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India, EU hold defence consultations

The wide-ranging discussions covered the evolving security situation in Europe, India’s neighbourhood and the Indo-Pacific….reports Asian Lite News

The first-ever India-EU Security and Defence Consultations took place on June 10 in Brussels where both sides agreed to “increase India-EU defence and security cooperation”, said the Embassy in Brussels in its press release.

“The first-ever India-EU Security and Defence Consultations took place on 10th June 2022 in Brussels pursuant to a decision taken at the India-EU summit in July 2020,” read the release.

The consultations were co-chaired by Sornnath Ghosh, Joint Secretary (lnternational Cooperation), Ministry of Defence, Sandeep Chakravorty, Joint Secretary (Europe West), Ministry of External Affairs (India Side) and Joanneke Balfoort, Director Security and Defence Policy (EU Side).

The wide-ranging discussions covered the evolving security situation in Europe, India’s neighbourhood and the Indo-Pacific.

The two sides noted the number of positive developments in the area of security and defence cooperation in recent years. The discussions included the establishment of a regular maritime security dialogue, which met for the second time in February 2022, the first-ever joint naval exercises held in June 2021, and a number of joint workshops on the subject of fostering maritime security.

During the consultations, the two sides also discussed various means of increasing India-EU cooperation on maritime security, implementation of the European code of conduct on arms export to India’s neighbourhood, cooperation in co-development and co-production of defence equipment including India’s participation in Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO).

Both sides agreed to increase India-EU defence and security cooperation as an important pillar of the bilateral strategic relations. The next consultations will be held in Delhi at a mutually agreed convenient time. (ANI)

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Decision on Ukraine’s EU candidate status soon: EU Chief

On February 28, Zelensky signed an official appeal to the EU asking for the accession of Ukraine through a new special procedure…reports Asian Lite News

 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Kiev that the Commission will finalise the assessment on granting Ukraine European Union (EU) candidate status by the end of next week, local media reported.

“The European Commission is currently preparing its recommendations — the so-called conclusion for EU member states. We have been working on this assessment day and night,” von der Leyen added on Saturday at the joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“Our discussions will allow us to conclude this work by the end of next week.”

On February 28, Zelensky signed an official appeal to the EU asking for the accession of Ukraine through a new special procedure, Xinhua news agency reported.

The European Commission President gave the EU membership questionnaire to the Ukrainian President during her visit to Kiev in April. The first part of the document was submitted to the EU on April 18, while the second was delivered on May 9.

However, observers say even with candidate status, it may take years, if not decades, for Ukraine to obtain EU membership.

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EU agrees on common charger for mobile devices by 2024

Provision on wireless charging has also been made, as it is becoming more prevalent, Agius Saliba said…reports Asian Lite News

Chargers will be harmonized for small and medium-sized portable electronic devices by 2024 in the European Union (EU), negotiators of the European Parliament and the Council have agreed.

“By autumn 2024, USB Type-C will become the common charging port for all mobile phones, tablets and cameras in the EU,” a press release from the Parliament said.

The devices affected include mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, earbuds, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers rechargeable via a wired cable, keyboards, computer mice, and portable navigation devices, said European Parliament rapporteur Alex Agius Saliba.

Laptop manufacturers will also need to conform to the new regulation, but they will benefit from an extended deadline — 40 months after the entry into force — to comply.

Provision on wireless charging has also been made, as it is becoming more prevalent, Agius Saliba said.

Consumers will be able to choose if they want to purchase new devices with or without a charger.

The two important benefits of the regulation, the rapporteur said, are that consumers will get a fairer deal, and so will the environment.

European consumers will be able to save up to 250 million euros ($267 million) per year on unnecessary charger purchases since they will be able to use one charger for multiple devices.

Regarding the environment, it is estimated that unused chargers generate about 11,000 tonnes of e-waste each year.

The new rule will have to be formally approved by the European Parliament and the European Council after the summer break, and then published in the EU Official Journal.

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‘Our concerns are legitimate’: Erdogan on Sweden, Finland NATO bids

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg stressed the “necessity to meet the expectations of Turkey, an important ally”…reports Asian Lite News

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that Turkey’s security concerns on Sweden and Finland’s intention to join the alliance were based on “just and legitimate” grounds, according to a statement from the Turkish presidency.

“Both countries should clearly display that they have given up supporting terrorism, that they have lifted sanctions against Turkey, and that they are ready to show alliance solidarity,” Erdogan told the NATO chief in a phone call, Xinhua news agency reported.

Stoltenberg stressed the “necessity to meet the expectations of Turkey, an important ally.”

Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO following the Russia-Ukraine conflict that erupted in late February.

NATO allies, except for Turkey, have welcomed the Nordics’ appeal. Ankara, however, citing the Swedish and Finnish ties with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and other anti-Turkey outlawed groups, objected to their entry into the alliance.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

Turkey demanded an array of “concrete assurances” from Sweden and Finland, which included “termination of political support for terrorism,” “elimination of the source of terrorism financing” and “cessation of arms support” to the PKK and its Syrian Kurdish offshoot.

The demands also include the lifting of the two countries’ arms sanctions against Turkey.

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Putin warns Germany, France against pumping Ukraine with weapons

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned his European colleagues that pumping Ukraine with Western weapons carries the risks of destabilization, reports Asian Lite News

Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a conversation with French and German leaders Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz, pointed out the danger of pumping Ukraine with Western weapons. He warned European colleagues that this carries the risks of destabilization.

“The Russian President also sharpened the issue of the dangerous nature of the ongoing pumping of Ukraine with Western weapons, warning in this regard of the risks of further destabilization of the situation and aggravation of the humanitarian crisis,” the Kremlin’s press service said, RT reported.

Putin also announced Moscow’s readiness to facilitate the search for options for the unhindered export of grain.

It is noted that the Russian leader explained the reasons for the difficulties with food supplies, which were the result of the erroneous economic policy of Western countries.

“For its part, Russia is ready to help find options for the unhindered export of grain, including the export of Ukrainian grain from the Black Sea ports,” the Kremlin said.

Earlier, Putin, in a conversation with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, noted that Russia is ready to help overcome the food crisis through the export of grain and fertilizers, but for this it is necessary to remove politically motivated restrictions imposed by Western countries.

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EU oil embargo ‘in days’ as Russia flags closer China ties

The European Commission and United States were working in parallel on a proposal to cap global oil prices, he said…reports Asian Lite News

The European Union will likely agree to an embargo on Russian oil imports “within days”, according to its biggest member Germany, as Moscow said it saw its economic ties growing with China after being isolated by the West over its invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told global business leaders in Davos on Monday that the world must increase sanctions against Russia to deter other countries from using “brute force” to achieve their aims.

Many of the EU’s 27 member states are heavily reliant on Russian energy, prompting criticism from Kyiv that the bloc has not moved quickly enough to halt supplies.

Hungary stuck to its demands for energy investment before it agrees to such an embargo, clashing with EU states pushing for swift approval. The EU has offered up to 2 billion euros ($2.14bn) to central and eastern nations lacking non-Russian supply.

“We will reach a breakthrough within days,” Germany’s economy minister, Robert Habeck, told broadcaster ZDF.

The European Commission and United States were working in parallel on a proposal to cap global oil prices, he said.

“It is obviously an unusual measure, but these are unusual times,” he said.

Russia’s three-month-long invasion of Ukraine, the biggest attack on a European state since 1945, has seen more than 6.5 million people flee abroad, turned entire cities into rubble, and prompted the unprecedented imposition of Western sanctions on Russia.

In a further symbolic indication of Russia’s isolation, US coffee chain Starbucks became the latest Western brand to say it was pulling out of the country on Monday.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the Kremlin would focus on developing ties with China as economic links with the US and Europe were cut.

“If they (the West) want to offer something in terms of resuming relations, then we will seriously consider whether we will need it or not,” he said in a speech, according to a transcript on the foreign ministry’s website.

“Now that the West has taken a ‘dictator’s position’, our economic ties with China will grow even faster.”

The comments came as US President Joe Biden toured Asia, where he said he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan against Chinese aggression – a comment that seemed to stretch the limits of the ambiguous US policy towards the self-ruled island.

Russia sent thousands of troops into Ukraine on February 24 for what it calls a “special operation” to demilitarise its neighbour and root out dangerous nationalists – claims dismissed by Kyiv and Western countries as false pretexts for a land grab.

Having captured the port city of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine last week after a months-long siege, Russian forces now control a largely unbroken swathe of the east and south.

They are trying to encircle Ukrainian forces and fully capture the Luhansk and Donetsk provinces that make up the eastern Donbas region, where Moscow backs separatist forces.

A total of 12,500 Russians were trying to seize Luhansk, the region’s governor, Serhiy Haidai, said on Telegram. The town of Sievierodonetsk is being destroyed, but Ukraine has forced Russian troops out of Toshkivka to its south, Haidai added.

Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko told local television that shelling was occurring along the front line, with the coal mining town of Avdiivka being hit round the clock.

Russian forces fired on 38 communities in Donetsk and Luhansk on Monday, killing seven and injuring six, Ukraine’s Joint Forces Task Force military command said in its nightly update.

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Britain calls for EU action on Northern Ireland

London is bidding to placate pro-UK unionists who are refusing to join a new power-sharing government in Belfast — led for the first time by pro-Irish nationalists — until the protocol is reformed…reports Asian Lite News

Britain has insisted it is up to the European Union to unblock political paralysis in Northern Ireland, after assuring a delegation from the US Congress of its “cast-iron” commitment to peace in the province.

The British government has provoked anger on both sides of the Atlantic with a plan to overhaul the so-called Northern Ireland Protocol, a trading arrangement that was agreed as part of its Brexit divorce deal with the EU.

London is bidding to placate pro-UK unionists who are refusing to join a new power-sharing government in Belfast — led for the first time by pro-Irish nationalists — until the protocol is reformed.

Interviewed by the Sunday Telegraph newspaper, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis demanded that Brussels adopt a new negotiating mandate to address the fierce objections of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

“I made this point to the EU myself before the (May 5) elections. My view was, it was much easier to get a deal before the elections than afterwards,” Lewis said.

“The idea that it was going to be easier after the elections was a crazy one from the EU.” The protocol recognised Northern Ireland’s status as a fragile, post-conflict territory that shares the UK’s new land border with the EU.

Keeping the border open with neighbouring Ireland, an EU member, was mandated in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, given that the frontier was a frequent flashpoint during three decades of violence. But the protocol’s requirement for checks on goods arriving from England, Scotland and Wales has infuriated the DUP and other unionists, who say it drives a wedge between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

Lewis stressed that the DUP, as the biggest unionist party, had a democratic mandate to back its position.

“And at the moment, the protocol, which the EU claims is about protecting the Good Friday Agreement, is the very document putting the Good Friday Agreement most at risk,” he said. But the EU insists the protocol is not up for renegotiation.

And last week Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the US House of Representatives, warned that the UK could forget about a post-Brexit trade deal if it rewrites the agreement.

On Saturday, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss met in England with a congressional delegation led by Richard Neal, a senior member of Pelosi’s Democratic party in the House.

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NATO mulls supplying Moldova with weapons

According to UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, NATO members are talking about the possibility of ensuring that not only Ukraine, but also Moldova has modern defenses, reports Asian Lite News

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss says the United Kingdom and other NATO members are discussing the possibility of sending modern weaponry to Moldova.

“I would want to see Moldova equipped to Nato standard. This is a discussion we’re having with our allies,” Truss said in a Friday interview with The Telegraph.

According to Truss, NATO members are talking about the possibility of ensuring that not only Ukraine, but also Moldova has modern defenses.

If the military alliance agrees on the issue, NATO will provide weapons to Moldova in order to replace Soviet-era equipment and will also provide training to Moldovan military personnel, The Telegraph said on Friday. (ANI/Sputnik)

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‘No shortcuts to Ukraine’s EU membership bid’

Ahead of the extraordinary meeting of EU leaders at the end of May, Scholz spoke in favour of a European solidarity fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine….reports Asian Lite News

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said there would be no shortcuts to Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union (EU).

The European Commission is expected to complete its initial assessment of Ukraine’s EU membership application by the end of June, Scholz added on Thursday in his address to the Bundestag, the lower house of the German Parliament.

Not allowing shortcuts on the country’s road to the EU, however, is an “imperative of fairness” towards the other countries of the Western Balkans, he said.

Accession to the EU can take several years. The Western Balkan countries of Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia have been recognised candidate countries for between eight and 17 years, Xinhua news agency reported.

Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron also dampened Ukraine’s hopes for a quick EU accession.

“We all know perfectly well that the process which would allow them to join would in reality take several years, and most likely several decades,” he added.

Ahead of the extraordinary meeting of EU leaders at the end of May, Scholz spoke in favour of a European solidarity fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

“It is already clear, the reconstruction of the destroyed infrastructure, the revival of the Ukrainian economy, all this will cost billions,” he said.

The solidarity fund would be “fed by contributions from the EU and our international partners,” he added, stressing that the EU had to start preparations now to support Ukraine on “its European path”.

The German Chancellor stressed that solidarity in Europe was also required to cope with energy price increases.

“At the European level, the main concern is to ensure that there are no bottlenecks in energy supply in individual member states.”

To avoid energy shortage, Germany must become independent from fossil energy and expand the trans-European energy networks, Scholz said, praising the progress that was made together with Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands.

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Russia may sever ties with WHO, WTO

The WHO member states have already tried to force the health body, which typically avoids taking a stance on politics, into taking action over the invasion…reports Asian Lite News

Russia may sever ties with prominent global bodies as President Vladimir Putin continues to isolate his nation from the West following the invasion of Ukraine, Daily Mail reported.

Moscow’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday sent a list of international organisations to the parliament, with orders to review it and break ‘obligations [or] treaties which do not bring benefit, but direct damage to our country’, deputy speaker Pyotr Tolstoy said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Trade Organisation are among the names on the list, Russian news agencies reported.

It comes after Western countries cut off large parts of the Russian economy from the global trade via sanctions, with hundreds of Western businesses pulling out of the country to protest the war.

The WHO member states have already tried to force the health body, which typically avoids taking a stance on politics, into taking action over the invasion, Daily Mail reported.

Just last week, they had voted in favour of a non-binding resolution condemning Russian attacks on Ukrainian healthcare facilities, and the effect of the war on public health.

The same resolution also called on WHO chiefs to consider closing their office in Moscow and relocating it outside the country.

Russia condemned the resolution as “exclusively political in nature” and said it had no bearing on healthcare provisions in either country.

Plans to withdraw from the WTO, which sets benchmarks for global trade for its members, have been tabled in Moscow many times before.

Russia only joined the global body in 2012 after 19 years of negotiations, with many viewing some of its terms as unfavourable to Moscow while also giving the West a tool with which to punish the country.

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