Blending Borders #14
Blending Borders #14
Blending Borders
A Fortnightly Newsletter
December 14th, 2021
Issue #14
This Newsletter explores ongoing issues and perspectives from India’s neighbouring countries, including - Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan.
In brief, I discuss:- Vaccine updates, India-Sri Lanka economic package, Bangladesh and 5G, CARAT Bangladesh 2021, India to host BIMSTEC military exercise, Maldives-China power deal, International aid to Afghanistan
The Raging Pandemic
According to a press release put out by the U.S Embassy in Sri Lanka on December 2nd, about 200,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived in Sri Lanka as a donation from the American people. In total, the U.S has supplied 2.6 million vaccines to Sri Lanka and provided $17.9 million worth of emergency supplies and services to the country.
Bangladesh received vaccines from three Schengen countries for a change, including Norway, Switzerland and Sweden. The ambassadors to Bangladesh of each country provided a total of 1.2 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh on December 9th. Of this total donation, 535,200 doses were given by Sweden, 446,000 by Switzerland, and 237,600 by Norway. Malaysia too donated vaccines to Bangladesh. According to The Dhaka Tribune, the Malaysian government provided about 559,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh on December 7th.
Nepal received a bunch of different vaccines too. According to a local report, about 972,000 doses of the Covishield vaccine arrived in the Himalayan country on December 1st. Additionally, Nepal also received 188,400 doses of the Moderna vaccine from the COVAX facility on December 3rd and the second consignment of 1,497,600 on December 9th, said The Kathmandu Post.
Finally, Afghanistan received a fresh batch of vaccine donations from China on December 8th, said a local report. The donations are a part of China’s announcement in August to provide 3 million in medical aid to Afghanistan.
India’s Economic Package to Sri Lanka
According to a report in The Business Standard, India is working on providing urgent economic assistance to Sri Lanka. After the recent visit of Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa to India (I talk about this in edition #13), New Delhi agreed to help out by extending lines of credit for Colombo to import food, medicine and other essential items. India has now decided to help the nation in its crisis and implement economic measures to cover food and health security and a currency swap. India reaching out to assist one of its biggest neighbours can be seen as a testament to its commitment to extend influence in the neighbourhood and earn the trust of these countries, perhaps more than China.
The Sri Lanka Economic Summit 2021 was held earlier on December 6th and 7th. The Economic Intelligence Unit of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce created a SlideDoc summarising the main points during the conference. According to the doc, the key takeaways from the session include:
*Global growth prospects augur well for Sri Lanka’s exports and tourism direction
*Short-term macro priorities include external debt refinancing and building up reserves
*Global inflation is likely to be more persistent than transitionary
*Policy options: continue to attract inflows via credit lines/loans compared to either discussion with IMF or restructuring of debt
*Green economy, digitization and embedding sustainability to FDI are instruments to grow exports
*IT/BPM Service Exports to drive economic growth and export earnings
*To promote exports: exporters must place more emphasis on brands and authentic stories to promote existing exports
*Importance of PPP’s (Purchasing Power Parity) in covering various sectors - learn from the past to better structure the future
In total, the summit consisted of 7 sessions including a keynote session. Various agenda’s and solutions to improve the economic state were discussed. You can read the highlights and key recommendations of each session here. It is a very neatly structured document and excellently prepared.
While we are on the subject of Sri Lanka’s economic policy, do read this extremely well-analysed op-ed on the proposed Sri Lankan national policy for industrial development in economynext by Ranjit Fernando. Fernando is a former secretary to the Ministry of Industrial Policy, Investment Promotion and Entrepreneurship Development, and former director of The National Development Bank of Sri Lanka. The article is more like a commentary where the author breaks down his analysis in two ways: (i) comment on critical conceptual issues central to designing an industrial policy and how the task force has dealt with these issues, and (ii) comment on some specific provisions in the policy draft.
Bangladesh and 5G
According to The Daily Star, Bangladesh joined more than 60 countries in rolling out 5G technology to improvise its mobile internet connectivity on December 12th. Reportedly, state-run mobile phone operator Teletalk will be the first to launch 5G technology, while private players are expected to join in doing so next year sometime in March. Although the move is definitely positive in nature, be it for Bangladesh or any other developing country, there are doubts over the sudden introduction of 5G owing to the still-evolving 3G and 4G networks in the country.
According to the report, the launch of 5G technology in Dhaka comes at a time when the country is yet to benefit from 3G and 4G technologies. As such, there are opposing views when it comes to the introduction of 5G. For instance, in the report, Abu Saeed Khan, senior policy fellow at LIRNEasia, a think-tank based in Colombo, says the introduction of the 5G service is primarily a political decision, not based on the market demand. He was quoted saying, “We don't need 5G as per market demand. We need full 4G service”. He also said that the penetration of smartphones in Bangladesh is not more than 35 per cent. And as there is a shortage of 5G-enabled phones, there will be no services.
In other news, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in Bangladesh conducted a half-day consultation workshop with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and media on the ‘Country Programming Strategic Plan’ (CPF) 2022-2026 at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council Training Hall, in Dhaka on December 9th. FAO’s CPF for 2022-26is a central strategic document that defines the Food and Agriculture Organization's priorities, key areas of technical cooperation, and medium-term country-level programming in support of the Government of Bangladesh and is developed in line with the Government of Bangladesh’s 8th Five Year Plan. At the workshop, experts stressed that productivity and economic empowerment of women should be a logical priority of agriculture programs and policies that seek to promote agricultural development in the future.
CARAT Bangladesh 2021
And finally, the 27th annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) series, CARAT Bangladesh 2021 concluded on December 9th. The objective of the 9-day series included virtual, in-person and at-sea events that focused on collaboration between the Bangladesh Navy and U.S. Navy and enhancing shared maritime security challenges of the region. According to a report published online by the website of the U.S Pacific fleet, the exercise focused on the full spectrum of naval capabilities and featured cooperative evolutions that highlight the ability of Bangladesh and the U.S. to work together towards the common goal of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.
During the series, at-sea, the Bangladesh and U.S navies focused on building interoperability and strengthening relationships. Virtual events featured a variety of joint training opportunities, including maritime aviation, maritime domain awareness (MDA), Women, Peace & Security (WPS) symposiums, and EOD and mine countermeasures.
India to Host Next BIMSTEC Joint Military Exercise
According to The Indian Express, the city of Pune in the state of Maharashtra will host a multilateral military exercise for the member countries of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) between December 20 and 22, which will focus on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. The exercise is slated to be conducted from December 20 to 22 will witness participation from subject matter experts and delegates from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The hosting of this exercise by India is a testament to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy which is a crucial part of India’s foreign policy strategy.
Meanwhile, a local news report stated that the 11th edition of a joint military exercise between India and the Maldives called exercise Ekuverin began on December 6th and will commence on December 19th. The exercise will enhance synergy and inter-operability between the Armed Forces of both nations in terms of understanding transnational terrorism both on land and at sea, conducting Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Insurgency Operations and sharing best military practices and experiences. Besides training, the exercise will also include cultural and sports activities to enhance defence cooperation and bilateral relations. The aim of the exercise is to strengthen defence and security ties between both nations in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and bilateral relations in general.
The Daily Star reported on December 4th that the Maldives is seeking economic assistance from its neighbour Bangladesh. Well-aware of Dhaka’s strengthening economy, the island nation is seeking loans for funding from Bangladesh. It will be the second time the latter is giving out loans to its neighbour - the first one being a $250 million loan to Sri Lanka back in August. This reflects the growing economic power of Bangladesh in the neighbourhood after India.
However, in spite of Dhaka’s positive response towards helping out the island nation, the plight of Bangladeshi migrants working in the Maldives could be considered a cause of discomfort in their future relationship, unless resolved by the Maldivian government.
Maldives-China Power Deal
According to a report by The Indian Express, a Chinese renewable energy firm Sino Soar Hybrid (Beijing) Technology Co. Ltd signed an agreement with the Maldives on November 29th to provide a hybrid solar-diesel power system on an island in the south of the capital Male. The project, supported by the Asian Development Bank, aims to transform the islands existing power grids into a hybrid renewable energy system. The same Chinese firm was supposed to introduce a similar project in Sri Lanka but it was called off due to strong protest from India conveyed to Sri Lanka. Now, the Chinese firm’s agreement in the Maldives could be seen as a vengeful response to Sri Lanka due to its calling off of the project.
The Maldives and Pakistan agreed to enhance cooperation in the education sector, with a special focus on teacher and faculty exchanges, said local news. Increased cooperation also took place between the island nation and Abu Dhabi earlier this week as the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), the economic development arm of the UAE government, signed an agreement to provide a concessionary loan valued at $14 million to support the development of a new waste-to-energy plant on Ado Island in the Maldives. According to a report, the facility will contribute to the Maldives economic development strategy by strengthening the energy sector, reducing reliance on fuel imports, and creating new job opportunities through both the construction phase and ongoing operations and maintenance of the facility.
International Countries Provide Aid to Afghanistan
A report in The Hindu said that India supplied its first consignment of aid as part of humanitarian assistance on December 11th, to help Afghanistan deal with its health crisis. India joins Iran, UAE, Qatar, Turkmenistan and Pakistan, who have also supplied aid and relief materials to the war-torn country. This was the first time India reached out to help Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover and it still does not recognise the Taliban-ruled regime. With this move, a lot more can be expected from New Delhi in its support for Kabul.
Along with New Delhi and the other countries mentioned above, the UK is also joining hands in providing aid to Kabul. According to a report, the UK plans to allocate $99.5 million worth of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. Out of the total aid package, the UK foreign office specified that 34 million pounds will go to the UN World Food Program (WFP). The UK has been consistently providing aid to Afghanistan with fund allocations in September and October and now again this month.
Another major world power, the United States has also proposed aid to Afghanistan. According to a recent report, the governor of the state of Massachusetts approved a bill last week to provide $12 million for Afghan refugees. Other states including Oregon, New York and California have also proposed aid for Afghan refugees. While Oregon lawmakers have proposed allocating $18 million, New York has proposed $5 million and California has proposed nearly $17 million in aid.
In another move, the US Department of Treasury announced on December 11th that they have made a regulation based on which people will be allowed to transfer money to Afghanistan. The regulation will lift all sanctions on all those who are involved in the transfer, said an article.
China Eyes Afghanistan’s Resources
According to a report by The Hindu, a number of Chinese companies have started looking into possible projects to tap lithium deposits in Afghanistan after the Taliban government gave them a green light to do so. As per another report in Global Times, Chinese businessmen were quoted in the report saying, “Representatives of several Chinese companies have arrived in Afghanistan on special visas and are conducting on-site inspections of potential lithium projects, while others have made contacts about such projects”.
Another country that is eyeing investments in Afghanistan is Qatar. A local report said that Qatar is looking at investing in Afghanistan’s energy sector, particularly in solar-power generation. Apart from a tweet on the development by an Afghan government official, no other details were provided and there has been no comment yet by Qatar officials.
Finally, Pakistan will host the 17th Extraordinary Session of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) Council of Foreign Ministers on the situation in Afghanistan, in Islamabad on December 19, said a report. The agenda of the session is aimed at addressing the escalating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
Do not miss reading this well-structured thread on the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan to know exactly what is happening right now in the country.
Suggested Reads
1. The Rohingya Refugee Crisis: A Threat to Peace and Security in South Asia - Md. Ismail Hossain, Isahaque Ali, Azlinda Azman, Iftakhar Ahmad, Nafiul Mehedi - SAGE Journals
2. India’s Dilemma Over Ties With Myanmar Military - Bertil Lintner - The Irrawaddy
3. On Myanmar, Japan Alone Must Hold the Line - Yusuke Watanabe - The National Interest
4. Can Afghanistan’s underground ‘‘sneakernet’’ survive the Taliban? - Ruchi Kumar - MIT Technology Review
5. China waging a global hybrid war - Brahma Chellaney - Taipei Times
6. What is South Asia’s Role at Biden’s Democracy Summit - Michael Kugelman - Foreign Policy
7. The Crisis of Food Insecurity in Afghanistan - Shoba Suri and Mona - ORF
8. Is Afghanistan Really Exporting Terror to Central Asia? - Uyama Tomohiko - The Diplomat
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This Newsletter is written by Ameera Rao, a Research Assistant at the Takshashila Institution. She has previously completed a BA (Hons) in International Relations from King’s College London