin Archange Touadera won reelection in December, but continues to face opposition from forces linked to Bozize. Rebels aligned with Bozize tried to attack the capital in January, underscoring how CAR's military faces serious security threats that they had looked to the French for help with.

About 160 French troops, who were providing operational support in the capital Bangui and training Central African forces have suspended their mission and stopped cooperating with the country's military, a French government official said.

The decision didn't affect the approximately 100 French troops involved in UN&nbsp;Peacekeeping forces and EU training forces in the country, or French advisers helping CAR with domestic civil security, the official said.

The official said CAR failed to respect promises toward the political opposition, and failed to fight anti-French disinformation campaigns online, notably targeting the French ambassador and defense attache.

Facebook took down hundreds of accounts and groups linked to Russia and France that were accused of using fake Facebook and Instagram accounts to wage a covert disinformation campaign in CAR before the December election.

An official in French President Emmanuel Macron's office said that CAR President Touadera ignored pressure from his country's neighbors and France to allow open up elections to opposition figures, 'but this didn't happen'.&nbsp;

Both officials weren't authorised to be publicly named. The French decision came after France suspended joint military operations last week with Malian forces until its coup leaders comply with international demands to restore civilian rule.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

France has suspended military operations with Central African Republic, accusing its government of failing to respect political opposition and failing to stop a 'massive' anti-French disinformation campaign.

France has suspended military operations with Central African Republic, accusing its government of failing to respect political opposition and failing to stop a 'massive' anti-French disinformation campaign. The French government is also suspending about 10 million euros (USD 12.1 million) in budgetary support for CAR, two French officials said on Tuesday. The move comes amid high tensions and diplomatic wrangling over influence in the mineral-rich former French colony. Russia has business interests in the country and also sent military instructors there last year. Central African Republic has faced deadly inter-religious and inter-communal fighting since 2013. After a 2019 peace deal, violence erupted anew after the constitutional court rejected former President Francois Bozize's effort to run for president again last year. President Faustin Archange Touadera won reelection in December, but continues to face opposition from forces linked to Bozize. Rebels aligned with Bozize tried to attack the capital in January, underscoring how CAR's military faces serious security threats that they had looked to the French for help with. About 160 French troops, who were providing operational support in the capital Bangui and training Central African forces have suspended their mission and stopped cooperating with the country's military, a French government official said. The decision didn't affect the approximately 100 French troops involved in UN Peacekeeping forces and EU training forces in the country, or French advisers helping CAR with domestic civil security, the official said. The official said CAR failed to respect promises toward the political opposition, and failed to fight anti-French disinformation campaigns online, notably targeting the French ambassador and defense attache. Facebook took down hundreds of accounts and groups linked to Russia and France that were accused of using fake Facebook and Instagram accounts to wage a covert disinformation campaign in CAR before the December election. An official in French President Emmanuel Macron's office said that CAR President Touadera ignored pressure from his country's neighbors and France to allow open up elections to opposition figures, 'but this didn't happen'. Both officials weren't authorised to be publicly named. The French decision came after France suspended joint military operations last week with Malian forces until its coup leaders comply with international demands to restore civilian rule. (With inputs from agencies)

France freezes military ties with Central African Republic

Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Wednesday he aimed to hold talks with Australia's foreign and defence ministers on strengthening bilateral cooperation to raise the two countries' security ties to new levels. 
 
Motegi made the comment at the start of a meeting, via video conferencing, between foreign and defence ministers from Japan and Australia. 
 
Meanwhile, Japan and Australia said on Wednesday they had 'serious concerns' about reported human rights abuses against Uyghur and other Muslim minorities in China's Xinjiang region.

In a joint statement, they also expressed concern about recent moves that they said weakened Hong Kong's democratic institutions, and grave concerns about the ongoing crisis in Myanmar.

The meeting, between the foreign and defence ministers of both nations, took place via video conferencing.

Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Wednesday he aimed to hold talks with Australia's foreign and defence ministers on strengthening bilateral cooperation to raise the two countries' security ties to new levels.

Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Wednesday he aimed to hold talks with Australia's foreign and defence ministers on strengthening bilateral cooperation to raise the two countries' security ties to new levels. Motegi made the comment at the start of a meeting, via video conferencing, between foreign and defence ministers from Japan and Australia. Meanwhile, Japan and Australia said on Wednesday they had 'serious concerns' about reported human rights abuses against Uyghur and other Muslim minorities in China's Xinjiang region. In a joint statement, they also expressed concern about recent moves that they said weakened Hong Kong's democratic institutions, and grave concerns about the ongoing crisis in Myanmar. The meeting, between the foreign and defence ministers of both nations, took place via video conferencing.

Japan minister says aims to raise security ties with Australia to new levels

Qatar has no plans to normalise ties with Syria, the Gulf state's foreign minister said, after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad won a fourth term in office last week in an election derided by the opposition and the West as a farce. 
 
Qatar was among several regional states including Saudi Arabia that backed rebels in Syria's decade-old civil war. Some like the United Arab Emirates have sought to normalise ties after Assad regained control of most of the country. 
 
"So far we see nothing on the horizon for a political solution acceptable to the Syrian people ... the (regime's) approach and conduct has not changed," Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told UK-based Al Araby television in an interview aired on Friday. 
 
"There is no motivation for us to re-establish ties with the Syrian regime at this time," Sheikh Mohammed said. "The Syrian regime is committing crimes against its people." 
 
Syria's government said that Wednesday's election shows the country is functioning normally despite the war, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced 11 million. 
 
Gulf Arab states downgraded or shut missions in Damascus in 2012 over attacks by the government on protests at the start of the conflict. 
 
The UAE re-opened its mission to Damascus in late 2018 in a bid to counter the influence of non-Arab actors like Iran, which along with Russia backs Assad, and Turkey, which backs rebels. 
 
The UAE has a charge d'affaires in Syria. Oman, one of the rare Arab countries that had maintained diplomatic ties with Damascus, sent an ambassador in 2020. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Qatar has no plans to normalise ties with Syria, the Gulf state's foreign minister said, after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad won a fourth term in office last week in an election derided by the opposition and the West as a farce.

Qatar has no plans to normalise ties with Syria, the Gulf state's foreign minister said, after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad won a fourth term in office last week in an election derided by the opposition and the West as a farce. Qatar was among several regional states including Saudi Arabia that backed rebels in Syria's decade-old civil war. Some like the United Arab Emirates have sought to normalise ties after Assad regained control of most of the country. "So far we see nothing on the horizon for a political solution acceptable to the Syrian people ... the (regime's) approach and conduct has not changed," Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told UK-based Al Araby television in an interview aired on Friday. "There is no motivation for us to re-establish ties with the Syrian regime at this time," Sheikh Mohammed said. "The Syrian regime is committing crimes against its people." Syria's government said that Wednesday's election shows the country is functioning normally despite the war, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced 11 million. Gulf Arab states downgraded or shut missions in Damascus in 2012 over attacks by the government on protests at the start of the conflict. The UAE re-opened its mission to Damascus in late 2018 in a bid to counter the influence of non-Arab actors like Iran, which along with Russia backs Assad, and Turkey, which backs rebels. The UAE has a charge d'affaires in Syria. Oman, one of the rare Arab countries that had maintained diplomatic ties with Damascus, sent an ambassador in 2020. (With inputs from agencies)

Qatar sees no reason for normalising ties with Syria, says foreign minister

Slovenia's Foreign Minister Anže Logar has batted for strong ties with India while calling for European Union to increase engagement with countries in the Indo-Pacific.

Speaking exclusively to our Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Logar said, "India is a very interesting and welcome partner for cooperation...see many common positions that we can take together". On the Indo-Pacific vision, the foreign minister said, "We think the EU has to be very actively engaged in discussion with Indo-Pacific countries."&nbsp;

His comments are important since Slovenia will be presiding over the Council of the European Union from July for six months. The Indian PM is expected to travel to Portugal next month for the India EU summit. The summit happens under the Portuguese presidency. Asked about India EU Free Trade agreement, FM Logar pointed out that, his country "would like to bring this issue back high on the agenda of the European Union".&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: How do you see India-Slovenia ties?&nbsp;

Anže Logar: For Slovenia, India is a very interesting and welcome partner for cooperation. India is the 3rd most important market in this region if we count it as bilateral trade. And I see many common positions, that we can take together, especially, with the new developments of digitalisation, artificial intelligence. Looking forward to enhanced cooperation.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: Next month Indian PM is expected to travel to Portugal for the India EU summit. What will be the key focus. Also, on India EU FTA, while Indian political leadership is keen on it, but it looks some reluctance from European bureaucrats.&nbsp;

Anže Logar: In a way, India is becoming more and more important and even your foreign policy is growing its importance and interest in this global currents of political engagement and economical engagement. In that sense, European Union and India are sharing their values, values built on rule of law and coming from the same democratic hemisphere of the world. In that sense, one should only complement enhanced cooperation and I see initiatives from the Portuguese presidency, very good in a way to improve our bilateral exchange, be it from the economic point of view, be it from a political point of view. Due to the Slovenian geo strategical position, we have port koper, we can be a very good gate for Indian enterprises, in order to access the European hinterland. In that terms, Slovenia is very interested in enhancing cooperation at the EU level.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: And about the India EU FTA.&nbsp;

Anže Logar: We would like to bring this issue back high on the agenda of the European Union. We saw free trade agreement between several countries in the Indo-Pacific region, in which India did not participate in the initiative. It is very important we proceed towards this initiative between India and the European Union. I see this, as one of the main topics on the agenda.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: Slovenia has great tourism potential, especially for Indian tourists.&nbsp;

Anže Logar: Slovenia can offer, on a very small piece of land everything, what to expect, perfect landscapes. This voice of beauty of Slovenia spread around quickly. In that sense, I would suggest, like better, on the highest possible engagement between our tourist agencies as well as to enhance our cooperation. Direct air flight would definitely enhance the availability of the Slovenian tourist market to Indian tourists. &nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: What kind of cooperation India and Slovenia have against Covid pandemic?&nbsp;

Anže Logar: We can exchange information as the EU countries exchange it on a daily basis. And if there are some good consequences on countering pandemic, there are best practices in every country around the globe, if we can exchange this, we can tackle the crisis. This is a good way on how to proceed on a mix of measures that can lower volume of the spread of the crisis. Now, we are heading to the 2nd phase, which is the vaccination period, in that sense, it is a global problem. Until we globally vaccinate the population, we will still have problems with covid. So, we have to cooperate in that sense. India, has vast production capacities for vaccines, and the EU is trying to build up the capacities in producing our own, so we have vast space for cooperation. We are all on the same boat, so we have to go in same direction.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: Slovenia will be presiding over the Council of the European Union from July for six months. Key focus areas.&nbsp;

Anže Logar: We hope, we will be the first presidency in a row that will hold meetings in person. In-person rather than via audio and video because it gives pristine relation with interlocutors and it is much easier to agree on certain important details in person than via virtual connections. We hope we will be able to perform it in a full-fledged presidency. If we consider one globally important issue, it is to improve and enhance cooperation with our ally, the US. The last summit was 2017 and since then no discussion at the highest level. FTA between EU and US was stopped, and we have to kick that. The same is with India, we want to synchronise our views on bilateral exchange. Slovenia as a country of central Europe, we want to focus on countries of central Europe and western Balkans. There will be two main issues, one is resilient Europe on the health sector and we want to give strategic debate on managing the health crisis and aim to have good crisis management and second is cybersecurity. Data is next oil and EU needs to be prepared on safeguarding the digital life of European Union.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: Chinese rise, how do you see that...&nbsp;

Anže Logar: China is a seasoned power, it is rising as well, India is rising as well. Big markets are increasing influence in the world and we need to take this into consideration. If look into the Slovenian side, we have imbalanced bilateral ties with China. We import much more than export, and from my perspective, in not so distant future, we want to balance this. Between the partners, we should have more or less the same exchanges. Slovenia can offer high edge technologies, we are taking an active part in seeing the possibility to enhance our bilateral ties. If we look at the EU perspective, the last days of the German presidency, the end of 2020, we had an institutional agreement on investment with China.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: How do you see the Indo-Pacific vision?&nbsp;

Anže Logar: Lot of focus on Indo-Pacific, as well your FM Jaishankar in his book the Indian way, stressed on rediscovering Indo-Pacific and the importance of it. We know the first visit of the US Secretary of state was to Indo-Pacific. This is proof of the importance of the region. As the incoming presidency, we think the EU has to be very actively engaged in discussion with Indo-Pacific countries. &nbsp;

Slovenia's Foreign Minister Anže Logar has batted for strong ties with India while calling for European Union to increase engagement with countries in the Indo-Pacific.

Slovenia's Foreign Minister Anže Logar has batted for strong ties with India while calling for European Union to increase engagement with countries in the Indo-Pacific. Speaking exclusively to our Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Logar said, "India is a very interesting and welcome partner for cooperation...see many common positions that we can take together". On the Indo-Pacific vision, the foreign minister said, "We think the EU has to be very actively engaged in discussion with Indo-Pacific countries." His comments are important since Slovenia will be presiding over the Council of the European Union from July for six months. The Indian PM is expected to travel to Portugal next month for the India EU summit. The summit happens under the Portuguese presidency. Asked about India EU Free Trade agreement, FM Logar pointed out that, his country "would like to bring this issue back high on the agenda of the European Union". Sidhant Sibal: How do you see India-Slovenia ties? Anže Logar: For Slovenia, India is a very interesting and welcome partner for cooperation. India is the 3rd most important market in this region if we count it as bilateral trade. And I see many common positions, that we can take together, especially, with the new developments of digitalisation, artificial intelligence. Looking forward to enhanced cooperation. Sidhant Sibal: Next month Indian PM is expected to travel to Portugal for the India EU summit. What will be the key focus. Also, on India EU FTA, while Indian political leadership is keen on it, but it looks some reluctance from European bureaucrats. Anže Logar: In a way, India is becoming more and more important and even your foreign policy is growing its importance and interest in this global currents of political engagement and economical engagement. In that sense, European Union and India are sharing their values, values built on rule of law and coming from the same democratic hemisphere of the world. In that sense, one should only complement enhanced cooperation and I see initiatives from the Portuguese presidency, very good in a way to improve our bilateral exchange, be it from the economic point of view, be it from a political point of view. Due to the Slovenian geo strategical position, we have port koper, we can be a very good gate for Indian enterprises, in order to access the European hinterland. In that terms, Slovenia is very interested in enhancing cooperation at the EU level. Sidhant Sibal: And about the India EU FTA. Anže Logar: We would like to bring this issue back high on the agenda of the European Union. We saw free trade agreement between several countries in the Indo-Pacific region, in which India did not participate in the initiative. It is very important we proceed towards this initiative between India and the European Union. I see this, as one of the main topics on the agenda. Sidhant Sibal: Slovenia has great tourism potential, especially for Indian tourists. Anže Logar: Slovenia can offer, on a very small piece of land everything, what to expect, perfect landscapes. This voice of beauty of Slovenia spread around quickly. In that sense, I would suggest, like better, on the highest possible engagement between our tourist agencies as well as to enhance our cooperation. Direct air flight would definitely enhance the availability of the Slovenian tourist market to Indian tourists. Sidhant Sibal: What kind of cooperation India and Slovenia have against Covid pandemic? Anže Logar: We can exchange information as the EU countries exchange it on a daily basis. And if there are some good consequences on countering pandemic, there are best practices in every country around the globe, if we can exchange this, we can tackle the crisis. This is a good way on how to proceed on a mix of measures that can lower volume of the spread of the crisis. Now, we are heading to the 2nd phase, which is the vaccination period, in that sense, it is a global problem. Until we globally vaccinate the population, we will still have problems with covid. So, we have to cooperate in that sense. India, has vast production capacities for vaccines, and the EU is trying to build up the capacities in producing our own, so we have vast space for cooperation. We are all on the same boat, so we have to go in same direction. Sidhant Sibal: Slovenia will be presiding over the Council of the European Union from July for six months. Key focus areas. Anže Logar: We hope, we will be the first presidency in a row that will hold meetings in person. In-person rather than via audio and video because it gives pristine relation with interlocutors and it is much easier to agree on certain important details in person than via virtual connections. We hope we will be able to perform it in a full-fledged presidency. If we consider one globally important issue, it is to improve and enhance cooperation with our ally, the US. The last summit was 2017 and since then no discussion at the highest level. FTA between EU and US was stopped, and we have to kick that. The same is with India, we want to synchronise our views on bilateral exchange. Slovenia as a country of central Europe, we want to focus on countries of central Europe and western Balkans. There will be two main issues, one is resilient Europe on the health sector and we want to give strategic debate on managing the health crisis and aim to have good crisis management and second is cybersecurity. Data is next oil and EU needs to be prepared on safeguarding the digital life of European Union. Sidhant Sibal: Chinese rise, how do you see that... Anže Logar: China is a seasoned power, it is rising as well, India is rising as well. Big markets are increasing influence in the world and we need to take this into consideration. If look into the Slovenian side, we have imbalanced bilateral ties with China. We import much more than export, and from my perspective, in not so distant future, we want to balance this. Between the partners, we should have more or less the same exchanges. Slovenia can offer high edge technologies, we are taking an active part in seeing the possibility to enhance our bilateral ties. If we look at the EU perspective, the last days of the German presidency, the end of 2020, we had an institutional agreement on investment with China. Sidhant Sibal: How do you see the Indo-Pacific vision? Anže Logar: Lot of focus on Indo-Pacific, as well your FM Jaishankar in his book the Indian way, stressed on rediscovering Indo-Pacific and the importance of it. We know the first visit of the US Secretary of state was to Indo-Pacific. This is proof of the importance of the region. As the incoming presidency, we think the EU has to be very actively engaged in discussion with Indo-Pacific countries.

Slovenia FM bats for stronger ties with India, engagement on Indo-Pacific 

Maldives sports minister Ahmed Mahloof has said that India and Maldives are 'writing history in the Maldives – India sports ties' even as New Delhi is helping build mega sporting infrastructure in the Indian ocean country. Speaking exclusively to Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Male, Ahmed Mahloof said that the recently announced line of credit will be used for, "developing the first-ever National Centers for Basketball, Volleyball, Table Tennis and Netball" of the country.&nbsp;

February saw the visit of India's external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar to the Maldives during which India announced a $40 million line of credit (LOC) for sports infrastructure in the Indian Ocean Island country. In November last year, the Indian Foreign Secretary had done the groundbreaking for the synthetic track at the Ekuveni stadium. India is also building state of art Cricket Stadium in Hulhumalé and is training young Maldivians in cricket.&nbsp;

<img alt="Maldives sports minister Ahmed Mahloof " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="029f5768-67bc-4e22-b8db-74dbc4e8d3a7" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/EAM%20Jaishankar%20with%20Maldives%20sports%20minister%20Ahmed%20Mahloof%20%20%282%29.jpg" />

In picture:&nbsp;Maldives sports minister Ahmed Mahloof (Image credit:Twitter)

Wion: How do you see India-Maldives sports ties?&nbsp;

Ahmed Mahloof: India has always provided support for the development of sports in the Maldives. Our national teams have had training camps in India and India has always provided technical assistance for our sports associations. We are installing 61 outdoor gyms and the development of Ekuveni Synthetic Track was also made possible due to the generous aid provided by India. I believe we are writing history in Maldives – India sports ties. External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar announced a USD 40 Million LoC for sports infrastructure and the bidding process for Maldives first International Cricket Stadium is also underway. The future of Maldivian Sports looks bright with India by our side.&nbsp;

Wion: India offered $40 m LoC for sports infra. What kind of sports Infra you are looking at?&nbsp;

Ahmed Mahloof: We are looking at the development of synthetic tracks in several islands along with the development of badminton, volleyball, table tennis, and basketball facilities in different islands across the country. We’ll also be developing the first-ever national centers for basketball, volleyball, table tennis and netball under this credit line.&nbsp;

Wion: &nbsp;India is training the Maldives cricket team. Do u see the Maldives cricket team on the international stage? How do you see cricket diplomacy?&nbsp;

Ahmed Mahloof: India is the world’s leading cricket nation and I believe that with the assistance that is being provided we have a high chance of making it to the international stage in the near future. We also have very talented players and the development of the international cricket stadium will have a very positive impact in their development.&nbsp;

Wion: Do you think sports is the biggest bond between any two countries?&nbsp;

Ahmed Mahloof: PM Modi and President Solih’s excellent relationship has brought our nations much closer than ever. We share a very strong bond in various different fields and with the unprecedented assistance that is being provided to the Maldives – the India union will continue to grow in the upcoming years. Sports plays a vital role in the brotherly relations we share, and I would say India will always remain as our closest friends.&nbsp;

Maldives sports minister Ahmed Mahloof has said that India and Maldives are 'writing history in the Maldives – India sports ties' even as New Delhi is helping build mega sporting infrastructure in the Indian ocean country.

Maldives sports minister Ahmed Mahloof has said that India and Maldives are 'writing history in the Maldives – India sports ties' even as New Delhi is helping build mega sporting infrastructure in the Indian ocean country. Speaking exclusively to Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Male, Ahmed Mahloof said that the recently announced line of credit will be used for, "developing the first-ever National Centers for Basketball, Volleyball, Table Tennis and Netball" of the country. February saw the visit of India's external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar to the Maldives during which India announced a $40 million line of credit (LOC) for sports infrastructure in the Indian Ocean Island country. In November last year, the Indian Foreign Secretary had done the groundbreaking for the synthetic track at the Ekuveni stadium. India is also building state of art Cricket Stadium in Hulhumalé and is training young Maldivians in cricket. In picture: Maldives sports minister Ahmed Mahloof (Image credit:Twitter) Wion: How do you see India-Maldives sports ties? Ahmed Mahloof: India has always provided support for the development of sports in the Maldives. Our national teams have had training camps in India and India has always provided technical assistance for our sports associations. We are installing 61 outdoor gyms and the development of Ekuveni Synthetic Track was also made possible due to the generous aid provided by India. I believe we are writing history in Maldives – India sports ties. External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar announced a USD 40 Million LoC for sports infrastructure and the bidding process for Maldives first International Cricket Stadium is also underway. The future of Maldivian Sports looks bright with India by our side. Wion: India offered $40 m LoC for sports infra. What kind of sports Infra you are looking at? Ahmed Mahloof: We are looking at the development of synthetic tracks in several islands along with the development of badminton, volleyball, table tennis, and basketball facilities in different islands across the country. We’ll also be developing the first-ever national centers for basketball, volleyball, table tennis and netball under this credit line. Wion: India is training the Maldives cricket team. Do u see the Maldives cricket team on the international stage? How do you see cricket diplomacy? Ahmed Mahloof: India is the world’s leading cricket nation and I believe that with the assistance that is being provided we have a high chance of making it to the international stage in the near future. We also have very talented players and the development of the international cricket stadium will have a very positive impact in their development. Wion: Do you think sports is the biggest bond between any two countries? Ahmed Mahloof: PM Modi and President Solih’s excellent relationship has brought our nations much closer than ever. We share a very strong bond in various different fields and with the unprecedented assistance that is being provided to the Maldives – the India union will continue to grow in the upcoming years. Sports plays a vital role in the brotherly relations we share, and I would say India will always remain as our closest friends.

We are writing history in Maldives-India sports ties: Maldives sports minister

Israel's embattled Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-trump-discusses-iran-with-israeli-pm-netanyahu-265644">Benjamin&nbsp;Netanyahu</a>&nbsp;will&nbsp;meet&nbsp;this week with US Secretary of State Mike&nbsp;Pompeo&nbsp;in&nbsp;Portugal&nbsp;as the Jewish state looks to normalise ties in the Arab world, officials said Tuesday.

Pompeo&nbsp;will head to Lisbon on Wednesday and hold talks with&nbsp;Netanyahu, a day before flying to Morocco which has a growing, if quiet, relationship with Israel.

State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus late Tuesday confirmed the meeting in a statement without further details.

A political source in Jerusalem earlier told AFP that&nbsp;Netanyahu&nbsp;would fly to Lisbon to see&nbsp;Pompeo, while Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa's office also said that he would&nbsp;meet&nbsp;separately with the two men on Thursday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/political-deadlock-in-israel-benjamin-netanyahu-running-out-of-options-264457">Netanyahu</a>, who is fighting for his political life after an indictment on graft charges, is a close ally of President Donald Trump, who has taken a number of landmark steps to side with Israel.

The State Department earlier said that&nbsp;Pompeo&nbsp;would&nbsp;meet&nbsp;in Rabat with King Mohammed VI, who has cooperated closely with the United States.&nbsp;

"Morocco plays a great role across the region as an important partner in promoting tolerance (and) has these quiet ties and relationship with Israel as well," a State Department official said last week.

Egypt and Jordan are the only Arab nations to have signed peace treaties with Israel but Morocco, along with some Gulf states such as Bahrain, has been relaxing the Arab world's decades-old boycott of the Jewish state.

Morocco has unofficially welcomed Israeli investors and tourists. Some 3,000 Jews live in Morocco, a fraction of the number from before the 1948 creation of Israel but still the largest community in the Arab world.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/netanyahu-can-stay-on-as-prime-minister-despite-indictment-israels-attorney-general-264513">Netanyahu&nbsp;and&nbsp;Pompeo</a>&nbsp;are also likely to discuss their shared hard line on Iran, which has tried the patience even of European supporters of a 2015 nuclear accord through steps taken to protest US economic sanctions.

Netanyahu&nbsp;is Israel's longest-serving prime minister but he has been in acting capacity for much of 2019 after two inconclusive elections.

In a new pro-Israel shift,&nbsp;Pompeo&nbsp;said last month that the United States no longer considered Jewish settlements in the West Bank to be illegal, a position taken by nearly all major nations as well as the United Nations.

The US position offers a boost to&nbsp;Netanyahu&nbsp;as he threatens to annex much of the West Bank, a step that would severely impede the long-held Palestinian hope for a separate state.

Among previous steps, Trump earlier recognised bitterly contested Jerusalem as Israel's capital and cut off US funding for the UN body that supports Palestinian refugees.

Israel's embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet this week with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Portugal as the Jewish state looks to normalise ties in the Arab world, officials said Tuesday.

Israel's embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet this week with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Portugal as the Jewish state looks to normalise ties in the Arab world, officials said Tuesday. Pompeo will head to Lisbon on Wednesday and hold talks with Netanyahu, a day before flying to Morocco which has a growing, if quiet, relationship with Israel. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus late Tuesday confirmed the meeting in a statement without further details. A political source in Jerusalem earlier told AFP that Netanyahu would fly to Lisbon to see Pompeo, while Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa's office also said that he would meet separately with the two men on Thursday. Netanyahu, who is fighting for his political life after an indictment on graft charges, is a close ally of President Donald Trump, who has taken a number of landmark steps to side with Israel. The State Department earlier said that Pompeo would meet in Rabat with King Mohammed VI, who has cooperated closely with the United States. "Morocco plays a great role across the region as an important partner in promoting tolerance (and) has these quiet ties and relationship with Israel as well," a State Department official said last week. Egypt and Jordan are the only Arab nations to have signed peace treaties with Israel but Morocco, along with some Gulf states such as Bahrain, has been relaxing the Arab world's decades-old boycott of the Jewish state. Morocco has unofficially welcomed Israeli investors and tourists. Some 3,000 Jews live in Morocco, a fraction of the number from before the 1948 creation of Israel but still the largest community in the Arab world. Netanyahu and Pompeo are also likely to discuss their shared hard line on Iran, which has tried the patience even of European supporters of a 2015 nuclear accord through steps taken to protest US economic sanctions. Netanyahu is Israel's longest-serving prime minister but he has been in acting capacity for much of 2019 after two inconclusive elections. In a new pro-Israel shift, Pompeo said last month that the United States no longer considered Jewish settlements in the West Bank to be illegal, a position taken by nearly all major nations as well as the United Nations. The US position offers a boost to Netanyahu as he threatens to annex much of the West Bank, a step that would severely impede the long-held Palestinian hope for a separate state. Among previous steps, Trump earlier recognised bitterly contested Jerusalem as Israel's capital and cut off US funding for the UN body that supports Palestinian refugees.

Netanyahu to meet Pompeo in Portugal amid attempts to improve ties with Arab world

At the 2012 opening of Trump Towers in Istanbul, real estate mogul Donald Trump sang the praises of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tayyip-erdogan-says-united-states-not-fulfilling-syria-deal-ahead-of-doanld-trump-talks-260531">Tayyip Erdogan</a>, telling a mostly Turkish audience that their leader, prime minister at the time, was "highly respected" around the world.

"He's a good man. He's just representing you very well," Trump said at the ceremony.

Since becoming the US&nbsp;president, Trump has openly complimented Erdogan and his combative ruling style, calling him "a friend" and "hell of a leader."

Such fondness from Trump for the Turkish president, who is due to meet with him at the White House on Wednesday, is seen by many as the only reason why relations between Turkey and the United States have not completely collapsed, having soured severely over their disagreements on a host of issues.

"The two leaders have an affinity for each other as strongman presidents," said Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, while warning of the deep animosity within the bureaucracies of the two NATO allies.

"The Erdogan-Trump part of the US-Turkey relationship is really the only component of it that is currently working right now," Cagaptay said. "Confidence between government agencies of both countries has eroded and there is considerable anger towards the US&nbsp;in Turkey and vice versa."

Washington and Ankara hit a new crisis point last month over Syria after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-says-kurdish-fighters-have-not-left-syria-safe-zone-despite-us-russia-deals-260109">Erdogan began a cross-border incursion</a> against America's Kurdish allies and upended the US&nbsp;presence there. Months earlier, the United States was livid over Turkey's purchase of Russian missile defence systems.

Turkey shrugged off threats of US&nbsp;sanctions and began receiving its first S-400 deliveries in July. In response, Washington removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program, in which Ankara was a manufacturer and buyer. But so far, it has not imposed any sanctions.

The move infuriated the US&nbsp;Congress, whose anger toward Turkey deepened following Ankara's offensive into Syria to drive out the Kurdish militia, Washington's main partner in the fight against Islamic State.

The US&nbsp;House of Representatives last month passed a sanctions package to punish Turkey over its Syria operation while key members of the Senate, including Trump ally Lindsey Graham, have vowed to advance it if Ankara endangers Kurds.

The House has also voted in favour of a non-binding resolution recognizing as genocide the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians 100 years ago, for the first time, angering Ankara. Some lawmakers on Monday asked Trump in a letter to rescind the invitation to Erdogan.

Erdogan has managed to avoid sanctions so far, but on Sunday, White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien said the threat was real. "If Turkey doesn't get rid of the S-400, I mean, there will likely be sanctions. ... Turkey will feel the impact of those sanctions," he told CBS News.

Washington wants S-400S abandoned

The issues straining the NATO allies stretch well beyond Syria and Russia. While <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkeys-erdogan-speaks-with-trump-to-visit-washington-next-week-260443">Washington has largely stayed quiet</a> in the face of an increasingly authoritarian Erdogan, it wants Ankara to drop charges against US&nbsp;consular workers prosecuted in Turkey.

For Ankara, its long-standing extradition request for US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who it blames for orchestrating the 2016 failed coup, and US&nbsp;charges on Turkey's state-owned Halkbank for Iran sanctions-busting are also contentious.

"We are of the same opinion with President Trump to solve problems and to improve our relations despite clouds in our bilateral ties," Erdogan told reporters before his flight to Washington. "We have made significant progress on several issues despite bureaucratic and political sabotage attempts by some remnants of the previous administration."

For Wednesday, the Trump administration's main goals are to get Erdogan to drop plans to use the S-400s and to agree to a permanent ceasefire in Syria, a senior administration official said. "We want to lock that in," the official said, referring to both issues.

If Turkey agrees, Washington could eventually allow Ankara back on the F-35 fighter jet program and offer to sign a $100 billion trade agreement, two US&nbsp;officials said. But Ankara has yet to signal a reversal.

"Something like Turkey taking a step back from its purchase of S-400s is not on the agenda," a senior Turkish official said.

Since his announcement last December to pull out all troops from Syria, Trump has softened plans and agreed to keep a residual force in the northeastern part of the country. As part of that plan, Washington wants to continue working with SDF fighters in the region to press on Islamic State, a move Ankara dislikes.

"US&nbsp;soldiers remaining at oil fields in Syria are also against the spirit of what is being done in Syria," the Turkish official said. "The support the United States provides the YPG is one of the biggest threats to ties between the two countries in the coming period. This will be underlined very seriously during the visit," he said.

Despite the disagreements, Ankara remains hopeful, citing a warm telephone conversation between the two leaders last week. "With Trump's personal support, I believe the visit will contribute to overcoming problems. The phone call gave serious indications of this," the official added.

At the 2012 opening of Trump Towers in Istanbul, real estate mogul Donald Trump sang the praises of Tayyip Erdogan, telling a mostly Turkish audience that their leader, prime minister at the time, was "highly respected" around the world.

At the 2012 opening of Trump Towers in Istanbul, real estate mogul Donald Trump sang the praises of Tayyip Erdogan, telling a mostly Turkish audience that their leader, prime minister at the time, was "highly respected" around the world. "He's a good man. He's just representing you very well," Trump said at the ceremony. Since becoming the US president, Trump has openly complimented Erdogan and his combative ruling style, calling him "a friend" and "hell of a leader." Such fondness from Trump for the Turkish president, who is due to meet with him at the White House on Wednesday, is seen by many as the only reason why relations between Turkey and the United States have not completely collapsed, having soured severely over their disagreements on a host of issues. "The two leaders have an affinity for each other as strongman presidents," said Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, while warning of the deep animosity within the bureaucracies of the two NATO allies. "The Erdogan-Trump part of the US-Turkey relationship is really the only component of it that is currently working right now," Cagaptay said. "Confidence between government agencies of both countries has eroded and there is considerable anger towards the US in Turkey and vice versa." Washington and Ankara hit a new crisis point last month over Syria after Erdogan began a cross-border incursion against America's Kurdish allies and upended the US presence there. Months earlier, the United States was livid over Turkey's purchase of Russian missile defence systems. Turkey shrugged off threats of US sanctions and began receiving its first S-400 deliveries in July. In response, Washington removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program, in which Ankara was a manufacturer and buyer. But so far, it has not imposed any sanctions. The move infuriated the US Congress, whose anger toward Turkey deepened following Ankara's offensive into Syria to drive out the Kurdish militia, Washington's main partner in the fight against Islamic State. The US House of Representatives last month passed a sanctions package to punish Turkey over its Syria operation while key members of the Senate, including Trump ally Lindsey Graham, have vowed to advance it if Ankara endangers Kurds. The House has also voted in favour of a non-binding resolution recognizing as genocide the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians 100 years ago, for the first time, angering Ankara. Some lawmakers on Monday asked Trump in a letter to rescind the invitation to Erdogan. Erdogan has managed to avoid sanctions so far, but on Sunday, White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien said the threat was real. "If Turkey doesn't get rid of the S-400, I mean, there will likely be sanctions. ... Turkey will feel the impact of those sanctions," he told CBS News. Washington wants S-400S abandoned The issues straining the NATO allies stretch well beyond Syria and Russia. While Washington has largely stayed quiet in the face of an increasingly authoritarian Erdogan, it wants Ankara to drop charges against US consular workers prosecuted in Turkey. For Ankara, its long-standing extradition request for US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who it blames for orchestrating the 2016 failed coup, and US charges on Turkey's state-owned Halkbank for Iran sanctions-busting are also contentious. "We are of the same opinion with President Trump to solve problems and to improve our relations despite clouds in our bilateral ties," Erdogan told reporters before his flight to Washington. "We have made significant progress on several issues despite bureaucratic and political sabotage attempts by some remnants of the previous administration." For Wednesday, the Trump administration's main goals are to get Erdogan to drop plans to use the S-400s and to agree to a permanent ceasefire in Syria, a senior administration official said. "We want to lock that in," the official said, referring to both issues. If Turkey agrees, Washington could eventually allow Ankara back on the F-35 fighter jet program and offer to sign a $100 billion trade agreement, two US officials said. But Ankara has yet to signal a reversal. "Something like Turkey taking a step back from its purchase of S-400s is not on the agenda," a senior Turkish official said. Since his announcement last December to pull out all troops from Syria, Trump has softened plans and agreed to keep a residual force in the northeastern part of the country. As part of that plan, Washington wants to continue working with SDF fighters in the region to press on Islamic State, a move Ankara dislikes. "US soldiers remaining at oil fields in Syria are also against the spirit of what is being done in Syria," the Turkish official said. "The support the United States provides the YPG is one of the biggest threats to ties between the two countries in the coming period. This will be underlined very seriously during the visit," he said. Despite the disagreements, Ankara remains hopeful, citing a warm telephone conversation between the two leaders last week. "With Trump's personal support, I believe the visit will contribute to overcoming problems. The phone call gave serious indications of this," the official added.

Behind Trump-Erdogan 'bromance,' a White House meeting to repair US-Turkey ties

An opinion piece in a Chinese daily has described China`s ties with India as still being fragile, especially after troops of both countries were engaged in a military stand-off near the trilateral boundary that they share with Bhutan on the Doklam Plateau.

The opinion piece further rubs in the fact that Beijing exhibited its prowess and strength and emphatically sent out a message in the neighbourhood that it could not be messed around with when it came to its sovereignty over the territory.

&quot;This summer witnessed the Doklam standoff between China and India. The two sides eventually resolved the crisis peacefully. Yet the incident exposed how fragile Sino-Indian ties are, while indicating (at the same time) Chinese capability to push back provocations from other nations (Read India) through its own strength,&quot; says the opinion piece in the state-run Global Times.

Doklam or Zhoglam (in Standard Tibetan), known as Donglang in Chinese is an area with a plateau and a valley, lying between Tibet&#39;s Chumbi Valley to the north, Bhutan&#39;s Ha Valley to the east and India&#39;s Sikkim state to the west.

In June 2017, a military standoff occurred between China and India as China attempted to extend a road on the Doklam Plateau southwards near the Doka La pass and Indian troops moved in to prevent the Chinese.

India claimed to have acted on behalf of Bhutan, with which it has a &#39;special relationship&#39;. Bhutan also then formally objected to China&#39;s road construction in a disputed area.

On August 28, 2017, it was announced that India and China had mutually agreed to a speedy disengagement on the Doklam Plateau, bringing to an end to the military face-off that lasted for close to three months.

The Chinese foreign ministry, however, sidestepped the question of whether Beijing would continue the road construction.

Latest reports and satellite images of the area indicate that China is continuing with road construction activity on its side of the trilateral boundary.

&quot;Needless to say, the neighbourhood around China is the most complex one among major powers. Without stability in the region surrounding the country, the Global Times simultaneously adds that &quot;it is (would be) impossible for Beijing to take its strategic initiative around the world.

&quot;Describing China as a rising power, the daily says that &quot;China is getting to know better how to adapt to its surrounding nations. Although individual problems and crisis had at time been troublesome, the strategic stability following the emergence of China has increased.&quot;

On tensions related to the South China Sea, it says that the year 2017 has seen an improvement in Beijing&#39;s ties with the ASEAN and this momentum being maintained and sustained with the help of a framework for establishing a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea.

&quot;Beijing&#39;s diplomatic efforts have played a significant role in cooling troubled waters. The rise of China is a fact..Tensions in the South China Sea have tested relevant nations in this regard and consensus concerning those questions has been accumulated..The biggest challenge in China`s periphery in 2017 is the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The almost uncontrollable confrontation between Washington and Pyongyang mirrored the limitations of China`s ability to shape the landscape around it,&quot; the Global Times opines.&quot;

Yet 2017 tells us that emerging China has the resources to solve and control the problems even as they increase.

The self-healing ability of crisis in our neighbourhood is also growing stronger.

The biggest driving force for solving China`s problems on its periphery is development. As long as Beijing keeps its strong development momentum, China will be able to implement ever greater strategic initiatives,&quot; the opinion piece concludes.

Beijing exhibited its prowess and strength and emphatically sent out a message in the neighbourhood that it could not be messed around with when it came to its sovereignty over the territory

An opinion piece in a Chinese daily has described China`s ties with India as still being fragile, especially after troops of both countries were engaged in a military stand-off near the trilateral boundary that they share with Bhutan on the Doklam Plateau. The opinion piece further rubs in the fact that Beijing exhibited its prowess and strength and emphatically sent out a message in the neighbourhood that it could not be messed around with when it came to its sovereignty over the territory. "This summer witnessed the Doklam standoff between China and India. The two sides eventually resolved the crisis peacefully. Yet the incident exposed how fragile Sino-Indian ties are, while indicating (at the same time) Chinese capability to push back provocations from other nations (Read India) through its own strength," says the opinion piece in the state-run Global Times. Doklam or Zhoglam (in Standard Tibetan), known as Donglang in Chinese is an area with a plateau and a valley, lying between Tibet's Chumbi Valley to the north, Bhutan's Ha Valley to the east and India's Sikkim state to the west. In June 2017, a military standoff occurred between China and India as China attempted to extend a road on the Doklam Plateau southwards near the Doka La pass and Indian troops moved in to prevent the Chinese. India claimed to have acted on behalf of Bhutan, with which it has a 'special relationship'. Bhutan also then formally objected to China's road construction in a disputed area. On August 28, 2017, it was announced that India and China had mutually agreed to a speedy disengagement on the Doklam Plateau, bringing to an end to the military face-off that lasted for close to three months. The Chinese foreign ministry, however, sidestepped the question of whether Beijing would continue the road construction. Latest reports and satellite images of the area indicate that China is continuing with road construction activity on its side of the trilateral boundary. "Needless to say, the neighbourhood around China is the most complex one among major powers. Without stability in the region surrounding the country, the Global Times simultaneously adds that "it is (would be) impossible for Beijing to take its strategic initiative around the world. "Describing China as a rising power, the daily says that "China is getting to know better how to adapt to its surrounding nations. Although individual problems and crisis had at time been troublesome, the strategic stability following the emergence of China has increased." On tensions related to the South China Sea, it says that the year 2017 has seen an improvement in Beijing's ties with the ASEAN and this momentum being maintained and sustained with the help of a framework for establishing a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea. "Beijing's diplomatic efforts have played a significant role in cooling troubled waters. The rise of China is a fact..Tensions in the South China Sea have tested relevant nations in this regard and consensus concerning those questions has been accumulated..The biggest challenge in China`s periphery in 2017 is the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The almost uncontrollable confrontation between Washington and Pyongyang mirrored the limitations of China`s ability to shape the landscape around it," the Global Times opines." Yet 2017 tells us that emerging China has the resources to solve and control the problems even as they increase. The self-healing ability of crisis in our neighbourhood is also growing stronger. The biggest driving force for solving China`s problems on its periphery is development. As long as Beijing keeps its strong development momentum, China will be able to implement ever greater strategic initiatives," the opinion piece concludes.

Doklam exposed fragility of ties with India, says Chinese daily

Israel and Turkey on Sunday reached agreement to normalise ties, senior officials from both countries said, to end a rift over the Israeli navy`s killing of 10 Turkish pro-Palestinian activists who tried to sail to the blockaded Gaza Strip in 2010. 
 
A formal announcement on the restoration of ties and the details of the agreement were expected on Monday at 1000 GMT by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in Rome, and Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in Ankara. 
 
&quot;We reached an agreement with Israel to normalise bilateral relations on Sunday in Rome,&quot; a senior Turkish official said, describing the agreement as a &quot;diplomatic victory&quot; for Turkey, although Israel has not accepted to lift the Gaza blockade, one of Ankara`s three conditions for an agreement. 
 
The once-firm allies had been quietly mending fences in trade and tourism since their leaders held a conciliatory telephone call in 2013 and negotiations have intensified over the past six months to pave the way for a mutual return of ambassadors. 
 
Netanyahu travelled to Rome on Sunday to meet U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Israeli and Turkish officials were also in the Italian capital to finalise the deal. 
 
Israel, which had already offered its apologies - one of Ankara`s three conditions for a deal - for its lethal raid on the Mavi Marmara activist ship, agreed to pay out $20 million to the bereaved and injured, the Israeli official said in a briefing to Israeli reporters travelling with Netanyahu. 
 
Under the deal, Turkey will deliver humanitarian aid and other non-military products to Gaza and carry out infrastructure projects including residential buildings and a hospital in the area, the senior Turkish official said. Concrete steps will be taken to address the water and power crisis in the city. 
 
A senior Israeli official said senior foreign ministry diplomats from both countries would separately sign parallel agreements on Tuesday. 
 
The deal, politically touchy for both countries, could pave the way for lucrative Mediterranean gas deals and a diplomatic reprieve from Turkish troubles with next-door Syria and Europe. 
 
The rare rapprochement in the Middle East, bitterly divided over Syria`s civil war, has been largely driven by increasing security risks with the rise of Islamic State and as both countries seek new alliances amid a polarised region. 
 
Israel demanded that its military officers and government officials be indemnified against prosecution on war crimes allegations. The Israeli official said the money would be paid after Turkey`s parliament passed legislation on the issue. 
 
Turkey`s Islamist-rooted President Tayyip Erdogan had cast himself as guardian of Palestinian interests and engaged Hamas, the faction that controls Gaza and is on the terrorist blacklists of Israel and Western powers. 
 
A 2011 report commissioned by UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon upheld the legality of the Gaza blockade, which Israel says is needed to stem Hamas arms smuggling. The UN inquiry also faulted Israel for its marines` use of lethal force as they stormed the Mavi Marmara and brawled with activists on the deck. 
 
Separate to the agreement, the Israeli official said Erdogan would instruct relevant Turkish agencies to resolve the issue of missing Israelis in the Gaza Strip. Israel says Hamas is holding the bodies of two Israeli soldiers killed in the 2014 Gaza War and believes two civilians are also missing. 
 
(Reuters)

Turkey will deliver humanitarian aid and other non-military products to Gaza and building Residential buildings and hospitals

Israel and Turkey on Sunday reached agreement to normalise ties, senior officials from both countries said, to end a rift over the Israeli navy`s killing of 10 Turkish pro-Palestinian activists who tried to sail to the blockaded Gaza Strip in 2010. A formal announcement on the restoration of ties and the details of the agreement were expected on Monday at 1000 GMT by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in Rome, and Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in Ankara. "We reached an agreement with Israel to normalise bilateral relations on Sunday in Rome," a senior Turkish official said, describing the agreement as a "diplomatic victory" for Turkey, although Israel has not accepted to lift the Gaza blockade, one of Ankara`s three conditions for an agreement. The once-firm allies had been quietly mending fences in trade and tourism since their leaders held a conciliatory telephone call in 2013 and negotiations have intensified over the past six months to pave the way for a mutual return of ambassadors. Netanyahu travelled to Rome on Sunday to meet U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Israeli and Turkish officials were also in the Italian capital to finalise the deal. Israel, which had already offered its apologies - one of Ankara`s three conditions for a deal - for its lethal raid on the Mavi Marmara activist ship, agreed to pay out $20 million to the bereaved and injured, the Israeli official said in a briefing to Israeli reporters travelling with Netanyahu. Under the deal, Turkey will deliver humanitarian aid and other non-military products to Gaza and carry out infrastructure projects including residential buildings and a hospital in the area, the senior Turkish official said. Concrete steps will be taken to address the water and power crisis in the city. A senior Israeli official said senior foreign ministry diplomats from both countries would separately sign parallel agreements on Tuesday. The deal, politically touchy for both countries, could pave the way for lucrative Mediterranean gas deals and a diplomatic reprieve from Turkish troubles with next-door Syria and Europe. The rare rapprochement in the Middle East, bitterly divided over Syria`s civil war, has been largely driven by increasing security risks with the rise of Islamic State and as both countries seek new alliances amid a polarised region. Israel demanded that its military officers and government officials be indemnified against prosecution on war crimes allegations. The Israeli official said the money would be paid after Turkey`s parliament passed legislation on the issue. Turkey`s Islamist-rooted President Tayyip Erdogan had cast himself as guardian of Palestinian interests and engaged Hamas, the faction that controls Gaza and is on the terrorist blacklists of Israel and Western powers. A 2011 report commissioned by UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon upheld the legality of the Gaza blockade, which Israel says is needed to stem Hamas arms smuggling. The UN inquiry also faulted Israel for its marines` use of lethal force as they stormed the Mavi Marmara and brawled with activists on the deck. Separate to the agreement, the Israeli official said Erdogan would instruct relevant Turkish agencies to resolve the issue of missing Israelis in the Gaza Strip. Israel says Hamas is holding the bodies of two Israeli soldiers killed in the 2014 Gaza War and believes two civilians are also missing. (Reuters)

Israel and Turkey agree to normalise ties

Turkey&#39;s president warned Germany on Tuesday that its plans to declare the 1915 mass killing of Armenians a genocide would damage bilateral ties, raising new concerns about an EU-Turkey migrant deal championed by Chancellor Angela Merkel.

German lawmakers are expected to approve a symbolic resolution on Thursday that labels the killings of up to 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman forces &quot;genocide&quot;, a description that Turkey strongly rejects.

The vote had been scheduled to take place over a year ago, on the 100th anniversary of the massacre, but Merkel&#39;s allies in parliament pushed it back repeatedly out of concern that it could hurt relations with Ankara.

Now they have run out of time and may be wishing they had let the vote take place sooner.

The opposition Greens have pushed the resolution onto the agenda at an extremely awkward time for Merkel, the driving force behind an agreement between the EU and Ankara that has helped slash the number of illegal migrants entering Europe.

The deal has eased political pressure on Merkel at home. But it has been under a cloud since its strongest proponent in the Turkish government, Ahmet Davutoglu, was pushed out as prime minister this month. Since then, President Tayyip Erdogan has questioned aspects of the agreement and some of his allies have even threatened to unleash a new wave of refugees on Europe.

In comments to reporters before he left for an official visit to&nbsp;Africa, Erdogan lashed out at those who he said were trying to &quot;deceive&quot; Germany over the 1915 events, without accusing anyone in particular.

&quot;If Germany is to be deceived by this, then bilateral diplomatic, economic, trade, political, and military ties - we are both NATO countries - will be damaged,&quot; he said.

The comments came after he spoke to Merkel by telephone to express his concern about the resolution. Sources in both capitals said Erdogan had initiated the call.

&nbsp;

GERMAN HISTORY

The resolution, which is formally supported by Merkel&#39;s conservative bloc, the centre-left Social Democrats and the Greens, uses the word &quot;genocide&quot; in the headline and text.

&quot;The fate of the Armenians is exemplary in the history of mass exterminations, ethnic cleansing, deportations and yes, genocide, which marked the 20th century in such a terrible way,&quot; it reads.

The resolution also touches on the &quot;inglorious&quot; role of the German Empire, a military ally of the Ottomans, because it did nothing to stop the massacre.

Turkey argues that the there was no organised campaign to wipe out the Armenians, who are Christian, and no evidence of any such orders from the Ottoman authorities.

Cem Oezdemir, a leader of the Greens with Turkish roots, told Reuters he had experienced weeks of personal attacks from Turkish nationalists on social media and via email because of his role in championing the resolution.

&quot;It wasn&#39;t our goal to hold this vote now,&quot; Oezdemir said. &quot;But the timing is not that important. The Bundestag is doing this because this is also a part of German history. The Ottoman and German empires were essentially brothers in arms.&quot;

The vote coincides with deepening public scepticism in Germany towards Turkey and Erdogan in particular. Critics accuse Merkel of going soft on Ankara over human rights because of her desire to stem the flow of migrants.

Last month she drew fire for allowing German prosecutors to look into charges against a comedian who mocked Erdogan in a crude poem. The comedian, Jan Boehmermann, has accused Merkel of serving him &quot;up for tea to a highly strung despot&quot;.

Merkel and other top ministers are expected to vote for the resolution, although some, including Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, have questioned the wisdom of it in public.

Some officials fear it could stir tensions with the roughly 3 million people of Turkish origin who live in Germany.

Last year, German President Joachim Gauck condemned the killings of Armenians as &quot;genocide&quot; in a speech to mark the 100th anniversary of the massacres. Germany had previously avoided using the term in connection with the massacre.

Turkey's president warned Germany on Tuesday that its plans to declare the 1915 mass killing of Armenians a genocide would damage bilateral ties, raising new concerns about an EU-Turkey migrant deal championed by Chancellor Angela Merkel

Turkey's president warned Germany on Tuesday that its plans to declare the 1915 mass killing of Armenians a genocide would damage bilateral ties, raising new concerns about an EU-Turkey migrant deal championed by Chancellor Angela Merkel. German lawmakers are expected to approve a symbolic resolution on Thursday that labels the killings of up to 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman forces "genocide", a description that Turkey strongly rejects. The vote had been scheduled to take place over a year ago, on the 100th anniversary of the massacre, but Merkel's allies in parliament pushed it back repeatedly out of concern that it could hurt relations with Ankara. Now they have run out of time and may be wishing they had let the vote take place sooner. The opposition Greens have pushed the resolution onto the agenda at an extremely awkward time for Merkel, the driving force behind an agreement between the EU and Ankara that has helped slash the number of illegal migrants entering Europe. The deal has eased political pressure on Merkel at home. But it has been under a cloud since its strongest proponent in the Turkish government, Ahmet Davutoglu, was pushed out as prime minister this month. Since then, President Tayyip Erdogan has questioned aspects of the agreement and some of his allies have even threatened to unleash a new wave of refugees on Europe. In comments to reporters before he left for an official visit to Africa, Erdogan lashed out at those who he said were trying to "deceive" Germany over the 1915 events, without accusing anyone in particular. "If Germany is to be deceived by this, then bilateral diplomatic, economic, trade, political, and military ties - we are both NATO countries - will be damaged," he said. The comments came after he spoke to Merkel by telephone to express his concern about the resolution. Sources in both capitals said Erdogan had initiated the call. GERMAN HISTORY The resolution, which is formally supported by Merkel's conservative bloc, the centre-left Social Democrats and the Greens, uses the word "genocide" in the headline and text. "The fate of the Armenians is exemplary in the history of mass exterminations, ethnic cleansing, deportations and yes, genocide, which marked the 20th century in such a terrible way," it reads. The resolution also touches on the "inglorious" role of the German Empire, a military ally of the Ottomans, because it did nothing to stop the massacre. Turkey argues that the there was no organised campaign to wipe out the Armenians, who are Christian, and no evidence of any such orders from the Ottoman authorities. Cem Oezdemir, a leader of the Greens with Turkish roots, told Reuters he had experienced weeks of personal attacks from Turkish nationalists on social media and via email because of his role in championing the resolution. "It wasn't our goal to hold this vote now," Oezdemir said. "But the timing is not that important. The Bundestag is doing this because this is also a part of German history. The Ottoman and German empires were essentially brothers in arms." The vote coincides with deepening public scepticism in Germany towards Turkey and Erdogan in particular. Critics accuse Merkel of going soft on Ankara over human rights because of her desire to stem the flow of migrants. Last month she drew fire for allowing German prosecutors to look into charges against a comedian who mocked Erdogan in a crude poem. The comedian, Jan Boehmermann, has accused Merkel of serving him "up for tea to a highly strung despot". Merkel and other top ministers are expected to vote for the resolution, although some, including Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, have questioned the wisdom of it in public. Some officials fear it could stir tensions with the roughly 3 million people of Turkish origin who live in Germany. Last year, German President Joachim Gauck condemned the killings of Armenians as "genocide" in a speech to mark the 100th anniversary of the massacres. Germany had previously avoided using the term in connection with the massacre.

Erdogan warns Germany ahead of Armenian genocide vote

Voicing concern that a conflict between India and Pakistan could escalate to include nuclear weapons, the US has asked the two countries to engage in a &quot;sustained&quot; bilateral dialogue process and exercise &quot;maximum restraint&quot; to boost peace. 
&quot;We are concerned by nuclear and missile developments in South Asia,&quot; a State Department spokesperson told PTI when asked about the recent statement of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, 80, the father of Pakistan&#39;s nuclear programme, that Islamabad has the ability to target New Delhi in five minutes. 
&quot;We are concerned by the increased security challenges that accompany growing stockpiles and the increased risk that a conventional conflict between India and Pakistan could escalate to include nuclear use. 
&quot;It is important that there be a sustained and resilient dialogue process between the two neighbours, and that all parties in the region continuously act with maximum restraint and work collaboratively toward reducing tensions,&quot; the spokesperson said. 
Improvements in Indo-Pak bilateral relations would greatly enhance prospects for lasting peace, stability and prosperity in the region, the official said yesterday. 
Meanwhile, the State Department said it is looking forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s visit to the US. 
&quot;We look forward to the prime minister&#39;s visit and we want it to be successful,&quot; State Department John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference. 
Modi will embark on a five-nation visit from June 4 which will cover Afghanistan, Qatar, Switzerland, the US and Mexico. 
He will travel to the U.S. on June 7 at the invitation of US President Barack Obama, with whom he will review the progress made in key areas of defence, security and energy, and will also address a Joint Meeting of the US Congress.

American President Barack Obama has impressed on India and Pakistan the need for a ?sustained and resilient? dialogue aimed at resolving all disputes, including Kashmir, between the two countries through peaceful means

Voicing concern that a conflict between India and Pakistan could escalate to include nuclear weapons, the US has asked the two countries to engage in a "sustained" bilateral dialogue process and exercise "maximum restraint" to boost peace. "We are concerned by nuclear and missile developments in South Asia," a State Department spokesperson told PTI when asked about the recent statement of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, 80, the father of Pakistan's nuclear programme, that Islamabad has the ability to target New Delhi in five minutes. "We are concerned by the increased security challenges that accompany growing stockpiles and the increased risk that a conventional conflict between India and Pakistan could escalate to include nuclear use. "It is important that there be a sustained and resilient dialogue process between the two neighbours, and that all parties in the region continuously act with maximum restraint and work collaboratively toward reducing tensions," the spokesperson said. Improvements in Indo-Pak bilateral relations would greatly enhance prospects for lasting peace, stability and prosperity in the region, the official said yesterday. Meanwhile, the State Department said it is looking forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US. "We look forward to the prime minister's visit and we want it to be successful," State Department John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference. Modi will embark on a five-nation visit from June 4 which will cover Afghanistan, Qatar, Switzerland, the US and Mexico. He will travel to the U.S. on June 7 at the invitation of US President Barack Obama, with whom he will review the progress made in key areas of defence, security and energy, and will also address a Joint Meeting of the US Congress.

US calls for 'sustained and resilient' dialogue between India and Pakistan

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