International Relations - Current Affairs for November, 2016

Turkey will chair the Energy Club of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in 2017.

With it, the nation becomes the first non-full member country to be chairman of the club in the SCO.

Ankara’s proposal for non SCO member countries to host the term presidency of the Energy Club was accepted on 22nd Nov 2016.

The nomination came after President Erdogan pointed to the SCO as Turkey’s alternative to the EU.

SCO Energy Club’s launch was explored on 30th Nov 2006.

The need for the club was restated by Moscow in Nov 2007 SCO Summit.

About SCO

• Also known as Shanghai Pact.
• Founded in 2001 in Shanghai, it is a Eurasian political, economic and military organization.
• Founding members of China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
• India, Pakistan, Mongolia, Iran and Afghanistan are observers of SCO.
• Belarus and Turkey are dialogue partners.

India and Japan have signed 10 agreements to boost bilateral cooperation between the two nations

• The agreements were signed on 11th Nov 2016 in the presence of PM Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe
  
  PM Modi was on a three day visit (10-12th Nov) to ink agreements that include the following:
  
• Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy
• Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on the Manufacturing Skill Transfer Promotion Program
• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Cooperation in the Field of Outer Space
• MoU on Mutual Collaboration in Marine and Earth Science and Technology
• MoC in the Field of Agriculture and Food Related Industry
• MoU for Transport and Urban Development
• MoU in the Field of Textiles
• MoC in the Field of Cultural Exchange
• MOU for cooperation in the fields of academics, business, cultural cooperation, disaster

PM Modi is currently on an official visit at the invitation of HE Shinzo Abe, Japan’s PM. A joint statement was released by the two premiers following discussion

• They took a comprehensive review of the Special Strategic and Global Partnership as outlined in the India and Japan Vision 2025 set forth in Dec 2015
• The joint statement stressed on building a stronger partnership for a safer and stable world through "2+2” Dialogue, Defence Policy Dialogue, Military-to-Military Talks and Coast Guard-to-Coast Guard co-operation.
• The two premiers also discussed Make in India, Digital India, Skill India, Smart City, Startup India and Swach Bharat
• The two PMs also welcomed the Japan-India Energy Partnership led by Japan-India 8th Energy Dialogue held in Jan 2016
• The two ministers also stressed the need for cooperation in tourism and a MOC in the field of cultural exchange
• The India-Japan dialogue to promote cooperation in Africa, South Asia and neighbouring areas through bilateral and trilateral cooperation in the development of infrastructure and connectivity
• The two PMs welcomed the holding of trilateral dialogue among Japan, India and the US
• ASEAN-led fora such as ASEAN Regional Forum, ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus, Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum and coordination of their actions to tackle global and regional challenges including maritime security, terrorism and violent extremism, and climate change were also emphasised
• Cyber cooperation and the North Korea question were also part of the discussions and the joint statement

India, Myanmar and Thailand Friendship Motor Car Rally 2016 will be flagged off on 13th Nov 2016

• To improve the connectivity by road in SE Asian region and sensitise the stakeholders of the agreement regarding potential benefits of such a regulatory regime, a Friendship Motor Car Rally from Delhi to Bangkok will be organised from 13 Nov to 3 Dec, 2016
• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India has initiated a significant step for negotiating a Trilateral Motor Vehicle Agreement among India, Myanmar and Thailand
• This Trilateral Motor Vehicle Agreement will regulate seamless movement of both passenger and cargo vehicles among three countries through provision of a regulatory regime for mutual recognition of documents and harmonisation of procedures and related standards
• The implementation of the IMT Trilateral Highway along with the regulatory framework in the proposed IMT MVA for movement of vehicles of the 3 countries on this route, forming part of the India Act East Policy

India and Sri Lanka have taken the decision to work towards ending bottom trawling by Indian fisherman, setting up procedures to repatriate arrested fishermen and patrolling together.

• Agreement was signed by MEA Union Minister Sushma Swaraj and Sri Lankan counterpart Mangala Samaraweera.
• A JWG and ministerial meeting every few months has been set up as well.
• The agreement involves a JWG comprising MEA reps, coast guards and navies of both countries.
• Coast guards of the two countries will set up hotlines for instant communication.
• The JWG will focus on expediting the transition towards the ending of practice of bottom trawling at the earliest, working out modalities for SOP for handing over apprehended fishermen.
• This is essential for ascertaining possibilities for cooperation on patrolling.
• Fisherman associations of the two nations will meet regularly every six months as well.

The European Union and Canada have signed a free trade deal.
This deal exposed the difficulties of securing agreement from 28 EU member states.

• The deal was almost derailed by objections from the French speaking Belgians.
• EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker indicated there was no parallel between the deal and forthcoming Brexit talks.
• Known as CETA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership and Trade Agreement) paved the way for import duties to be removed early in the next year.
• Treaty currently needs approval of many EU national and regional parliaments besides the UK to enter into full force.
• CETA supporters say it will boost Canadian-EU trade by 20 percent.
• It will boost EU economy by 12 billion euros and Canadian economy by 12 billion Canadian dollars.

India has emerged as the third largest startup base and such ventures are projected to grow 2.2 times to reach 10,500 by 2020 despite a perception that the ecosystem in the nation has slowed down in the past year.

• India is in the third position just behind the US and the UK and nearly 1,400 new startups are expected towards the close of 2016, up 8-10 percent from the previous year’s figure according to the Indian Startup Maturing-2016 report by NASSCOM-ZINNOV.
• The report also indicates that Bengaluru, NCR and Mumbai continue to lead as startup hubs in the country.
• As far as vertical growth is concerned, investors are looking at domains such as health-tech, fin-tech and edu-tech.
• With a total funding of USD 4 billion, around 650 startups were funded signifying a healthy growth of the ecosystem.
• The startup landscape is an epitome of innovation with solutions aimed at solving locally relevant issues.
• NASSCOM holds that the contribution by startups is growing at a rapid rate and the landscape has a massive potential in terms of business stability, revenue growth and rapidly advancing innovation.
• As per the report, the number of tech startups is expected to grow by 10 to 12 percent to over 4750 by the close of 2016.
• India will become home to 10,500 startups by 2020 employing over 2,10,000 people as per the report.
• Over 30 new academic incubators have been established under the government’s Startup India Standup India initiative this year.
• Tier 2/3 cities have been establishing 66 percent of the new incubators.
• India will get electricity generated by wind propelled plants installed in Gujarat and TN in about 5 years as part of the green energy development program of the nation.
• Commercial offshore wind projects are slated for India.
• A 100 MW pilot project will be installed in the ocean off Gujarat in three years.
• A Facilitating Offshore Wind in Industry/FOWIND program funded by the EU has done a series of reports on wind conditions for wind generated electricity and its integration into a grid along the coastlines of Gujarat and TN.
• FOWIND is supported by Euro 4 million grant from the Indo-European Cooperation on Renewable Energy program and Euro 500,000 contribution through the Gujarat Power Corp Ltd.
• The consortium Global Wind Energy Council comprises GPCL, DNV GL. CSTEP and WISE.
• The project is being implemented in close cooperation with the Ministry of New and Renewable energy and National Institute of Wind Energy.
• Over time, DNV GL has emerged as a presence in India, one has looked at over 50 GW of offshore wind projects.

India and Russia have approved the proposal to double the range of BrahMos, world’s first supersonic cruise missile at the 16th Russia-India intergovernmental commission on military cooperation meeting.

• During the annual summit in Goa, Putin and Modi reached an agreement to develop a different range of the BrahMos.
• One of the ranges agreed was to double this from the current range of 186 miles.
• The proposal to increase the range of BrahMos was under consideration for some time and is now formalised after India became a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime this year.
• Only minor changes will be enough to extend the range of BrahMos up to 372 miles.
• Currently, BrahMos is capable of hitting targets beyond the radar horizon and can be launched from sea and land based weapons systems.
• Test fire of an air launched version of BrahMos cruise missile is expected to be held in February 2017.
• The 2.5 metric ton BrahMos air-to-ground missile will be fired from the IAF Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter aircraft that has undergone modifications to accommodate the new weapon.

The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi on 27th Oct 2016 has approved the agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit between India and Bhutan.

• The agreement was renewed on 29th July 2006 for 10 years.
• Validity of this agreement was extended for one year from 29th July 2016 or till a new agreement comes into force through the exchange of diplomatic notes.
• India provides for a free trade agreement between the two nations and provides for duty free transit of Bhutanese merchandise for trade with third countries.
• The bilateral trade relations between Bhutan and India are governed by the Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit between the Governments of India and Bhutan.
• The traditionally unique bilateral relations were linked with trust and understanding between India and Bhutan.
• They have matured over the years and would be further strengthened by execution of the proposed agreement.