SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
Prepared for the U.S. Department of State
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
TO: | SCA & Staff |
DATE: | Thursday, February 27, 2025 6:30 AM ET |
Afghanistan
Trump pushes to recover ‘billions of dollars’ of military equipment left behind in Afghanistan withdrawal (FOX News)
FOX News [2/26/2025 3:37 PM, Diana Stancy, 126906K]
President Donald Trump wants to recover billions of dollars’ worth of equipment U.S. troops left in Afghanistan following their 2021 withdrawal from the country.
"We left billions, tens of billions of dollars worth of equipment behind, brand new trucks," Trump said during his first Cabinet meeting Wednesday. "You see them display it every year, or their little roadway, someplace where they have a road and they drive the, you know, waving the flag and talking about America ... that’s all the top of the line stuff. I think we should get a lot of that equipment back.".
The Taliban seized most of the more than $7 billion worth of equipment U.S. troops left in Afghanistan at the time of the withdrawal in August 2021, according to a Department of Defense report released in 2022.
Although U.S. troops removed or destroyed much of the major equipment that forces used during the drawdown, military equipment including aircraft, ground vehicles and other weapons were left in Afghanistan. The condition of these items remains unknown, but the Pentagon said in the report it would likely fail operationally without maintenance from U.S. contractors.
More details about how the U.S. would retrieve the equipment left in Afghanistan were not immediately available, and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
President Joe Biden moved to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021, building upon plans from the first Trump administration in 2020 with Taliban leaders to end the war in the region.
Thirteen U.S. service members were killed during the withdrawal process due to a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate, outside of Hamid Karzai International Airport, and the Taliban quickly seized control of Kabul.
Trump’s comments Wednesday came in response to questions about whether he was considering firing military leaders who oversaw the withdrawal. While Trump said he wouldn’t instruct Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on what actions the Pentagon should take ousting those leaders, Trump said he would "fire every single one of them.".
Even so, several key leaders involved in the withdrawal are no longer serving in the military. The commander of U.S. Central Command at the time of the withdrawal, Marine Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., has since retired, and in 2024 took full ownership for the loss of U.S. troops.
"I was the overall commander, and I and I alone bear full military responsibility for what happened at Abbey Gate," McKenzie told the House Foreign Affairs Committee in March 2024.
Additionally, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Army Gen. Mark Milley, told lawmakers at the same hearing that he believed the evacuation should have occurred sooner and that multiple factors contributed to failures in the withdrawal. Both McKenzie and Milley told lawmakers they advised Biden to keep some U.S. troops in Afghanistan after pulling most U.S. forces.
"The outcome in Afghanistan was the result of many decisions from many years of war," Milley told lawmakers. "Like any complex phenomena, there was no single causal factor that determined the outcome.".
U.S. Central Command oversees military operations in the Middle East. Trump says he wants to get back the military equipment left in Afghanistan after chaotic troop withdrawal in 2021 (The Independent)
The Independent [2/26/2025 12:46 PM, Andrew Feinberg]
President Donald Trump said that the U.S. should move to reclaim disused and demilitarized military equipment that was not brought home with departing troops during the withdrawal from Afghanistan four years ago.
During the first cabinet meeting of his second administration, Trump was asked about whether his administration would take action against military officers involved in planning the withdrawal, which his team negotiated during his first term in talks with the Taliban but was carried out under President Joe Biden in August 2021.
He eventually segued from an answer to that question to speaking about how the U.S. should have, in his view, kept control of Bagram Air Base, a large airfield in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan. He claimed that China’s People’s Liberation Army has taken control of the former U.S. base — something China has denied — and groused about the amount of disused equipment left behind during the withdrawal.
"We left billions, tens of billions of dollars worth of equipment behind, brand new trucks. You see them display it every year, or their little roadway, someplace where they have a road and they drive the, you know, waving the flag and talking about America ... that’s all the top of the line stuff," he said. "I think we should get a lot of that equipment back.".
Trump then claimed that the Taliban, the Islamist terrorist group that controls Afghanistan, was selling the American-made gear en masse, making Afghanistan — in Trump’s rendering of events — "one of the biggest sellers of military equipment in the world.".
"Can you believe it? They’re selling 777,000 rifles, 70,000 armor plated ...trucks and vehicles ... this is 70,000 vehicles we had there, and we left it for them. I think we should get it back," he said.
The United States often leaves behind heavy equipment when departing combat zones because the cost of repatriating the materiel would be greater than the cost of replacement.
According to defense experts, U.S. personnel demilitarize sensitive equipment such as aircraft by rendering it useless before it is abandoned.
But much of the combat kit that America’s armed forces sent to Afghanistan during the country’s longest war was actually transferred to custody of the Afghan National Army — the U.S. backed force that collapsed as the Taliban insurgency took control of the country during the American withdrawal.
According to a Defense Department report, the U.S. provided $18.6 billion of equipment to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces from 2005 to August of 2021, when American forces left the country.
The $7 billion that remained during the pull-out included aircraft, air-to-ground bombs and missiles, vehicles, weapons, and communications gear.
What Trump appeared to be suggesting by floating retrieving the equipment would require a re-invasion of Afghanistan, a country that has resisted invasion and occupation by the world’s two nuclear superpowers — the Soviet Union in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and the United States during a 20-year war that began shortly after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on New York and Washington and ended when the U.S. pulled out two decades later.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump wants generals involved in Afghanistan withdrawal fired (The Hill
The Hill [2/26/2025 3:41 PM, Ellen Mitchell, 52868K]
President Trump said "every single one" of the military generals involved in the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan should be fired, seated next to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
Trump was questioned about whether his administration would fire or relieve from duty the military officers involved in the August 2021 withdrawal.
"I’m not going to tell this man what to do, but I will say that if I had his place I’d fire every single one of them," Trump said, gesturing to Hegseth.
Hegseth replied that the Pentagon is "doing a complete review of every single aspect of what happened" with the deadly and chaotic August 2021 withdrawal and intends to deliver "full accountability.".
Trump has been highly critical of the United States’ chaotic and deadly departure, which happened under President Biden, but was set in motion by Trump when, in 2020, he negotiated and signed a deal with the Taliban committing to an earlier timeline for the drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
After Trump’s election loss in 2020, he ordered a rapid withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, though senior officials never followed through, according to testimony released by the congressional January 6 committee in October 2022.
Under Biden, who delayed the planned withdrawal by a few months, 13 U.S. service members and more than 170 Afghans were killed by a suicide bombing outside the Abbey Gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul as forces were exiting.
In the weeks before the U.S. was to fully leave, the country quickly fell to the Taliban, who seized abandoned American military equipment.
Trump on Tuesday called on the Taliban to return the U.S. equipment left behind.
"I think they should give our equipment back. And I told Pete to study that. But we left billions, tens of billions of dollars worth of equipment behind. Brand new trucks. You see them display it every year, on their little roadways," he said.
He claimed the Taliban was selling the military weapons and gear, making Afghanistan, in Trump’s telling, "one of the biggest sellers of military equipment in the world.".
"They’re selling 777,000 rifles, 70,000 armor plated . . . trucks and vehicles," he said. "I think we should get it back.".
He also asserted the U.S. should have kept control of Bagram Air Base, once the largest American military base in Afghanistan now controlled by the Taliban.
Trump claimed that China’s People’s Liberation Army has since taken control of the former U.S. base, which China has repeatedly denied.
It is not unusual for the U.S. military to leave behind heavy equipment when departing combat zones, as the cost of removing such gear from a country is more than the dollars it would take to replace it. But to make sure sensitive technical information doesn’t fall into the hands of enemies, troops decommission or destroy things such as aircraft, communications gear, bombs and missiles.
Over the course of the two decade Afghanistan War, Washington transferred $18.6 billion worth of military equipment to the U.S.-backed Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, according to a 2022 Defense Department report.
Of that amount, approximately $7 billion was left behind when American troops pulled out. And the Taliban was quickly able to seize the gear after the Afghan National Army collapsed. Heavy snowfall and rain kill 36 people and injure 40 across Afghanistan (AP)
AP [2/26/2025 6:42 AM, Staff, 62527K]
Heavy snowfall and rain have killed 36 people and injured 40 in different parts of Afghanistan, a Taliban government spokesman said Wednesday.Days of extreme weather in most of the country’s provinces have reduced the impact of drought but have also caused personal and financial losses, said a spokesman at the National Disaster Management Authority, Abdullah Jan Saiq.Initial data from provincial authorities showed that the snow and rain had killed and injured dozens across the country, mostly in southwestern Farah province.Saiq said the weather had completely destroyed 240 homes and damaged a further 61. Hundreds of acres of land have also been destroyed.“Survey teams have been sent to the affected areas and the survey is ongoing with the cooperation of nongovernmental organisations,” he said. “Roads have been blocked in some provinces due to snow and efforts are being made to reopen them in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Works.” Inside the Taliban’s surveillance network monitoring millions (BBC)
BBC [2/26/2025 7:59 PM, Mahjooba Nowrouzi, 52868K]
In a crowded control centre, surrounded by dozens of TV screens, the Taliban’s police force proudly shows off its newly-acquired network of 90,000 CCTV cameras - used to watch over the day-to-day lives of millions of people.
"We monitor the entire city of Kabul from here," says Khalid Zadran, a spokesperson for the Taliban police chief, pointing to one of the screens.
The authorities say such surveillance will help fight crime, but critics fear it will be used to clamp down on dissent and to monitor the strict morality code enforced by the Islamist Taliban government under their interpretation of Sharia law.
The BBC are the first international journalists allowed to see the system in action.
Inside the control room, police officers sit in rows watching the live streams from thousands of cameras, keeping tabs on the lives of the six million people who live in Kabul.
From car licence plates to facial expressions, everything is monitored.
"In certain neighbourhoods, when we notice groups of people and suspect they might be involved in drug use, criminal activities, or something suspicious, we quickly reach out to the local police," says Zadran.
"They arrive swiftly to investigate the nature of the gathering.".
Under the previous government, Kabul was threatened daily with attacks from the Taliban and so-called Islamic State militants, as well as high profile kidnappings and car-jackings. When the Taliban retook power in 2021, they promised to crack down on crime.
The dramatic increase in the number of surveillance cameras in the capital is a sign of growing sophistication in the way the Taliban enforce law and order. Before their return, just 850 cameras were in place in the capital, according to a spokesman for the security forces that were driven from power.
However, in the past three years, the Taliban authorities have also introduced a range of draconian measures limiting people’s rights and freedoms, especially those of women. The Taliban government has not been formally recognised by any other country.
The surveillance system the BBC is shown in Kabul features the option to track people by facial recognition. On the corner of one screen images pop up with each face categorised by age range, gender, and whether or not they have a beard or a face mask.
"On clear days, we can zoom in on individuals [who are] kilometres away," says Zadran, highlighting a camera positioned up high that focuses on a busy traffic junction.
The Taliban even monitor their own personnel. At a checkpoint, as soldiers popped open the trunk of a car for inspection, the operators focused their lenses, zooming in to scrutinise the contents within.
The interior ministry says the cameras have "significantly contributed to enhancing safety, curbing crime rates, and swiftly apprehending offenders". It adds the introduction of CCTV and motorcycle controls have led to a 30% decrease in crime rates between 2023 and 2024 but it is not possible to independently verify these figures.
However, rights groups are concerned about who is being monitored and for how long.
Amnesty International say installing cameras "under the guise of ‘national security’ sets a template for the Taliban to continue their draconian policies that violate fundamental rights of people in Afghanistan - especially women in public spaces".
By law women are not allowed to be heard outside their houses, although in practice this is not being strictly enforced. Teenage girls are prevented from accessing secondary and higher education. Women are barred from many forms of employment. In December, women training as midwives and nurses told the BBC they had been ordered not to return to classes.
While women continue to be visible on the streets of cities like Kabul, they are required to wear a face covering.
Fariba*, a young graduate who lives with her parents in Kabul, has been unable to find work since the Taliban came to power. She tells the BBC there is "significant concern that surveillance cameras may be used to monitor women’s hijabs [veils]".
The Taliban say only the city police have access to the CCTV system and the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Ministry – the Taliban’s morality police - does not use it.
But Fariba is concerned the cameras will further endanger those opposed to Taliban rule.
"Many individuals, especially ex-military members, human rights advocates and protesting women, struggle to move freely and often live in secrecy," she says.
"There is significant concern that surveillance cameras will be used to monitor women’s hijabs too," she says.
Human Rights Watch, meanwhile, says Afghanistan does not have the data protection laws in place to regulate how the collected CCTV footage is held and used.
The police say the data is kept only for three months, while, according to the interior ministry, the cameras do not pose a threat to privacy as they "are operated from a special and completely confidential room by a specific and professional person in charge".
The cameras appear to be Chinese-made. The control room monitors and branding on the feeds the BBC saw carried the name Dahua, a Chinese government-linked company. Earlier reports that the Taliban were in talks with China’s Huawei Technologies to buy cameras were denied by the company. Taliban officials refused to answer BBC questions about where they sourced the equipment.
Some of the cost of installing the new network is falling on ordinary Afghans who are being monitored by the system.
In a house in central Kabul the BBC spoke to Shella*, who was asked to pay for some of the cameras installed on the streets near her home.
"They demanded thousands of afghanis from every household," she says. It’s a large amount in a country where those women who have jobs may earn only around 5,000 afghanis ($68; £54) a month.
The humanitarian situation in Kabul, and in Afghanistan in general, remains precarious after years of war. The country’s economy is in crisis, but international aid funding has been largely stopped since the Taliban came back to power.
According to the United Nations, 30 million people are in need of aid.
"If families refused to pay [for the cameras], they were threatened with water and power cuts within three days," Shella adds. "We had to take loans to cover the costs.
"People are starving - what good are these cameras to them?".
The Taliban say that if people do not want to contribute, they can put in an official complaint.
"Participation was voluntary, and donations were in the hundreds, not thousands," Khalid Zadran, the Taliban police spokesperson, insists.
Despite the assurances, rights campaigners both inside and outside Afghanistan continue to have concerns over how such a powerful surveillance system will be used.
Jaber, a vegetable seller in Kabul, says the cameras represent another way in which Afghans are made to feel powerless.
"We are treated like trash, denied the opportunity to earn a living, and the authorities regard us as worthless," he told the BBC.
*The names of the women interviewed for this piece were changed for their safety. BBC pays ‘Taliban propaganda wing’ so it can broadcast in Afghanistan (The Telegraph)
The Telegraph [2/26/2025 7:31 PM, Fiona Parker, 29116K]
The BBC is paying money to the “Taliban’s propaganda wing” to ensure that it can broadcast in Afghanistan.Since militants seized Kabul in August 2021, the Islamic fundamentalist regime has censored multiple media companies and forced radio stations off air.But the corporation remains able to broadcast from the country, in part because of payments to Radio and Television of Afghanistan (RTA).The Telegraph understands money from the BBC covers rent to small parts of the RTA sites, which enables the BBC to house its FM equipment. Security for those sites is also covered by the rent.It comes amid further criticism of the BBC over a Gaza documentary.‘Bending over backwards to Taliban’Elliot Keck, head of campaigns at the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: “Taxpayers will feel sick to the stomach by what the BBC is doing in Afghanistan.“The BBC is funding what is effectively the propaganda wing of the Taliban.“If the price of remaining in Afghanistan involves bending over backwards to Taliban demands then the BBC should consider pulling out.”Meanwhile, the Taliban is continuing to restrict the freedoms of women, minority groups and others.Last week a British couple were arrested by the Taliban. Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, had been running training projects in schools in the country for the past 18 years. They were detained on their way home on Feb 1.A BBC spokesman said: “The BBC is editorially independent throughout its programming, irrespective of the language service, and remains the only international news media organisation still broadcasting inside Afghanistan.“We make rental payments to RTA to enable distribution, via the BBC FM network, of independent and impartial news to audiences throughout the country.“The BBC has robust compliance procedures in place to ensure it complies with UK sanctions.”The UK does not maintain comprehensive sanctions against the Taliban but has, instead, designated individuals and entities within Afghanistan.Last week, the BBC removed the documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone from iPlayer after it emerged that it had prominently featured the son of a Hamas minister.Gary Lineker and other television industry figures have since criticised the corporation, accusing it of bowing to “censorship” and racism.Meanwhile, the BBC’s charitable wing, BBC Media Action – which operates independently of the broadcaster – is reportedly contributing to the regime by paying income tax on staff salaries and operating costs such as vehicle registration and licensing.The Telegraph understands this is not a breach of sanctions and such costs are required by any organisation operating in Afghanistan.In the 2023-24 tax year, US taxpayer-funded agency USAid gave £2.6 million to the charitable organisation, which trains journalists and helps improve communications in some of the world’s poorest countries.It meant the overseas aid agency was BBC Media Action’s second-largest donor.Yet in February, Donald Trump, the president, began shutting down the USAid, after saying it “was run by a bunch of radical lunatics”.A BBC Media Action spokesman said: “Our work in Afghanistan plays a critical role supporting local journalists to provide life-saving information on matters including health, nutrition and food security.“We are also proud of our work with local radio stations to support some of the last remaining women journalists working in radio in the country.”They added: “To be clear, RTA receives no training, equipment or funding from BBC Media Action.“BBC Media Action operates in full compliance with applicable sanctions.”There is no suggestion that the BBC or BBC Media Action are breaking sanctions. Trump’s Approach to Afghanistan Is Already Limited (Foreign Policy – opinion)
Foreign Policy [2/26/2025 6:02 PM, Michael Kugelman, 1.4M]
The highlights this week: U.S. President Donald Trump repeats a demand that the Taliban return U.S.-made military equipment from Afghanistan, India hosts a large European Commission delegation led by President Ursula von der Leyen, and Pakistan makes inroads in Central Asia.
Trump’s Afghanistan Conundrum
At the Conservative Political Action Conference over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated a demand issued the day before his inauguration: for the Taliban to return U.S.-made military equipment. Trump tied future U.S. aid to Afghanistan to the return of the weaponry, which is worth $7 billion and was seized by the Taliban in August 2021.
This may sound like another case of the transactional leader seeking a deal to benefit U.S. interests. But Trump could be looking for new leverage over the Taliban regime—something that the United States has struggled to do since exiting Afghanistan. (The presence of U.S. military personnel was previously a key source of leverage.)
Though the Taliban are headed by hard-line mullahs in Kandahar, the Kabul-based political leadership seeks better ties with the United States for more global legitimacy; more U.S. assistance; and access to Afghan central bank funds frozen by Washington. The United States has sent $21 billion in humanitarian and refugee assistance to Afghanistan since the Taliban’s return to power.
Largely because of their implacable senior leadership, however, the Taliban have done little to address international demands. The Trump administration might see a pitch for the return of weaponry as a more realistic request than calling for changes in specific Taliban policies, which have long been at the heart of the group’s core ideology.
Turmoil among the Taliban over policy differences, including several top leaders publicly upbraiding the country’s ban on girls’ secondary education, arguably gives the regime a stronger incentive to seek more foreign aid. Such assistance would better enable the group to ease economic stress and reduce risks of social unrest.
But demanding that the Taliban return U.S. weaponry is a hard sell. For the Taliban, the arms have prestige value and symbolize what the group views as its defeat of the United States; returning them would amount to a form of surrender.
The Taliban also have tactical reasons to reject Trump’s demand. The weaponry bolsters the regime’s capacity to carry out operations against the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), which is a rival to the Taliban. U.S. forces relied heavily on air power to manage the IS-K threat, and the Taliban’s U.S.-made equipment includes air-to-ground munitions and aircraft.
Though the Taliban haven’t responded to Trump’s latest demand, the group rejected his initial one and reportedly called on the United States to supply Afghanistan with more weapons. After all, the group aims to strengthen its limited air power.
Trump may face broader challenges with Afghanistan policy. Much like under former U.S. President Joe Biden, the United States will struggle to pursue its goals in the country—including addressing concerns about IS-K’s growing threat—without formal ties with the Taliban or a physical presence in Kabul.
There may also be divergent views within the Trump administration. During his first term, Washington participated in talks with the Taliban that led to the U.S. troop withdrawal, and he might be open to some engagement. But U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, an Afghanistan war veteran who opposed the withdrawal, condemns the Taliban in harsh terms.
Ultimately, Trump’s approach to Afghanistan will likely be as limited as Biden’s. The administration’s policy bandwidth will largely focus on securing the release of U.S. citizens still held captive in Afghanistan. It may also look to India for help with counterterrorism. New Delhi has scaled up ties with the Taliban and might be willing to share intelligence on IS-K.
Trump’s second-term foreign policy has already produced some agreements on tariffs and immigration. But not all deals come easily, especially with an uncompromising interlocutor like the Taliban. And some experts say that the Taliban’s U.S.-made weaponry isn’t even in good condition. Trump’s proposed deal may not make sense for the United States, either.
What We’re Following
New Delhi hosts European delegation. On Thursday and Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will welcome what Indian reports describe as the largest-ever European delegation visit to India. Led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the group includes nearly all 26 EU commissioners.
According to an Indian External Affairs Ministry statement, trade and technology will be key issues on the agenda, though geopolitical matters will likely be discussed, especially Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The economic stakes of the visit are especially high for New Delhi. The European Union is currently India’s top trading partner. European corporate investment in India, especially in high-growth sectors such as clean energy, has generated millions of jobs. This partnership is important for New Delhi as Washington threatens new tariffs and India’s economy shows signs of a slowdown.
Though India’s ties with EU states are generally strong, there are some points of contention, including India’s close friendship with Russia. One of New Delhi’s goals during the visit will likely be to ensure that geopolitical tensions don’t spill into the commercial partnership.
Pakistan works to solidify Central Asia links. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Azerbaijan on Sunday and Monday, meeting President Ilham Aliyev and concluding accords largely focused on trade, connectivity, and energy. Sharif followed this trip with a two-day visit to Uzbekistan on Tuesday and Wednesday that produced an additional trade deal.
Though Pakistan’s deepest partnerships lie elsewhere, in recent years it has sought deeper ties with Central Asian states. Consider, for example, that the new Pakistani head of intelligence, Asim Malik, visited Tajikistan in December. Malik is one of the country’s most powerful officials; he has made few public appearances since taking office last September.
Gas-rich Central Asia holds potential benefits for energy-deficient Pakistan, which also seeks to expand connectivity links with the region. Those include a transnational rail project connecting Pakistan to Uzbekistan via Afghanistan that is scheduled to begin construction this year.
All this said, Pakistan’s Central Asia push also has geopolitical motivations: It seeks to gain an upper hand over India. New Delhi also wants to scale up ties with the region, but it faces a major constraint: Pakistan doesn’t provide it with transit trade rights, meaning that India lacks direct land access to Central Asia.
Pakistan rains on its own cricket parade. The Champions Trophy, a prestigious tournament featuring many of the world’s top national cricket squads, began in Pakistan last week. The 19-day tournament marks the first time since 1996 that the country has hosted a major international cricket event.
Concerns about terrorism, heightened after the Sri Lankan cricket team’s bus was attacked in Lahore in 2009, long kept teams away. But a relatively improved security situation has given Pakistan new opportunities.
Unfortunately for cricket-crazed Pakistan, the euphoria over hosting the Champions Trophy was short-lived due to the country’s poor performance. The Pakistani squad is in an extended slump, and on Monday it was knocked out of the tournament just five days into the event after suffering a demoralizing loss to India on Sunday—held in Dubai, where New Delhi agreed to play.
Under the Radar
The United Nations human rights office released a detailed report this month that highlights the shocking scale of the brutalities perpetrated by the government of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and its security forces against peaceful protesters last year, before the leader fled the country.
The report estimates that as many as 1,400 people may have been killed between July 15 and Aug. 5, 2024—nearly 15 percent of them children. Most of the deaths were shootings by security forces. The report’s accounts of deadly violence validate the brave reporting by Bangladeshi journalists during the protests.
The report’s methodology included interviews with former Hasina officials assigned to handle the protests—which should shield it from criticism that it is not a balanced account. It also focuses on the retaliatory attacks against Hasina’s supporters after her ouster.
The report disproves conspiracy theories alleging that Bangladesh’s mass protest movement was orchestrated by external forces. It also underscores in great detail the depths of the Hasina regime’s brutality, which essentially turned the public against the prime minister and prompted the protests to swell in numbers, resulting in her downfall.
Finally, the report finds that all major branches of the security forces, including the military and intelligence agencies, were complicit in the violence in some way. Earlier commentary suggested that the police and others linked to Hasina’s Awami League party were the main perpetrators and that the army had distanced itself from the crackdown.
Regional Voices
In the Kathmandu Post, scholar Sucheta Pyakuryal laments the undemocratic direction of Nepal’s political parties. “They seem to have forgotten that the actual sovereigns are the people: Men, women, indigenous, urban, rural, both rich and poor people of Nepal whose will and aspirations they are instated to reflect and serve,” she writes.
A Daily Star editorial decries the rising levels of crime in Bangladesh and the government’s insufficient response. “Given this explosive situation, we need visible improvements in law and order, not assurances or boastful claims,” it argues. “Given the alarming crime statistics … the government must treat law enforcement as its number one priority going forward.”
In Dawn, public health expert Nida Ali argues that a new self-test for the hepatitis C virus recently prequalified by the World Health Organization could be a major boon for Pakistan: “Self-testing can be a tool to expand participation in Pakistan’s national screening,” she writes. “This can provide a more accurate picture of prevalence of HCV in the population.” Pakistan
Members of the US Congress urges Marco Rubio to secure the release of Imran Khan (ExBulletin)
ExBulletin [2/26/2025 3:32 PM, Staff, 4K]
Members of the US Congress Joe Wilson and August Pfluger sent a joint letter to the Secretary of State Marco Rubio, asking him to engage with the military regime of Pakistan to guarantee the release of the former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The letter, dated February 25, said that Khan’s imprisonment, which began in August 2023, is the result of political charges. He refers to the eviction of Khan in 2022 by a vote of non-confidence as a "suspension of democracy" in Pakistan, leading to tense links between the two countries.
Wilson, an eminent member of the committees of the Chamber of Foreign Affairs and Armed Services and a close friend of the American President Donald Trump, with PFLUGER, president of the Republican Study Committee, expressed their concern concerning the imprisonment of Khan and his implications for American-Pakistani relations.
In the letter, Wilson and Pfluger claim that Khan is widely loved in Pakistan and that his release would mark the start of a new era in American-Pakistani relations based on shared values of freedom. They compared Khan’s situation to that of Trump, suggesting that Khan, like Trump, is the victim of judicial abuse.
Congress members also called Rubio to work with Pakistan to restore democracy, human rights, law and fundamental guarantees of regular procedure, press freedom, freedom of assembly and freedom of expression in the country.They stressed that Khan deserves to be treated like any other politician and should not be imprisoned for his political opinions.
Wilson had previously published on his account X calling for the release of Khan and shared a copy of the letter to Rubio, expressing the hope that American-Pakistani relations could be reinforced by respect for freedom.
The letter concludes by declaring that the force of American-Pakistani relations depends on the freedom of Imran Khan, with Wilson and Pfluger urging Rubio to act decisively. Pakistan consumer inflation to remain stable in February, says finance ministry (Reuters)
Reuters [2/27/2025 3:09 AM, Saad Sayeed and Asif Shahzad, 5.2M]
Pakistan’s consumer inflation was expected to remain stable in February and maintain a downward trajectory compared to the previous year, the finance ministry said in its monthly economic outlook report on Thursday.
"Inflation is anticipated to remain within the range of 2.0-3.0% for February 2025, however, there are prospects of a slight increase to 3.0-4.0% by March 2025," the report said.
Inflation has eased since last year with CPI coming in at 2.4% in January compared to 24% in the same period last year.
Authorities have credited the downward trend to economic stabilization under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund program secured last summer.
An IMF mission is due to arrive in Islamabad next week for the first review of the global lender’s facility.
"The primary surplus is expected to improve further in the coming months," the ministry said, pointing to one of the benchmarks identified by the IMF.
The report also said that foreign remittances, a crucial lifeline for Pakistan’s economy, were expected to rise.
"Workers’ remittances recorded robust inflows of $20.8 billion during July-Jan FY2025, marking a 31.7% increase over $15.8 billion last year," the ministry said. India
India Weighs Tariff Cuts on Cars, Chemicals as Trump Duties Loom (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [2/27/2025 4:48 AM, Shruti Srivastava, Ruchi Bhatia and Dan Strumpf, 5.2M]
Indian officials are exploring ways to lower tariffs on a wide range of imports, including cars and chemicals, in a bid to evade US President Donald Trump’s threatened reciprocal levies, according to people familiar with the matter.Officials in New Delhi are discussing reducing duties for automobiles, some agricultural products, chemicals, critical pharmaceuticals, as well as certain medical devices and electronics, the people said, asking not to be identified as the plans aren’t finalized.The proposals would go much further than previous tariff reductions already unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration in recent weeks, like on high-end motorcycles and bourbon whiskey — goods exported by the US to India, but while politically important for Trump, aren’t sold in large volumes in the South Asian nation.India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry didn’t immediately respond to a request for further information.New Delhi is hoping such efforts will help India close a trade deal with the US by the fall, a goal set by both countries at the Modi-Trump summit earlier this month in Washington. While officials don’t expect that deal to be finalized by April — when Trump’s planned reciprocal levies may begin — they’re hopeful progress toward an agreement may shield India from those duties.Indian officials are examining the country’s existing tariff regime from multiple angles. Among the options under consideration is whether to reduce overall average tariffs or take a more sector-by-sector approach, the people said. Separately, India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry set up a team that’s taking feedback from other ministries and stakeholders on the potential impact any reciprocal tariffs might have, some of the people said. Some sectors aren’t expected to see any tariff reductions, including dairy products, they said.The efforts underscore the lengths New Delhi is going to preserve access to its largest trading partner and accommodate US demands for a more equal playing field in trade. India charges among the highest tariffs in the world, making it particularly vulnerable to Trump’s vow to charge like-for-like duties on its exports.Weapons PurchasesThe US has already said it wants to sell more energy and weapons to India — products that are largely supplied to India by Russia. Other products Washington also hopes to add to the list include industrial goods, automobiles and agricultural products, according to people familiar with the matter. India is preparing a list of products that it buys from other countries but not the US, and is evaluating whether it can buy more such products from America, people familiar with the matter said.Trump signed a measure Feb. 13 directing his administration to propose a round of so-called reciprocal tariffs that could remodel America’s trading relationship with the world.“Under Trump’s proposed reciprocal tariffs, all kinds of presumed unfair trade actions can be added to the tariff calculation,” said Deborah Elms, head of trade policy at the Hinrich Foundation. “It remains to be seen exactly how this all plays out, but India is certainly at risk of facing high tariffs into the US in the near term.”To be sure, moves to roll-back India’s tariff regime are likely to face challenges. Some officials are concerned that across-the-board cuts could lead to a flood of cheap Chinese imports, swamping domestic industry. To check against that prospect, Indian officials are exploring measures such as non-tariff trade barriers like tighter quality standards and anti-dumping duties.At the Trump-Modi summit, both sides agreed to seal a trade deal and signaled plans to boost trade between the two countries to $500 billion by 2030, up from $127 billion in 2023. The US has for years been cultivating closer links with India, which it sees as a counterweight in the region against a more assertive China. India assessing Trump threat for tariffs on steel, aluminium, official says (Reuters)
Reuters [2/27/2025 3:05 AM, Neha Arora, 5.2M]
India is studying U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on the country’s steel and aluminium imports, mines secretary Kantha Rao said on Thursday.
"We definitely have a cost advantage in production of steel and aluminium. We are studying... what can be done from our side (on tariffs)," Rao said. Why Trump’s F-35 offer signals closer U.S.-India ties (Axios)
Axios [2/26/2025 4:14 PM, Colin Demarest, 13.2M]
What can a potential arms sale portend?
Well, in the case of the F-35, one of the most coveted, costly and complex weapons on Earth, it’s more intimate ties between the U.S. and India.
Why it matters: For all the chaos President Trump is injecting into U.S. foreign policy — trade wars with allies, aligning with Russia on a UN vote — a focus on the Indo-Pacific remains steady.
In that calculus, New Delhi is priceless.
Driving the news: A meeting this month of President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi produced a handful of defense commitments, including "paving the way" to share Lockheed Martin’s stealth fighter.
That remark alone caught people by surprise. It’s no simple, speedy task.
Also on the schedule (and worth closely monitoring) are coproduction of Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stryker combat vehicles; the launch of the Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance; and closer-knit intelligence sharing.
What they’re saying: The U.S.-India relationship has been in "hyperdrive," according to Lindsey Ford, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for South and Southeast Asia.
A "serious dustup" between India and China along the Line of Actual Control years ago propelled the former "to think much more seriously about the nature of its security partnership with the United States," she told Axios.
It also coincided with an American reassessment of Chinese ambitions.
"The U.S. and India working together — and, in particular, through the Quad [grouping of the U.S., India, Australia and Japan] — is something that Beijing is watching very closely."
Yes, but: India has long relied on Russian arms.
That includes the S-400 air-defense system, which earned Turkey the boot from the F-35 coalition. There’s also the BrahMos cruise missile joint venture and T-90 tank production, among other examples.
Another complicating factor is India’s own fifth-generation push, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft. A full-scale AMCA model was displayed at Aero India 2025, Defense News reported.
Zoom out: Personal relationships can make a difference at a time when allegiances are changing and limits — off Alaska’s coast, across Europe, in the South China Sea — are tested.
Former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and former national security adviser Jake Sullivan worked the Indo-Pacific circuit.
"The leader-level friendship is everything when it comes to driving the U.S.-India partnership forward," said Ford. "With two mammoth bureaucracies, it is very, very easy for both systems to fall back to a sort of stasis."
The latest: Shield AI co-founder Brandon Tseng huddled with Indian officials last week. The company began exploring the country and its massive markets in 2021; late last year, it announced a $90 million deal with JSW Group.‘There’s a sentiment in India that they want to increase their levels of defense spending. It’s critically important for the country. They’re in a very dangerous neighborhood," Tseng said in an interview.
"This was my conversation with the commerce minister: There’s a lean toward working with the United States."
Other defense firms are playing ball, too.
Anduril Industries is collaborating on software and autonomous tech with Mahindra Group.
AM General is working with Kalyani Strategic Systems on artillery.
The bottom line: Even if the F-35 deal falls through, Trump’s offer "shows a new approach, especially in the signal it sends about the president’s willingness to share cutting-edge technology with India," Capstone analysts Alexander Slater and Michael Wang said in commentary shared with Axios. India-EU trade talks: tariffs, market access, regulatory clashes in focus (Reuters)
Reuters [2/27/2025 3:19 AM, Manoj Kumar, 5.2M]
European Union leaders are likely to urge India to lower its tariffs on cars and alcoholic beverages, and expand market access during European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s visit to New Delhi.
Talks for an India-EU free trade agreement, stalled for eight years, resumed in 2021, now cover investment protection and geographical indications.
The EU is India’s largest trading partner in goods, with bilateral trade reaching $137.5 billion in 2023-24 fiscal year, marking a growth of about 90% over the previous decade.
Here are key differences between the two trading partners:
HIGH TARIFFS ON CARS, WINES
The EU wants India to cut tariffs of 100%-150% on imported cars, whiskey and wine.
India argues World Trade Organisation rules allow for differential tariffs between developed and developing nations, but has shown willingness to reduce tariffs gradually in consultation with local industry.
CARBON TAX, DEFORESTATION RULES
India is opposed to EU’s proposal to impose high tariffs of 20% to 35% from January 2026 on high-carbon goods including steel, aluminium and cement.
The EU has so far not indicated any relief, saying the higher tariffs were part of its clean energy targets.
India also opposes EU’s deforestation regulations, which mandate that products imported into the bloc must not come from land deforested after December 31, 2020.
The regulation takes effect from December for large companies and from June 2026 for small enterprises.
INVESTMENT PROTECTION
The EU seeks easier profit repatriation and faster dispute resolution for its companies operating in India, while India insists disputes go through local courts before international arbitration.
DATA SECURITY
India wants the EU to recognise it as a data-secure country, saying that stringent EU data transfer rules hinder trade in digital services.
MOVEMENT OF PROFESSIONALS
India seeks easier temporary work access for its skilled professionals in the EU, which could help its IT sector.
The EU says visa policies are managed by member states and demands India liberalise its accountancy, architecture and legal services - opposed by local industry groups.MARKET ACCESS
India counters EU market access demand by highlighting EU’s substantial exports: $416 million in wine and over $2 billion in automobiles and parts in 2023/24, including $416 million in fully built-up vehicles. Most EU car exports to India arrive in knocked-down form, attracting a 15% duty for local assembly.
India imported $61.5 billion worth of EU goods in 2023/24, while exports to the bloc reached $75.9 billion.
AGRICULTURE
India fears opening its market to highly subsidised EU farm products would hurt millions of local farmers.
The EU wants lower Indian tariffs on agricultural goods, which are currently at 35% to 60%.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
The EU opposes India’s intellectual property policies, arguing patent "ever-greening" hampers its pharmaceutical companies.
India wants greater access for its cheaper drugs and chemicals in the EU market. EU chief makes India trip as bloc woos Modi (Nikkei Asia)
Nikkei Asia [2/26/2025 8:51 PM, Kiran Sharma, 1191K]
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen holds talks with India’s leaders in New Delhi this week, as the bloc faces an unprecedented strain in ties with the U.S. over President Donald Trump’s policy shift on Russia’s war in Ukraine and his threat to impose import tariffs.Von der Leyen will be accompanied by 27 European Union commissioners in the leadership’s first overseas trip since the president began her second term in December, signaling the importance she places on improving ties with India -- particularly given the EU strategy of derisking from China.She is set to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other officials over Thursday and Friday. Trade will form the basis of most of the talks, but von der Leyen also is expected to speak with Modi about the U.S. about-turn over the Ukraine war. India, which is an ally of Russia and procures weapons from Moscow, has never publicly condemned President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine."In this era of intense geostrategic competition, Europe stands for openness, partnership and outreach," von der Leyen said in a statement ahead of the India visit. "We seek to deepen ties with one of our most trusted friends and allies -- India."She expressed commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership, which was formed in 2004, "to advance trade, economic security and resilient supply chains, along with a common tech agenda and reinforced security and defense cooperation."The second ministerial meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council also is also expected. The leaders are likely to hold talks on collaborating in the construction of digital infrastructure and key value chains, and for further cooperation over global trade issues.Ongoing negotiations for an India-EU free trade agreement are expected to figure in the talks between von der Leyen and Modi. India and the bloc resumed FTA negotiations in 2022 after a hiatus of nearly a decade, and the next round is scheduled March 10-14 in Brussels.Before Modi came to power in 2014, India and the EU held 16 rounds of FTA talks between 2007 and 2013. But those negotiations were suspended over the EU’s insistence that India drop import tariffs on goods such as automobiles, alcoholic beverages and dairy products, while New Delhi demanded that EU countries grant more visas to its skilled workers."These are contentious and long-standing issues which may come up for discussion [during the visit], and the two sides have not really been able to overcome them," said Sanjay Kumar Pandey, a professor at the Centre for Russian and Central Asian and East European Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.Another area of contention involves the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism aimed at reducing emissions by imposing taxes on carbon-intensive goods entering the 27-member bloc such as cement, fertilizers, aluminum, iron and steel.The policy, expected to be fully imposed by next year, is anticipated to heavily penalize Indian industry. The issue has assumed fresh urgency after Trump announced 25% import tariffs on steel and aluminum from all countries starting March 12.In terms of geopolitics, Pandey said he expects the EU "in private conversations" to urge India to tell Russia that "for any lasting peace and solution, excluding Ukraine is not a very helpful approach, and including Ukraine also means consulting the major supporter of Ukraine, that is EU."Trump shocked his country’s trans-Atlantic allies by starting peace talks with Putin earlier in February without including any leaders from Europe or Ukraine. He subsequently called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "dictator" and for the country to hold elections.Prerna Gandhi, an associate fellow at India’s Vivekananda International Foundation think tank, said the EU stands at a strategic turning point as the bloc faces problems in domestic politics as well as international geopolitics amid a regional and global economic slowdown."We have seen [its] efforts to prioritize diversification of geopolitical allies in recent time," she said, citing the EU’s announcement of a security partnership with Japan in November. Modi already shares warm ties with French President Emmanuel Macron, and the two countries have agreed on a deal for France to sell India fighter jets as New Delhi tries to diversify its sources of weaponry.Trade between India and the EU reached $137.41 billion in the financial year ended March 2024, Indian government data shows. The EU was the biggest export market for India, the government said.The European Commission said in the statement that around 6,000 European companies operate in India, directly providing 1.7 million jobs and indirectly supporting 5 million jobs. Why the EU is reaching out to India in search of new friends (Financial Times)
Financial Times [2/27/2025 12:53 AM, Henry Foy, 14.6M]
Good morning. US President Donald Trump last night threatened to slap 25 per cent tariffs on imports from the EU, claiming the bloc “was formed to screw the United States.”
Today, our trade and competition correspondents explain why the European Commission is decamping to India for a goodwill tour, and I report on what happened when the commission pitched its brand new green industrial strategy to a room full of sceptical CEOs.
Reaching out
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is taking her team of commissioners to India today in an attempt to rekindle relations with the world’s fifth-largest economy, write Barbara Moens and Andy Bounds.
Context: Brussels is looking for new trade partnerships across the world given the uncertainty over US President Donald Trump’s trade policy, and to decrease Europe’s economic dependency from China.
The commission wants to rekindle slow-moving negotiations on a free trade deal with New Delhi, as well as looking into more security and defence co-operation in the Indo-Pacific.“The timing of this visit is of course particularly interesting given the global developments that we’re facing,” said one EU official, adding that they would look towards India “as one of those great powers with which we look to join forces also on questions of security, on questions of defence.”
On the trade talks, the official said it was “difficult to say when we will cross the finish line” as New Delhi is notoriously tough in its trade negotiations. India has high tariffs on food, alcohol and other sensitive products, and is reluctant to drop them to EU levels.“We are both seeking a mutually beneficial and balanced free trade agreement. The level of engagement has intensified,” Saurabh Kumar, the Indian ambassador to the EU, told the Financial Times.
Tomorrow, the two parties will hold a joint Trade and Technology Council as part of the EU visit. Both sides seek to bolster collaboration in technology such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, according to a draft statement seen by the FT.
The visit will also pave the way for more concrete results at an EU-India summit later this year. That summit “aims to raise the relationship to a higher strategic level,” Kumar said. “It is good that there is greater interest in the EU towards India.”The EU plans to relax its gas storage refilling targets for member states to reduce market disruption, as speculation mounts that the bloc may not be able to reach its mandated target this year.
Industrial-strength concern
The ink was barely dry on the European Commission’s new plan for the continent’s green industrial future, when a phalanx of disgruntled industrialists lined up to tell president Ursula von der Leyen what more she needed to do.
Context: Brussels yesterday released its Clean Industrial Deal, a plan to maintain ambitious green transition plans while boosting the continent’s economy, with complementary measures aimed at watering down some regulations for small businesses.
At an event in Antwerp yesterday, von der Leyen met dozens of industry CEOs to both pitch the new approach and hear their gripes.
Some warned her that the continent was only achieving “decarbonisation through deindustrialisation” as factories close due to high energy prices and red tape.
Peter Huntsman, the CEO of petrochemicals producer Huntsman Corporation, said that Europe’s shrinking industrial base was undermining other aspects of the commission’s agenda, such as bolstering defence.“The world needs a strong and prosperous Europe, this can only happen with a competitive manufacturing industrial base that will facilitate building modern defence capabilities, and provide employment and economic opportunity,” Huntsman told the FT. “This will also bolster Europe’s independent diplomatic influence around the world.”
Bart De Wever, Belgium’s prime minister and co-host of the event, also weighed in.“We don’t want to become a museum,” he told von der Leyen and the CEOs. “The best regulation won’t come into force if there is no one left to comply.”
Von der Leyen assured the industrialists that she had heard their complaints, that the regulatory changes were influenced by their previous recommendations, and that the new advice would be taken on board.“We know that too many obstacles still stand in your way,” she said. “We must turn the tide. And this is the central goal of the Clean Industrial Deal. We want to cut the ties that still hold you back. So that Europe can be not only a continent of industrial innovation, but also a continent of industrial production.”“We need to transform Europe’s ambition ‘to be’, into a determination ‘to do’. Every day, Europe is falling behind its goals,” said Ilham Kadri, president of chemicals lobby group Cefic, which co-organised the Antwerp event. “In the turbulent times we are in, we need bold action from the European leadership.”What to watch today- European Commissioners begin trip to India.-European parliament president Roberta Metsola and EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas visit Washington.- G7 finance ministers meet on the margins of the G20 gathering in Cape Town, South Africa. India exploring critical minerals in Zambia, Congo and Australia, official says (Reuters)
Reuters [2/27/2025 3:57 AM, Neha Arora, 5.2M]
India is exploring mining of critical minerals in Zambia, Congo and Australia, Mines Secretary V.L. Kantha Rao said on Thursday, as the world’s fastest-growing major economy aims to secure raw materials such as lithium.
Companies like Coal India (COAL.NS), NMDC (NMDC.NS), and ONGC Videsh (ONVI.NS), are exploring critical minerals in Australia, Rao said.
The move comes as India is taking efforts to reduce its reliance on imports of minerals such as lithium, key to energy transition technologies.
India is still in the process of developing lithium processing technology, a sector predominantly led by China.
The Zambian government has recently agreed to give 9,000 square kilometers to India for exploration of cobalt and copper, Rao said in a media conference, adding that India is also looking at Congo and Tanzania for mining critical minerals.
Meanwhile, India’s Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy said the country has decided to explore lithium reserves in Jammu and Kashmir and clarity on this is expected by May 2025.
The government in February 2023 found its first lithium deposits in Jammu and Kashmir with estimated reserves of 5.9 million metric tons, but has failed to get any bids to auction mining rights in the state.
In 2023, India identified over 20 minerals, including lithium, as "critical" for its energy transition efforts and to meet the growing demand from industries and the infrastructure sector.
New Delhi in January 2025 approved 163 billion rupees ($1.88 billion) to develop the critical minerals sector. India and Latin America tighten ties to diversify trade (Deutsche Welle)
Deutsche Welle [2/26/2025 5:29 PM, Tobias Kaufer, 126906K]
Under its policy of "strategic autonomy," India has been expanding its presence in Latin America. Countries in the region welcome the push and hope to diversify their own geopolitical partnerships.
Earlier this month, Brazil’s state-controlled oil giant Petrobras couldn’t have found a bigger event to unveil a major new customer. At the Brazil Energy Forum in Rio de Janeiro, the company’s director of logistics, commercialization and markets, Claudio Romeo Schlosser, said an agreement had been reached with India’s Bharat Petroleum Corporation for the delivery of 6 million barrels of oil annually between 2025 and 2026.
"We are expanding our international customer base. Until now, it has been heavily concentrated on China," Schlosser said in Rio, before traveling to India ten days later where the deal was finalized and signed on February 12.
State-owned Bharat Petroleum is the world’s third-largest importer of oil, securing most of India’s oil supply -- roughly 85% of which was imported from other countries last year. The deal will be a massive boost to Petrobras’ exports to India, currently only about 4%.
Petrobras signed the deal with Bharat in the hope of expanding exports to India to 24 million barrels per year, Schlosser said.
The deal has come as India and Brazil are both seeking to intensify economic ties as members of the BRICS group of nations, including Russia, India, China and South Africa, alongside Latin America’s largest economy.
Latin America’s pivot to diversifying trade
With the oil agreement, the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also wants to highlight the growing importance of India for Brazil’s foreign trade, after recently rejecting a chance to be part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Rising geopolitical tensions make India an attractive partner for many countries in Latin America as it is perceived as independent and largely neutral in the power struggles between the United States, China and Russia.
But India, too, is seeking new economic ties as part of its geopolitical realignment that includes expanding its presence in Latin American countries.
Similar developments are taking place in Argentina, where state-owned oil company YPF signed a deal with three Indian firms in January to export up to ten million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) annually. The agreement also covers cooperation in lithium, critical minerals, and hydrocarbon exploration and production, YPF said in a statement announcing the deal.
YPF CEO Horacio Marin sees the Asian market as key to Argentina’s energy expansion plans. "We are convinced that the country has an opportunity to become an energy exporter and achieve the objective sought by the entire industry to generate revenues of $30 billion over the next 10 years," said Marin.
In pursuit of ‘strategic autonomy’.
Sabrina Olivera from the Argentine Council for International Relations (CARI) says India’s foreign policy has traditionally been characterized by "non-alignment" which is now evolving into what is now known as "strategic autonomy.".
"This means that India maintains relationships with as many players as possible without committing to alliances," Olivera, the coordinator of CARI’s South Asia working group told DW.
Now India is present at the negotiation table for all global issues, but it is not bound by military commitments.
Latin America holds significant growth potential for India, she added, even though the country is less present in the region compared with, for example, the United States, China, or Europe.
Olivera pointed to recent supplies of medical aid that India sent to Cuba following a devastating hurricane, saying that this strategy of forging closer political, economic, and cultural ties was well received across the Caribbean region.
And in Chile, which is known for its mineral wealth, she added, Indian Ambassador Abhilasha Joshi recently stated that the country is a "gateway to the rest of Latin America.".
India trusted as the world’s biggest democracy
India’s push into Latin America began two years ago with a widely noted visit by Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to Panama -- the first in six decades of bilateral relations.
"Since Prime Minister Modi took office, our relations with Latin America and the Caribbean have taken a new direction," Jaishankar said at the time, marking a shift toward greater Indian engagement in the region.
According to the portal Dialogo Politico, trade between India and Latin America totaled $40 billion (E38.8 billion) in 2023. The region’s top trade partners with India are Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Peru.
India primarily imports raw materials and exports automobiles, auto parts, pharmaceuticals, and textiles. Over the past decade, trade between the two regions has grown by 145%. However, it remains relatively small compared to China, whose trade with Latin America reached $480 billion.
Olivera says India is well aware that it "does not have the same material or military resources as China." Nevertheless, it is trying to close the gap.
"The fact that India is the only democracy in Asia gives it an advantage in Latin America, where most countries in the region are democracies, trust in India is stronger than in China," she told DW. Indians throng last day of Maha Kumbh festival that drew 663 million (Reuters)
Reuters [2/27/2025 2:55 AM, Tanvi Mehta, 5.2M]
Large crowds turned out in India on Wednesday for the last day of the six-week Maha Kumbh Mela, with authorities saying it drew a total of 663 million people seeking absolution of their sins by taking a dip in waters that devout Hindus consider sacred.
Television images showed security officials trying to direct visitors around barricades in the temporary township set up in Prayagraj, close to the banks where holy rivers meet.
"There is a huge rush because it is the last day for all devotees to take a ‘holy dip’," said Rahul, a devotee who gave only his first name.
"Thankfully, we were lucky enough to take a holy dip today."
Authorities added security and enforced traffic curbs for the last day after many visitors complained of massive crowds that have choked traffic, leading to jams stretching for kilometres.
India has touted the Maha Kumbh, or Great Pitcher Festival, held once in 12 years, as a key religious event setting world records for the largest gathering of people.
As many as 15.3 million people bathed on Wednesday, said authorities in Uttar Pradesh state, home to the festival, taking the total figure to more than 663 million, or nearly twice the population of the United States.
The last event in 2019 drew 240 million visitors, but this year’s event, signified by the term "maha", or great, is rendered still more auspicious by a rare alignment of celestial bodies after 144 years.
Indians from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ministers to business tycoons and television and film actors participated.
"People from every section and every region of society united in this Maha Kumbh," Modi said on X.
However, a stampede that killed dozens of people and injured several on the festival’s most auspicious day last month marred authorities’ efforts to ensure it went off smoothly.
Police officers charged with managing the crowds said the AI-based software they used to track visitor numbers also flashes alerts upon detecting a crowd surge in any area, a fire, or unscheduled barricade crossings.
Devout Hindus believe the waters of the holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical, invisible Saraswati, which meet at Prayagraj have the power to absolve them of sin. Modi Faces Fire for Accepting Trump’s Deportees (Wall Street Journal – opinion)
Wall Street Journal [2/26/2025 5:30 PM, Sadanand Dhume, 810K]
Should Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak out against the U.S. policy of deporting Indian illegal aliens back to India? Opposition leaders and media pundits are pressuring him to do so, but that would be a mistake.
Mr. Modi is right to cooperate with the Trump administration’s effort to deport illegal aliens, including the estimated 725,000 undocumented Indians living in the U.S. During his visit to the White House earlier this month, Mr. Modi told reporters that “those who stay in other countries illegally do not have any legal right to be there.” He added that India was “ready to take them back.”
Mr. Modi’s forthright position on a sensitive political issue requires courage. Since the first deportation flight to India in President Trump’s second term—a U.S. military plane carrying 104 deportees—touched down on Feb. 5 in the northern city of Amritsar, opposition politicians have excoriated the prime minister for his alleged insensitivity to migrant suffering. “Indians deserve Dignity and Humanity, NOT Handcuffs,” tweeted Rahul Gandhi of the opposition Congress Party.
Earlier this month, officials were forced to adjourn both houses of Parliament amid raucous sloganeering. In Punjab, protesting politicians burned an effigy of Mr. Modi. Stories of disappointed deportees, some of whom had paid human traffickers tens of thousands of dollars to be smuggled into the U.S., flooded the media. After a prominent Tamil magazine published a cartoon of a meekly handcuffed and shackled Mr. Modi seated beside a laughing Mr. Trump, the Indian government blocked its website.
Mr. Modi may find the current imbroglio unpleasant, but picking a fight with Mr. Trump by refusing to take back migrants would be foolish. For starters, India doesn’t have a moral leg to stand on. The deportees broke the law by entering the U.S. without a visa or by overstaying their visa. Voters elected Mr. Trump in part because he promised to shut down the southern border and deport illegal immigrants. It makes no sense for India to thwart the president’s attempts to make good on one of his core campaign promises.
For India, the stakes are high. The country has benefited enormously from growing closer to the U.S. in recent decades. Despite the cordial welcome that Mr. Modi received at the White House, India can’t take further strengthening of bilateral relations for granted. U.S. foreign policy is in flux, as captured dramatically by Monday’s United Nations vote on Ukraine, in which the U.S. voted with Russia and against traditional allies including Canada, the U.K. and Germany. (India abstained.)
For more than two decades, U.S. policy toward India has been marked by what Carnegie Endowment for International Peace scholar Ashley Tellis calls “strategic altruism”—the idea that backing the rise of a democratic India as a counterweight to China in Asia was in Washington’s self-interest. Mr. Trump may hold this view to some extent, but there’s no question that under his leadership the U.S. is less interested in gauzy theories of international relations and more in concrete deliverables such as U.S. arms sales to New Delhi.
Mr. Modi can’t afford a U.S.-India rupture. New Delhi is already in the midst of a long-running territorial dispute with Beijing. America is India’s largest trade partner in goods and services and is the largest market for India’s software export industry, accounting for more than half of India’s $205 billion in software exports in fiscal 2023. Of India’s top 10 trading partners, the U.S. is the only one with which it runs a trade surplus (although this could change if Mr. Trump gets his way). The U.S. is also home to 5.4 million ethnic Indians, making it the country with the largest chunk of the 35-million-strong Indian diaspora worldwide.
Some Indians still kvetch about America, but Indian policymakers know that without U.S. cooperation, New Delhi will find it harder to modernize its economy, upgrade its military and close the vast technological gap with China.For Mr. Modi, Mr. Trump’s return to power also presents opportunities. New Delhi has good reason to believe that the Trump administration will care less about human rights and so-called democratic backsliding than the Biden administration did. India may also expect that a potential rapprochement between Washington and Moscow will make Mr. Modi’s relations with Vladimir Putin less of a liability, perhaps even an asset. It’s even possible that Mr. Trump will back his “great friend” Mr. Modi in India’s neighborhood, particularly in disputes with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
All that remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Mr. Modi’s decision not to pick a fight with Mr. Trump over illegal immigration is a politically savvy move. NSB
Sri Lanka’s 2025 Budget: Balancing IMF Commitments and Domestic Priorities (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [2/27/2025 12:30 AM, Tharindu Udayanga Kamburawala, 53K]
In a speech on February 17, Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake presented the 2025 budget – the first budget of his government, which took office in September 2024. As Sri Lanka continues under an IMF-supported Extended Fund Facility (EFF) – initiated in response to the country’s macroeconomic crisis in 2022 – it is crucial to examine how the proposed budget aligns with the IMF program’s requirements and what potential challenges may arise in achieving its goals.Given that a national budget primarily reflects how the government manages public finances, it is essential to compare the 2025 budget proposals against the public financial management objectives outlined in the IMF-supported program. One of the central fiscal targets in the ongoing EFF is achieving a primary budget surplus of 2.3 percent of GDP from 2025 onwards. The 2025 budget aims to meet this surplus target in alignment with the IMF program. The figure below illustrates the trajectory of Sri Lanka’s primary budget balance since 2021, the year before the country entered its worst-ever economic crisis. (The budget deficit total also factors in Sri Lanka’s ongoing debt service payments.).Maintaining this surplus is critical for Sri Lanka to reduce its public debt to below 95 percent of GDP by 2032. Failure to sustain the primary surplus would force the country to rely on further borrowing, even for essential public goods and services.Additionally, the 2025 budget targets collecting 13.9 percent of GDP in tax revenue, matching IMF expectations. With these revenue-based targets, the government demonstrates its commitment to the IMF program.However, a closer look at the expenditure side reveals challenges. The figure below compares the IMF’s projections for government spending – including total expenditure, recurrent spending, capital expenditure, subsidies and transfers, and salaries and wages – as a percentage of GDP against the 2025 budget allocations. Notably, in all categories, except capital expenditure, the government’s proposed spending exceeds IMF projections.As a result, the 2025 budget is set to record a budget deficit equivalent to 6.7 percent of GDP – higher than the 5 percent anticipated in the IMF program. This signals that Sri Lanka must exercise greater caution in rationalizing its expenditure.Among its expenses, the 2025 budget has proposed a salary increase for public sector employees, providing a considerable allocation compared to the 2024 budget. While this adjustment may aim to preserve the purchasing power of employees affected by post-pandemic inflation, the government must focus on enhancing public sector productivity alongside wage increases. If wage growth exceeds inflation, it may risk triggering additional inflationary pressures.The 2025 budget allocates nearly 4 percent of GDP to capital expenditure, a significant increase from the previous year. However, simply increasing capital expenditure is not enough. It is vital to ensure that this spending translates into effective public investment, as capital expenditure may also include non-productive spending that does not directly boost economic growth.Boosting public investment is crucial for Sri Lanka’s medium- to long-term economic growth. According to the latest Global Economic Prospects report, scaling up public investment by 1 percent of GDP could raise output in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) by up to 1.6 percent over five years. For Sri Lanka, which is still recovering from the recent crisis and has not yet regained its pre-crisis output level, focusing on inclusive and transformative growth is essential.While the 2025 budget aligns with a projected 5 percent GDP growth rate, the government must remain vigilant in its growth strategies to sustain recovery.Despite its commitments, the 2025 budget faces challenges from a narrow revenue base and social pressures. In December 2024, the government raised the tax-free monthly income threshold from 100,000 to 150,000 Sri Lankan rupees and adjusted tax brackets, offering substantial savings for taxpayers. However, this move effectively reduced the tax base, which had been expanded through recent reforms. If the government intended to provide relief to taxpayers, lowering tax rates – rather than expanding exemptions – might have been a more effective strategy.Additionally, in January 2025, the government lifted the import ban on vehicles imposed during the foreign reserves crisis. While it expects increased tax revenue from high excise duties (ranging from 200 percent to 300 percent based on engine size) and 18 percent VAT on imported vehicles, the steep taxes could suppress demand, making it unlikely that the expected revenues will materialize.The 2025 budget reveals a delicate balancing act between adhering to IMF mandates and addressing domestic economic realities. While the government has made strides in achieving revenue targets, expenditure pressures, policy missteps, and social constraints pose significant challenges.To ensure the success of the 2025 budget and meet IMF conditions, the government must maintain price formulas for electricity and fuel, strengthen reforms in state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and rationalize its expenditure to align more closely with IMF targets. Balancing IMF commitments with domestic needs will be key to ensuring sustainable economic recovery and long-term growth. Sri Lanka Reports Massive Tolls In Human-elephant Conflicts (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [2/27/2025 2:31 AM, Staff, 913K]
Sri Lanka vowed Thursday to urgently tackle costly clashes between villagers and wild elephants after reporting the deaths of nearly 1,200 people and over 3,500 animals in a decade.
Environment minister Dammika Patabendi told parliament that they will build more electrified fences and deploy additional staff to help reduce elephant raids on villages near wildlife sanctuaries.
"We are allocating more money to reduce the human-elephant conflict, and are hopeful that within a short period of time we will be able to mitigate the situation," Patabendi said.
Between 2015 and 2024, 1,195 people and 3,484 wild elephants were killed, he said.
In January this year, three more people and 43 elephants were killed.
Opposition legislator Nalin Bandara said the toll was "shocking" and urged authorities to protect people, while also ensuring that the wild animals were not harmed.
He noted that disposing of the carcasses of wild elephants had cost the state about $11.6 million over a decade, while compensation to victims of elephant attacks was about $4 million over the same period.
Killing or harming elephants is a criminal offence in Sri Lanka, which has an estimated 7,000 wild elephants, which are considered a national treasure, partly due to their significance in Buddhist culture.
However, the massacre continues as desperate farmers struggle with elephants raiding their crops and destroying livelihoods.
Many elephants have been electrocuted, shot and poisoned. Sometimes explosives-packed fruits are used to injure the animals, often ending in painful deaths.
Elephants are also killed by trains running through their habitats.
Seven elephants, including four calves, were killed when they were run over by an express train in the island’s eastern Habarana region a week ago. It was the worst such accident recorded in the country.
Asian elephants are recognised as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
An estimated 26,000 of them live in the wild, mostly in India, surviving for an average of 60-70 years outside captivity. Central Asia
US Shows Interest In Bolstering Ties With Central Asian States (EurasiaNet)
EurasiaNet [2/26/2025 7:00 PM, Staff, 206K]
When it comes to Eurasia, the Trump administration has acted quickly to reverse the foreign policy of its predecessor, underscored by moves to foster a rapid thaw in relations with Russia. But there is one Biden-era legacy that the Trump State Department seems intent on preserving, an initiative to increase US influence in Central Asia known as the C5+1 format.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the US interest in building up the C5+1 framework during a February 21 talk with Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov of Uzbekistan. According to a State Department spokesperson, Rubio "discussed continued cooperation, including through the C5+1 diplomatic platform, in support of a more peaceful and prosperous Central Asia.".
The main driver of US interest in Central Asia is the region’s abundant natural resources, not only oil and natural gas, but also minerals and rare earths used in high-tech devices and for clean energy and defense purposes. A geographic consideration may also factor into the US policy calculus: Central Asian states sit on China’s western border, and an avowed aim of Trump’s second term is containing Chinese global economic influence.
Rubio in his discussion with his Uzbek counterpart specifically mentioned that "the United States looks forward to working with Uzbekistan to highlight mutually beneficial opportunities for investment in critical minerals and US civil nuclear energy technologies.".
Saidov indicated that Uzbekistan was eager to engage with the United States, describing his conversation with Rubio as "candid and productive." In a statement posted on Telegram, he added that Uzbekistan would work to expand bilateral ties "in all spheres without an exception," focusing on "building strong bridges between business communities, increasing trade volume in both directions [and] ensuring prosperous development.".
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are considered the lynchpin states within the C5+1 context. Then-secretary of state John Kerry initiated the C5+1 format in 2015. But the Biden administration significantly elevated the framework’s status by convening the first-ever presidential-level summit of C5+1 leaders in 2023. The following year, the Biden administration launched a related initiative, dubbed the B5+1 process, to specifically promote trade and investment.
The Rubio-Saidov discussion indicated that the United States will remain committed to backing Uzbek efforts to gain entry to the World Trade Organization. Prior to Trump’s return to the White House, the two countries inked an agreement in December to expand mutual market access. US officials at that time hailed the Uzbek government’s "significant progress" in opening the country’s economy.
The February 21 talks also confirmed that Uzbekistan will work with the United States on the repatriation of illegal Uzbek migrants. Rubio thanked Saidov for Uzbekistan’s "cooperation in curbing illegal migration." Seven Uzbek deportees arrived in Tashkent on February 24, Uzbek media reported. The US has reportedly shipped additional Uzbek deportees to Panama and Costa Rica.Meanwhile, Uzbekistan is taking the lead on regional efforts to engage the Taliban government in Afghanistan. Tashkent hopes that by pulling Afghanistan into a closer trade orbit with Central Asia, Uzbek officials and their counterparts from other regional states can increase their negotiating leverage with the Taliban on matters of regional concern, in particular Afghanistan’s construction of the Qosh Tepa canal, a project that could upset Central Asia’s already delicate water resources balance.
A high-level Taliban delegation held trade talks in Tashkent on February 22 resulting in agreements covering railroad improvements, the creation of a free trade zone on the Uzbek-Afghan frontier, de-regulation of agricultural exports, mining and oil & gas development and a power transmission line project. Climate crisis revives Soviet hydro plan in Central Asia (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [2/26/2025 7:16 AM, Staff, 62527K]
Central Asian countries are setting rivalries aside to build a giant hydroelectric plant originally planned in Soviet times, a bid to strengthen energy and food security and mitigate the effects of climate change.The Kambar-Ata-1 project on the Naryn River in Kyrgyzstan is a rare example of collaboration in the region that does not involve the two neighbouring superpowers Russia and China.The plant is "very important for Central Asia", Kyrgyz Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibrayev said on a visit to the future site attended by AFP.At a trilateral meeting with Kyrgyzstan a few days later, the Kazakh and Uzbek governments said the project would "bring great advantages for the region" and "ensure the long-term stability and development of Central Asia".The warm words, which would have been unthinkable until recently, underscore how water and energy shortages are pushing rivals together.But before the plant can start functioning, backers need to find investors willing to put in at least $3.5 billion.‘Wealth of potential’The post-Soviet economic collapse, corruption and regional conflicts put an end to colossal energy projects in Central Asia including Kambar-Ata, which had been planned in 1986."The collapse of the Soviet Union destroyed water and energy ties," said Rasul Umbetaliyev, a Kyrgyz energy expert.Since Soviet times, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are supposed to receive some electricity from their regional neighbours Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in exchange for a share of their plentiful water supplies.The different countries have accused one another of failing to respect the arrangement.Umbetaliyev said that Kambar-Ata-1 was "very important" for Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which need the water stored by the plant in large quantities during the summer season.The plant would allow Kyrgyzstan to export electricity to its neighbours, and even to Afghanistan and Pakistan under project known as CASA-1000.The World Bank says Kyrgyzstan’s mountainous terrain "provides it with a wealth of hydropower potential, less than one-fifth of which has been utilised".Kambar-Ata is expected to produce 5.6 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), which would more than make up for Kyrgyzstan’s current electricity deficit of around 3.9 billion kWh.The deficit is growing because of water shortages that mean the hydroelectric stations that Kyrgyzstan depends on are running low.The Eurasian Development Bank said that "building new hydroelectric power stations while renovating existing ones will mitigate the impact of climate change".Costly subsidiesThe Kyrgyz government is also expecting Kambar-Ata-1 to have a positive effect on power stations further downstream.The main one is Toktogul, which supplies 40 percent of Kyrgyzstan’s electricity.Pride of place inside the Toktogul power station is a large frieze showing Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin and his quote: "Communism is Soviet power and the electrification of the whole country".A century later, the sector is still largely subsidised by the state, as it was in Soviet times, to avoid social tensions in a fragile economy."Today the tariff we sell at is not justified by the costs of production of electricity. If we continue like this, in five or 10 years, we will have no more electricity. We therefore have to build a plant," Ibrayev said. Caspian pipeline oil exports on schedule, Kazakhstan says (Reuters)
Reuters [2/26/2025 9:01 AM, Tamara Vaal, Mariya Gordeyeva, and Olesya Astakhova, 62527K]
Kazakhstan’s oil exports are on schedule via its main oil export route, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), the country’s energy minister said on Wednesday, despite damage to a pumping station from a drone attack last week.The Kropotkinskaya pumping station in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region was hit by a Ukrainian drone attack on February 17, sparking market concerns about supply from Kazakhstan, supplier of more than 1% of the world’s oil.Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev told reporters at a briefing that there were no restrictions on oil intake, while oil storage is large enough for stable operations."So far there is no risk of a decrease in tanker loading volumes," he said.The pipeline carries oil from Kazakhstan as well as Russian fields to Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiisk and news of possible disruptions to supply have impacted global oil markets.Russian President Vladimir Putin has said repairing the damage would be challenging as it would require Western equipment currently subject to sanctions.The consortium said earlier on Wednesday that damage to the pumping station will take two months to repair. It has said it is rerouting flows to bypass the damaged pumping station in the meantime.U.S. majors Chevron (CVX.N) and ExxonMobil (XOM.N) are among its shareholders alongside the Russian state, Russian firm Lukoil (LKOH.MM), and Kazakhstan’s KazMunayGas (KMGZ.KZ).The pipeline delivered 63 million metric tons of oil (around 1.3 million barrels per day) in 2024, CPC said, adding its exports this year stood at 9.8 million tons as of February 23.It reported revenue of $2.3 billion for 2024 with a payout to shareholders of $1.3 billion in dividends, both little changed from a year earlier.OPEC+ OUTPUT PLEDGE, LEGAL CASES Kazakhstan has produced more oil than allowed under a pact agreed by OPEC+, the world’s largest group of oil-producing countries.Satkaliyev said Kazakhstan was taking all necessary measures to fulfil its production obligations under that deal.He also said the Central Asian country was open to settling legal disputes with Western oil producers.Kazakhstan has clashed for years with international oil companies over costs, bringing multi-billion-dollar claims against them in 2023."We have always declared this and confirm our readiness to resolve disputes within the framework of relevant agreements," he said. Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan Finalize Border Agreement (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [2/26/2025 5:53 PM, Sher Khashimov, 53K]
Government officials from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan at last finalized a border delimitation agreement during a meeting at the Ala-Archa state residence in Bishkek on February 21. The meeting, spearheaded by Saimumin Yatimov, the head of Tajikistan’s security services, and Kamchybek Tashiev, the head of Kyrgyzstan’s security services, "occurred in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding," according to a Kyrgyz government statement.
In addition to demarcating the border between the two countries, the officials agreed on the future development of interstate roads and the management of power generation facilities and water resources along the border. The only issue that remains unresolved at this point is establishing border controls at five road crossings connecting Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member Kyrgyzstan to non-members Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. These crossings will need to comply with the EAEU’s external border requirements.
The agreements are headed for final ratification by the countries’ governments and, if successful, might mark the end of contemporary Central Asia’s bloodiest conflict.
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have been in a dispute over properly marking their shared 600-mile border in the Fergana Valley and defining ownership over nearby energy and water resources since acquiring independence from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. The Soviets drew the borders in Central Asia in the 1920s with total disregard for local settlement and migration patterns, creating multiple enclaves of territories of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. Connecting roads, water and energy sources, and pastures, which were managed collectively by the valley’s settlers before the Soviet era, became less accessible and disputed among newly formed independent republics.
The simmering post-Soviet dispute over water resources escalated in the increasingly arid region, resulting in armed clashes in April 2021 and a brief war in September 2022. Multiple villages were evacuated on both sides of the frontier and both countries were accused of war crimes. The escalation presented a challenge to the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) that both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are members of and threw into question Moscow’s ability to mediate in the region following its invasion of Ukraine. The conflict quickly led to an information war between the sides and a brief arms race as Kyrgyzstan purchased military drones from Turkiye and Dushanbe convinced Tehran to build a drone production facility in Tajikistan.
But 2023 marked a sudden and rapid diplomatic turnaround as the countries started jointly surveying and renegotiating the mutual border, as well as discussing easing trade barriers and cracking down on the smuggling of goods. The drawn-out process was marked by arguments over which Soviet maps were more accurate in defining the border and with Kyrgyzstan’s calls for Russian President Vladimir Putin to mediate the negotiations. Despite the challenges, on December 4, 2024, the countries finally announced that they had reached a tentative deal, sparking hopes for peace and regional connectivity amid the region’s struggles with climate change and the downstream effects of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Following the February 21, 2025 border agreement, Kyrgyz officials announced that the presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan will meet in late March, the first trilateral meeting of its kind, to continue discussing strengthening regional cooperation. U.S. charges Tajik man living in New York with conspiring to help ISIS (CBS News)
CBS News [2/26/2025 8:48 PM, Jacob Rosen and Nicole Sganga, 51661K]
A Tajik man living in New York was arrested and charged with conspiring to provide material support to the ISIS and ISIS-K terrorist groups, according to court documents unsealed Wednesday.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Mansuri Manuchekhri, a Tajik national who was illegally living in Brooklyn, facilitated the transfer of over $70,000 to ISIS-affiliated individuals in Turkey and Syria between December 2021 and June 2023, including to one person who was arrested in Turkey for attacking a church in Istanbul in 2024. ISIS-K, or ISIS-Khorasan, is one of the terrorist group’s most dangerous branches and publicly claimed responsibility for the attack.
Manuchekhri was taken into custody after a close family member reported him to a New York terrorism tip line, warning of potential violence and saying that he had threatened to kill the family member, according to an affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Prosecutors alleged that Manuchekhri discussed the payments at length with someone affiliated with ISIS in Turkey, who told him that the money would go to current ISIS soldiers and family members of dead ISIS fighters. They also alleged that Manuchekhri publicly expressed his support of past ISIS attacks on the U.S. and had multiple ISIS propaganda videos on his iCloud account.
Manuchekhri would often train using firearms, prosecutors said, and in two instances sent videos of himself shooting guns to an ISIS contact in Turkey. He allegedly said that he trains with guns "at least once or twice a week," and wrote in another message, "Thank God, I am ready, brother.".
He was also charged with illegal possession of firearms, including an AK-47 and a tactical rifle, and immigration fraud. An attorney for Manuchekhri did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The affidavit included photos allegedly taken from Manuchekhri’s iCloud account showing him posed with various firearms at shooting ranges:
Prosecutors said that Manuchekhri entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2016 and stayed in the country illegally after it expired. In March 2017, he paid an American citizen to enter into a sham marriage with him so he could obtain legal status in the United States, according to the affidavit.
When immigration authorities asked for more documentation about the marriage, Manuchekhri filed for divorce and claimed he was a victim of domestic violence, hoping that would help him become a lawful permanent resident through other legal means, the government said.
Both of Manuchekhri’s immigration petitions were fraudulent, prosecutors alleged, adding that they have evidence he never lived with his wife and that utility bills submitted as evidence that the pair lived together were fake.
Manuchekhri appeared before a federal judge on Wednesday and was ordered to be detained as proceedings play out, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York told CBS News.
The arrest follows a spate of terrorism warnings from the U.S. government, with national security officials pointing to a system that’s blinking red in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel and the emergence of terrorism hot spots in Central Asia.An ongoing FBI investigation into the New Year’s Day truck attack on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street found the attacker posted videos declaring his support for ISIS shortly before the deadly rampage. The attacker killed 14 people and injured dozens more when he rammed a pickup truck down the popular tourist spot.
Following the attack, the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and National Counterterrorism Center circulated a law enforcement bulletin warning of the threat of violence from lone offenders: "Official ISIS messaging in the group’s flagship products from 2014 and 2016 called for attackers so use vehicles as weapons in addition to edged weapons and firearms, and pro-ISIS media outlets and the group’s online supporters regularly recirculate or re-purpose those produces in a variety of forums.".
Last October, the FBI arrested Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi for allegedly planning an Election Day terrorist attack in Oklahoma City. Federal prosecutors said the Afghan national took steps to carry out an attack in the U.S., including by trying to sell his family home, relocate family abroad and stockpile firearms and ammunition.
Last June, federal agents apprehended eight men from Tajikistan on immigration charges amid concern the men — who entered via the Southwest border and lived in Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia — were in the early stages of plotting a possible terrorist attack on U.S. soil, according to multiple U.S. officials.
In February 2023, Naser Almadaoji, an Iraqi-born U.S. citizen, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations, namely ISIS and ISIS-K. Feds charge Tajik man living in Brooklyn with conspiring to help ISIS (USA Today)
USA Today [2/26/2025 11:39 PM, Thao Nguyen, 5.2M]
A Tajik national living in New York was arrested and charged with conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State group (ISIS) and the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.
Mansuri Manuchekhri, 33, a Tajik national living in Brooklyn, New York, appeared before a federal judge on Wednesday afternoon and was ordered to be detained, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Manuchekhri also faces charges of possessing firearms while unlawfully in the U.S. and immigration fraud.
Federal prosecutors accused Manuchekhri of facilitating about $70,000 in payments to ISIS-affiliated individuals in Turkey and Syria, including to one person who was arrested for his alleged involvement in an attack on a church in Istanbul last year. ISIS-K, which U.S. authorities have described as "one of ISIS’s most lethal branches," publicly claimed responsibility for the attack.
"As alleged, the defendant, who was in the United States illegally, not only facilitated tens of thousands of dollars in contributions to ISIS extremists overseas but trained with assault rifles at shooting ranges in the United States and declared his readiness to ISIS," U.S. Attorney John Durham said in a statement.Manuchekhri faces a maximum sentence of 45 years in prison if convicted, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.‘Increasingly radicalized in recent years’
The FBI was first alerted of Manuchekhri in August 2024 after a close family member reported him to the New York State Terrorism Tips Hotline and expressed concern that Manuchekhri might commit acts of violence, according to a criminal complaint and affidavit unsealed Wednesday.
The family member also reported that Manuchekhri had threatened to kill them multiple times, and noted that Manuchekhri had become "increasingly radicalized in recent years" and repeatedly used extremist rhetoric, the affidavit stated.
Between December 2021 and April 2023, Manuchekhri sent a total of about $70,000 to ISIS-connected individuals in Turkey and Syria, according to the affidavit. Manuchekhri also communicated with a person in Turkey who told him the money would be given to ISIS or ISIS-K members and their family members, the affidavit added.
During that period, prosecutors alleged that Manuchekhri also showed support for ISIS by praising past ISIS attacks and had multiple ISIS propaganda videos on his iCloud account.
Prosecutors further alleged that Manuchekhri possessed firearms and made frequent visits to shooting ranges. Manuchekhri’s iCloud account contained "numerous pictures and videos" of him using firearms at shooting ranges, according to the affidavit.
In 2022, Manuchekhri sent videos to an ISIS contact in Turkey that showed him firing an assault rifle at a shooting range, the affidavit stated. Prosecutors alleged that in text messages sent with the videos, Manuchekhri told his contact that he trained with the firearms "at least once or twice a week."‘Sham marriage’
Prosecutors said Manuchekhri traveled to the U.S. from Tajikistan in June 2016 on a non-immigrant tourist visa and stayed in the country after his visa expired. In March 2017, he paid a U.S. citizen — an unidentified woman — to enter a "sham marriage" with him so he could obtain legal status, according to the affidavit.
Manuchekhri later filed a petition to become a lawful permanent resident as the woman’s spouse, the affidavit stated. But when immigration authorities requested additional supporting evidence for the marriage, Manuchekhri filed for a divorce and petitioned to become a lawful permanent resident by claiming that he was a victim of domestic violence.
Prosecutors alleged that both of Manuchekhri’s immigration petitions were fraudulent and that the submitted documents, such as utility bills, had been altered. Further investigation revealed that the woman and Manuchekhri never lived together.
Text messages between Manuchekhri and the woman also showed that Manuchekhri had paid the woman monthly in 2020, according to the affidavit.
Arrest comes amid warnings of extremist violence
Manuchekhri’s arrest follows a series of terrorism and extremist violence warnings from national security officials in recent years, including an updated assessment released by the House Committee on Homeland Security after the New Year’s Day truck attack in New Orleans.
Federal authorities are still investigating the attack, in which 14 people were killed and dozens more were injured when an Army veteran plowed his truck into crowds of people on Bourbon Street. The FBI previously said it was investigating the incident as "an act of terrorism," and that the suspect was "100% inspired by ISIS."
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security also issued a warning about the potential threat from violent extremists of a "copycat" vehicle attack following the New Orleans incident.
Multiple cases involving Americans who were arrested for attempting to join or support ISIS have also made national headlines. According to George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, 246 people were charged in the U.S. with offenses related to ISIS between March 2014 and March 2023.
In November, a New York man was arrested at the JFK International Airport as he prepared to board a flight to Qatar to join ISIS, USA TODAY reported. A Kentucky man was convicted last summer for traveling to Syria to train and fight for the terrorist organization.
Last April, an 18-year-old student from Idaho was arrested for planning to attack more than 21 churches on behalf of ISIS. Indo-Pacific
Uzbekistan, Pakistan pledge to advance proposed railway link via Afghanistan (VOA)
VOA [2/26/2025 5:28 PM, Ayaz Gul, 2913K]
Uzbekistan and Pakistan agreed to establish a tripartite committee with Afghanistan to address issues that are hindering the implementation of a proposed railway project connecting the three countries.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reported the development after delegation-level talks with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Tashkent, emphasizing the need to coordinate joint efforts to advance the trans-Afghan railway link.
The three neighboring countries signed an agreement in February 2021 to construct a 573-kilometer (356-mile) railway line through Afghanistan, connecting landlocked Central Asia to Pakistani seaports, with an estimated cost of $4.8 billion to enhance regional economic connectivity.
"For the first time, we conducted comprehensive discussions [on the project]," Mirziyoyev said in remarks through his official interpreter broadcast live Wednesday on Pakistani state television.
He noted that both sides agreed to form a tripartite committee to evaluate opportunities and address project challenges. The Uzbek leader stated that it was also central to discussions his government recently hosted with officials from Afghanistan.
"Now, we will have the tripartite [committee] meeting on resolving the problems," said Mirziyoyev without elaborating. "We know that this [project] is our future," he added, calling it crucial for regional trade and travel.
The Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021 and subsequent Western financial sanctions on the country briefly deterred Uzbekistan and Pakistan from advancing discussions on the railway connectivity project.
Lately, Pakistan has accused the Taliban government, which is not recognized by any country, of harboring and facilitating militants responsible for terrorist attacks in the country. The ongoing violence has strained bilateral relations and prevented Islamabad from pursuing any meaningful economic partnership with Kabul, according to Pakistani officials.
The Taliban reject allegations that foreign militant groups operate on their territory, saying that no one is allowed to use Afghan soil to threaten other countries.
Sharif, speaking alongside Mirziyoyev, reiterated concerns about cross-border terrorism, emphasizing that militant groups should not use Afghan soil to launch attacks against other nations, including Pakistan.
The Uzbek and Pakistani leaders announced Wednesday that they had also agreed to increase annual trade from more than $400 million to $2 billion and signed several agreements to deepen bilateral economic and trade ties.
The two sides stated that they had discussed enhancing collaboration in agricultural, pharmaceuticals, machinery, geology, mineral resources, textiles, leather and other industries by exporting finished products to third-country markets.
Islamabad and Tashkent also agreed to enhance air links with new flights planned between the largest Pakistani city of Karachi and the historic Uzbek cities of Samarkand and Bukhara. Twitter
Afghanistan
Jahanzeb Wesa@Jahanzeb_Wesa
[2/26/2025 3:12 AM, 5.5K followers, 66 retweets, 158 likes]
As International Women’s Day approaches, Afghan women remain deprived of their rights, education, and freedom. Yet, they refuse to be silenced—their fight for justice and dignity continues against all odds.—Image: From Maria Noori’s women rights activist—social media page.Beth W. Bailey@BWBailey85
[2/26/2025 7:45 AM, 8K followers, 16 retweets, 60 likes]
Layma Murtaza from @ASEELApp came on The Afghanistan Project Podcast to talk about how Aseel can help Afghans after executive orders impact aid in the country Please listen, share, and subscribe: https://youtu.be/3Fej_KqFfxI?si=xr8lji6yArPBwWow Pakistan
Shehbaz Sharif@CMShehbaz
[2/26/2025 8:16 AM, 6.7M followers, 208 retweets, 594 likes]
Delighted to address the Pakistan-Uzbekistan Business Forum, where the entrepreneurial spirit of our two nations explored new frontiers of trade and investment. Both President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev and I stressed the need to take our existing bilateral trade to USD 2 billion annually. We agreed to deepening our economic ties and strengthen connectivity between our two countries, to pave the way for shared prosperity of our people. @president_uz
Shehbaz Sharif@CMShehbaz
[2/26/2025 4:05 AM, 6.7M followers, 271 retweets, 859 likes]
Had the pleasure of meeting my dear brother President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at this morning’s formal talks. Both of us focused on strengthening trade, connectivity, energy cooperation, and cultural exchanges. Given our common desire and shared resolve, we affirm that we would cover all aspects of our bilateral ties, from trade to connectivity, our partnership is set to grow stronger, opening new doors of prosperity for our people. @president_uz
Imran Khan@ImranKhanPTI
[2/26/2025 8:08 AM, 21.1M followers, 11K retweets, 17K likes]
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Conversation with Lawyers at Adiala Jail - February 25, 2025 “We will fight until the very end for the genuine freedom of our country. Adiala Jail is being unlawfully controlled by a Colonel, which is entirely illegal. According to the jail manual, the jail authorities should be in charge, yet this Colonel disregards the law and has taken complete control. Despite being permitted by prison regulations, my meetings with my wife have been repeatedly obstructed. This is the third time that I have been denied a meeting with Bushra Bibi. Even though there are court orders, I am not allowed to meet her. I am also prevented from meeting political figures. People travel great distances to see me, yet they are forced to wait for hours and ultimately denied permission. Even my books are being withheld. The purpose of all these actions is to increase pressure on me and my wife, but we will not break!
Our petitions regarding human rights violations are still pending in the Lahore High Court before Justice Baqar Najafi, the Islamabad High Court, and the Supreme Court, yet no hearings have taken place. The sanctity of homes and personal privacy is being violated, and unlawful raids are being carried out. We are not even allowed to hold a rally or a convention. The Constitution grants us the right to assemble, yet our constitutional rights are being taken away. Human rights are being trampled upon across the country, and we are living in an era of utter despondency.
Pakistan has long been recognized internationally due to its cricketing prowess, but now, even this sector is being destroyed because of the appointment of favored individuals. What credibility does Mohsin Naqvi have besides being a pawn of the establishment? He has wreaked havoc on cricket. The entire cricket system functions under the chairman’s supervision, yet Mohsin Naqvi has no experience in this field. It is essential for a bowler to play Test cricket to build stamina, but selections are now being made of players who have never played a single Test match. When I was Prime Minister, I appointed Ramiz Raja as Chairman—an experienced cricketer.
When Mohsin Naqvi was first appointed as the caretaker Chief Minister, his tenure was marked with unprecedented human rights violations. On February 8th (2024), the largest electoral fraud in the country’s history occurred under his supervision, where he oversaw electoral manipulation in Punjab. Now, as Interior Minister, the law-and-order situation in Pakistan has worsened. He has failed in every domain. Mohsin Naqvi considers Asif Zardari his role model — the same Asif Zardari who is known worldwide as "Mr. Ten Percent". What kind of performance can be expected from someone who idolizes him?
Only the party officials appointed by me to do so are authorized to issue party policy statements. Party discipline is of utmost importance. The battle is against external adversaries, but speaking against our own members and diverting attention from the real issues only serves the agenda of other parties. Sher Afzal Marwat did not refrain from making controversial statements despite my repeated warnings, which is why he has been expelled from the party.” India
President of India@rashtrapatibhvn
[2/27/2025 2:22 AM, 26.4M followers, 129 retweets, 1K likes]
President Droupadi Murmu visited the Statue of Unity at Kevadia and paid her tributes to the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
President of India@rashtrapatibhvn
[2/26/2025 4:21 AM, 26.4M followers, 373 retweets, 2.6K likes]
President Droupadi Murmu graced a Mass Wedding ceremony organised by Shri Bageshwar Jan Seva Samiti at Gadha, Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh.
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[2/26/2025 7:57 AM, 3.4M followers, 137 retweets, 1K likes]
Pleased to receive @Lacroix_UN, USG for Peace Operations @UNPeacekeeping, in New Delhi today. Spoke about India’s longstanding commitment to UN Peacekeeping and multilateralism.
Sadanand Dhume@dhume
[2/26/2025 8:30 PM, 172.4K followers, 20 retweets, 48 likes]
Opposition leaders want Modi to pick a fight with Donald Trump over U.S. deportations of illegal alien Indians. The Indian prime minister is smart to ignore them. [My take] https://www.wsj.com/opinion/modi-faces-fire-for-accepting-trumps-deportees-india-us-relations-62bb6a34?st=MkBq7E&reflink=mobilewebshare_permalink Ashok Swain@ashoswai
[2/27/2025 2:41 AM, 621.6K followers, 4 retweets, 16 likes]
Modi calls Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ (MAGA) and his ‘Make India Great Again’ (MIGA) is a MEGA partnership. He forgets MAGA racists see Indians as job stealers and culturally inferior. #MyPiece NSB
Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh@ChiefAdviserGoB
[2/26/2025 5:26 AM, 118K followers, 38 retweets, 748 likes]
Bangladesh seeks to expand nuclear energy cooperation, Chief Adviser Prof. Yunus told ROSATOM DG Alexey Likhachev on Wednesday. #Bangladesh #ChiefAdviser
Ashok Swain@ashoswai
[2/26/2025 6:16 PM, 621.6K followers, 2 retweets, 14 likes]
Revolution in poetry, Governance in Prose- Bangladeshi students were successful in overthrowing the Hasina regime but fails to provide an alternative governance structure. Violent clashes among students in Dhaka over the formation of a new student organization to fight elections.
Sabria Chowdhury Balland@sabriaballand
[2/26/2025 9:29 AM, 7.9K followers, 4 likes]
The Office of the United Nations Secretary-General has said that UN Secretary-General António Guterres will undertake an official visit to #Bangladesh from March 13-16.
Sabria Chowdhury Balland@sabriaballand
[2/26/2025 7:35 AM, 7.9K followers, 2 likes]
UN Secretary General @antonioguterres commended @ChiefAdviserGoB on the reforms in #Bangladesh. Isn’t there a certain political party that is screaming every day for elections saying reforms aren’t necessary? Who is correct… the UN or the political party?
The President’s Office, Maldives@presidencymv
[2/26/2025 1:41 PM, 112.2K followers, 95 retweets, 93 likes]
First Lady Madam Sajidha Mohamed launches the National Mental Health Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029. This plan prioritises providing mental health care and support, as well as setting mental healthcare standards and providing training opportunities for primary healthcare service providers at atoll and island levels. It also focuses on providing sustainable care and support for individuals from all strata of society struggling with mental health issues.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maldives@MoFAmv
[2/26/2025 9:58 AM, 55.4K followers, 16 retweets, 17 likes]
Minister of Foreign Affairs concludes his visit to Geneva after participating in the High-level segment of the 58th session of the Human Rights Council Press Release | https://t.ly/vgpo9
Anura Kumara Dissanayake@anuradisanayake
[2/26/2025 12:31 PM, 145.9K followers, 3 retweets, 87 likes]
Today (26), I had a productive discussion with senior naval officers at the Presidential Secretariat about our country’s security situation. We focused on future measures for Sri Lanka’s safety, emphasizing the importance of maritime operations, surveillance missions, and combating arms and drug trafficking via sea routes.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake@anuradisanayake
[2/26/2025 5:09 AM, 145.9K followers, 5 retweets, 109 likes]
Yesterday (25), I met with ministry secretaries to emphasize our responsibility to utilize the allocated budget effectively, despite financial constraints. We must address inefficiencies in public service and job dissatisfaction among employees to enhance overall performance. It’s time to minimize administrative costs and cut wastage!
Namal Rajapaksa@RajapaksaNamal
[2/27/2025 12:12 AM, 436.8K followers, 3 retweets, 11 likes]
Instead of incentivizing growth, the govt is imposing a crippling 15% income tax on the IT/BPO sector is driving our best talent abroad and discouraging foreign investments. This is a failure of vision, not just policy. Sri Lanka’s IT/BPO sector earned just USD 848M in 2024, while competitors like Bangladesh and Vietnam are scaling into the billions. Rather than expanding digital exports and creating a strong forex inflow, the govt is taxing the very industries that could help reduce the debt burden. If Sri Lanka can grow sea transport services to USD 1.17B, why can’t we build IT/BPO into a multi-billion-dollar industry? Sri Lanka doesn’t need higher taxes—it needs a strategy for innovation, investment, and economic expansion. We must stop punishing progress and start building a sustainable, growth-driven economy! #Budget2025 #lka
Harsha de Silva@HarshadeSilvaMP
[2/26/2025 6:17 AM, 360.7K followers, 15 retweets, 103 likes]
1/5 The Govts removal of tax exemptions on digital service exports threatens #lka econmomic recovery. WHO’S IMPACTED: IT/BPO companies, software firms, digital agencies, young freelancers on Upwork/Fiverr, content creators & professionals working remotely for global companies.
Harsha de Silva@HarshadeSilvaMP
[2/26/2025 6:17 AM, 360.7K followers, 1 retweet, 27 likes]
2/5 #Srilanka DDS exports grew from $321M to over $1B since 2005. During our economic crisis, remote work has prevented further brain drain by allowing talented Sri Lankans to earn competitive salaries while staying in the country. We can’t afford to lose more youth. #BrainDrain
Harsha de Silva@HarshadeSilvaMP
[2/26/2025 6:17 AM, 360.7K followers, 2 retweets, 25 likes]
3/5 The irony? We’re marketing #SriLanka as a haven for foreign #digitalnomads while simultaneously taxing our own citizens for the same work. This sends conflicting signals to investors and undermines our competitiveness. #Budget2025 #ForeignInvestment #RemoteWork
Harsha de Silva@HarshadeSilvaMP
[2/26/2025 6:17 AM, 360.7K followers, 2 retweets, 29 likes]
4/5 HE President @anuradisanayake aims to grow our #IT workforce to 200,000 & achieve $5B in IT exports. How can we reach these targets while implementing policies that discourage digital entrepreneurship and #innovation? #ITSector #SriLankaGrowth #Entrepreneurship
Harsha de Silva@HarshadeSilvaMP
[2/26/2025 6:17 AM, 360.7K followers, 1 retweet, 27 likes]
5/5 Other countries are creating incentives to grow their digital economies. If we make #SriLanka hostile to digital service exports, our remaining talent will relocate - accelerating #braindrain & forex loss. We must reconsider these shortsighted taxes. #Budget2025 #FiscalReform Central Asia
MFA Tajikistan@MOFA_Tajikistan
[2/27/2025 2:16 AM, 5.2K followers]
Meeting with ICESCO Director General https://mfa.tj/en/main/view/16669/meeting-with-icesco-director-general
MFA Tajikistan@MOFA_Tajikistan
[2/27/2025 2:10 AM, 5.2K followers]
Participation in the 45th Session of the ICESCO Executive Council https://mfa.tj/en/main/view/16668/participation-in-the-45th-session-of-the-icesco-executive-council
Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service@president_uz
[2/26/2025 8:54 AM, 212.8K followers, 4 retweets, 13 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister @CMShehbaz attended the UZ-PK business forum with 300 industry leaders. The President proposed expanding trade, industrial cooperation, logistics, and interregional ties. The Pakistan’s Prime Minister praised Uzbekistan’s reforms and highlighted strong partnership opportunities.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service@president_uz
[2/26/2025 7:18 AM, 212.8K followers, 7 retweets, 22 likes]
At a media briefing, the leaders of #Uzbekistan and #Pakistan appreciated outcomes of the talks, with President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev emphasizing that the historic visit opens a new page in the strategic partnership. Key areas of cooperation were outlined, including trade, transport, industrial projects, humanitarian and cultural exchange.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service@president_uz
[2/26/2025 6:35 AM, 212.8K followers, 6 retweets, 11 likes]
Following the talks, President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister @CMShehbaz signed a Joint Declaration and a Protocol to establish a Strategic Partnership for strengthening #Uzbek🇺🇿-#Pakistani🇵🇰 relations of multifaceted cooperation. Additional agreements were signed in science, vocational education, youth policy, cooperation between the Ministries of Interior and national information agencies, and other areas.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service@president_uz
[2/26/2025 5:53 AM, 212.8K followers, 4 retweets, 21 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister @CMShehbaz held negotiations to strengthen the 🇺🇿-🇵🇰 strategic partnership. Plans include boosting trade to $2 billion, simplifying regulations, aligning standards, and integrating e-commerce. A Forum of Regions will enhance business and cultural ties, while a joint transport company and the Trans-Afghanistan railroad project will advance connectivity. A Supreme Council of Strategic Partnership will be established, with its first meeting next year.{End of Report} To subscribe to the SCA Morning Press Clips, please email SCA-PressOfficers@state.gov. Please do not reply directly to this email.