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India and Japan have set an investment target of “five trillion yen” ($42 billion) in the next five years during PM Fumio Kishida’s recent visit. Although investment and bilateral cooperation was highlighted from India’s discussions with the fellow Quad member, Russia’s war in Ukraine, now into its fourth week, was not out of focus. In a clear sign of differences over their stands on the Russia–Ukraine conflict, Mr. Kishida emphasised that Russia’s actions must not be ‘condoned’, while PM Modi made no direct reference to the situation.
In his virtual summit with PM Modi, Australian PM Scott Morrison has also emphasised that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has implications for Indo-Pacific, calling for greater cooperation among “like-minded democracies”, Kallol Bhattacherjee reports.
The Hindu’s Editorial puts the string of visits by foreign leaders, including Mr. Kishida, in context – India’s partners would like New Delhi to make a pointed choice between Russia and the West as the conflict escalates. As the war progresses, will New Delhi retain its ability to judge and shift its position from “being neutral” and “abstentionist” to one more wholly seized of the issues?
Kabul: Afghan women march to demand their rights under the Taliban rule during a demonstration near the former Women’s Affairs Ministry building in Kabul, Afghanistan. | Photo Credit: AP
The story of the Taliban’s violent takeover of Afghanistan maybe around six months old now, but the myriad problems lingering in the troubled nation merit the world’s attention. The U.N. Security Council on Thursday approved a robust mandate for its political mission in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover last August. The new mandate authorizes the mission to promote gender equality, empowerment of women and girls, human rights of all Afghans and an inclusive and representative government. The world must save Afghans from poverty, while pressuring the Taliban to end oppression, said The Hindu editorial on the new mandate.
Top Five
- Fragmenting world order, untied nations: The impact of the Ukraine war on global interconnectedness is a cause for worry in the post-World War order, writes our Diplomatic Affairs Editor Suhasini Haidar
- Are United Nations votes black and white? Delegations do not vote for or against other countries; they vote for themselves, seasoned diplomat T.P. Sreenivasan argues
- Srinivasan Ramani writes on Kyiv, ‘The epicentre of Ukrainian resistance’. The Russian bid to envelope the capital city appears to be stalled, even though the invading troops have made advances in the east and south, he explains in this piece
- Can the developed world respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — a flagrant violation of international law — by adopting measures not rooted in international law? – academic Prabhash Ranjan’s piece
- New Delhi should note President Zelensky’s constructive rethink and also drop its silence on Ukraine’s suffering, writes Chinmaya R. Gharekhan, India’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations
U.S. Watch
The U.S. State Department announced on Friday that U.S. Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland, will be in South Asia on March 19-23, visiting Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka, along with the top diplomat for South and Central Asia, Donald Lu and Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Amanda Dory, our Washington Correspondent Sriram Lakshman reports
Ashish Jha, an Indian-origin physician and public health specialist from Brown University
Ashish Jha, an Indian-origin physician and public health specialist from Brown University, has been appointed the new White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator.
China Watch
While U.S. and China clashed over Beijing’s support to Russia, and the countries’ leaders traded warnings on Ukraine and Taiwan, China has questioned the West’s silence on civilian casualties in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, our correspondent Ananth Krishnan reports.
Neighbourhood Watch
Amid Sri Lanka’s fast-aggravating economic crisis, India extended a billion-dollar credit line to help the island nation cope. At the same time the Adani Group’s recent investments in Sri Lanka have come under sharp attack from the opposition.
