CSP WEEKLY UPDATES (January 21-27, 2023)

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA & THE UNITED NATIONS

Ø  US-India Relations Aren’t Playing Out Like a Bollywood Movie
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/us-india-relations-arent-playing-out-like-a-
bollywood-movie/2023/01/22/67989f3a-9aab-11ed-93e0-38551e88239c_story.html

Ø  Pakistani foreign minister: ‘Democracy is the only way to take on terrorism’
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/01/19/bhutto-zardari-pakistan-interview/

Ø  Where Is Pakistan’s Economic Crisis Headed?
https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/where-pakistans-economic-crisis-headed

Ø  The Fall and Rise of the Quad
https://www.cnas.org/publications/commentary/the-fall-and-rise-of-the-quad

Ø  Biden’s Midterm Report Card
https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/01/19/biden-2-year-report-card-foreign-policy/

Ø  NATO’s Most Advanced Tanks Could Change the Course of War in Ukraine
https://www.voanews.com/a/nato-s-most-advanced-tanks-could-change-the-course-
of-war-in-ukraine/6932891.html

Ø  Sharper: National Security in a Divided Congress
https://www.cnas.org/publications/commentary/sharper-national-security-in-a-divided-
congress

Ø  Wrestling with a Humanitarian Dilemma in Afghanistan
https://www.usip.org/publications/2023/01/wrestling-humanitarian-dilemma-afghanistan

Ø  INSIGHT: Israel: Netanyahu’s Return to Power and New Coalition Partners
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN12071

Ø  Prospects for U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Energy Cooperation
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10799

Ø  UN says Taliban divided on appeal to restore women’s rights
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/jan/20/un-says-taliban-divided-on-appeal-to-restore-women/

Ø  Ninth United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact Committee Meeting
https://www.un.org/counterterrorism/events/Ninth-UN-Global-CT-Coordination-
Compact-Committee-Meeting?_gl=1*1oygah3*_ga*MTIzMTE0NTU0Ny4xNjMyMz
g2MTYx*_ga_TK9BQL5X7Z*MTY3NDcxNDQzOC4yNC4xLjE2NzQ3MTU2MTAuMC4wLjA

Ø  Secretary-General’s remarks to the Ninth Meeting of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact [as prepared for delivery]
https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2023-01-25/secretary-generals-remarks-the-ninth-meeting-of-the-united-nations-global-counter-terrorism-coordination-compact-prepared-for-delivery

Ø  Report: Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2022
https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/glotip/2022/GLOTiP_2022_web.pdf

Ø  UN Blacklists Pakistani Militant After China Lifts Block
https://www.voanews.com/a/un-blacklists-pakistani-militant-after-china-lifts-block-/6922589.html

RUSSIA & EUROPE

Ø  Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on Afghanistan calls on the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs

https://mofa.gov.pk/special-representative-of-the-president-of-the-russian-federation-on-afghanistan-calls-on-the-minister-of-state-for-foreign-affairs/

Ø  Pakistan strongly condemns the despicable act of desecration of the Holy Quran in the Netherlands

https://mofa.gov.pk/pakistan-strongly-condemns-the-despicable-act-of-desecration-of-the-holy-quran-in-the-netherlands/

Ø  Pakistan strongly condemns the abhorrent act of desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden

https://mofa.gov.pk/pakistan-strongly-condemns-the-abhorrent-act-of-desecration-of-the-holy-quran-in-sweden/

Ø  Secretary General welcomes Israeli President to NATO HQ

https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_211209.htm

Ø  Ukraine restarts the war on graft, and Western nations promise battle tanks. Could the two events be linked? https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/26/ukraine-corruption-scandal-battle-tanks

Ø  Scots voted to stay in the union nine years ago, but a new cultural conflict with London has restarted a heated debate. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/26/scottish-gender-reform-bill-sparks-independence-talks

Ø  Pakistan yet to accept the invite but experts say it will not lead to thaw in ties as it is a multilateral summit. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/26/india-invite-for-pak-fm-to-attend-sco-summit

Ø  Washington says Moscow is relying on Wagner Group in Ukraine war amid biting Western sanctions and battlefield setbacks. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/26/fresh-us-sanctions-target-russias-wagner-mercenary-group

Ø  The move comes after the Sahel country’s military rulers demanded that Paris withdraw its forces. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/26/france-agrees-to-withdraw-troops-from-burkina-faso-within-a-month

Ø  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says there is no chance of any fighter jets being sent to Ukraine despite renewed calls. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/25/ukraine-eyes-fighter-jets-after-securing-advanced-nato-tanks

Ø  US president says the new military aid underscores Washington’s ‘enduring commitment’ to Kyiv against Moscow’s invasion. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/25/us-will-send-dozens-of-abrams-tanks-to-ukraine-biden-announces

Ø  Foreign ministry in Tehran blacklists three entities and 22 people from the EU, a think tank and eight officials in UK. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/25/iran-blacklists-more-european-officials-amid-rising-tensions

Ø  The meeting, which was scheduled for February, is cancelled on Ankara’s request, sources tell state-owned TRT. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/24/turkey-postpones-nato-meeting-with-sweden-finland-state-tv

Ø  Serbian president says Belgrade could face international isolation if it rejects a plan to normalise ties with Pristina. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/24/serbia-under-western-pressure-to-reach-deal-on-kosovo-vucic-says

Ø  All you need to know about Ukraine’s anti-graft drive
https://www.trtworld.com/article/64879

Ø  Bulgaria announces snap general elections
https://www.trtworld.com/article/64826

Ø  Italy looks to boost energy ties with gas-rich Algeria
https://www.trtworld.com/article/64760

POLITICAL ECONOMY & NON-TRADITIONAL THREATS

Ø  IMF team due by end of month to hash out 9th review
https://www.geo.tv/latest/467401-imf-team-due-by-end-of-month-to-hash-out-ninth-review

Ø  The explosion of unemployment
https://www.dawn.com/news/1733141/the-explosion-of-unemployment

Ø  SBP jacks up policy rate to 17% — highest since October 1997
https://www.geo.tv/latest/466751-monetary-policy-sbp-jacks-up-interest-rate-to-___

Ø  Is Pakistan on its way to becoming the next Sri Lanka?
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2397775/is-pakistan-on-its-way-to-becoming-the-next-sri-lanka

Ø  SBP foreign reserves near rock bottom as inflows remain elusive
https://www.geo.tv/latest/467405-sbps-reserves-fall-to-37bn-lowest-since-feb-2014

Ø  Economy and political turbulence
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2397309/economy-and-political-turbulence

Ø  A debt-trap spanning 75 years: Pakistan’s journey towards a sovereign default
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2397052/a-debt-trap-spanning-75-years-pakistans-journey-towards-a-sovereign-default

Ø  Minister calls for retooling 20th century financial architecture
https://www.geo.tv/latest/466281-sherry-rehman-insists-on-revisiting-20th-centurys-financial-architecture

Ø  Pakistan economy is on the verge of collapse: Financial Times
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2397843/pakistan-economy-is-on-the-verge-of-collapse-financial-times

Ø  Of IsDB’s $4.2b, only $600m new
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2397567/of-isdbs-42b-only-600m-new

Ø  Oil prices advance on U.S. growth, Chinese recovery hope
https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/oil-prices-edge-up-strong-us-economic-data-chinese-demand-hope-2023-01-27/

Ø  Climate-smart agriculture
https://www.dawn.com/news/1733136/climate-smart-agriculture

Ø  Agenda for change
https://www.dawn.com/news/1733687/agenda-for-change

Ø  Reimagining healthcare
https://www.dawn.com/news/1733820/reimagining-healthcare

Ø  The climate action conversation
https://www.dawn.com/news/1733445

Ø  World Bank, NDMA agree on framework for climate-resilient communities
https://www.dawn.com/news/1733505