Shashank Mattoo
Shashank Mattoo

@MattooShashank

13 Tweets 32 reads Feb 12, 2023
It's been a busy week for ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ foreign policy
- ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ rejects ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ proposal for sanctions on ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ for buying Russian oil
- NSA Doval visits ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ
- Can ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ's "disaster diplomacy" help reset ties with a rival power?
๐Ÿงตon the top 5 foreign affairs stories from ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ this week๐Ÿ‘‡(1/13)
(2/13)
1. ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ officials reject sanctions on ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee Head Oleksandr Merezhko called for sanctions on ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ if it buys ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ oil
Merezhko: "๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ should be consistent. This is a global conflict between democracy-the free world- & authoritarian regimes"
(3/13)
Days later, US State Dept. held a briefing for South Asian journalists
In response to query on Merezhko, US Assistant-Secy of State Karen Donfried: "I want to be clear, we are not looking to sanction ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ. Our partnership w. ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ is one our most consequential relationships"
(4/13)
Why This Matters:
-๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ believes sanctions campaign on ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ is working; so no need to pressure ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ to stop buying oil
- However, ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ politician's proposal reflects๐Ÿ“ˆin frustration w. ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ if sanctions vs. ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ do not have desired effect
-Despite ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ support, ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ will be cautious
(5/13)
2. NSA Ajit Doval in ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ on Afghanistan
Doval visited Moscow to meet w. ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ & Cent. Asian diplomats for talks on AFG
What he said:
-Well being of ppl of AFG is ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณโ€™s top priority
-๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ's focus will be on food security and medical supplies
-Wants๐Ÿ“ˆintelligence co-op on terror
(6/13)
Why This Matters:
-Doval's visit aimed at restating ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ's position as a key stakeholder in ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ซ
-๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ will continue to provide food, medical assistance and scholarship support to help improve growing humanitarian crisis
(7/13)
3. ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ rushes aid to quake-hit Turkey
After quakes that killed 16,000+ people, ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ mobilised for "Operation Dost"
-NDRF has flown 100 rescue workers along with dog squads
-Set up a field hospital for a 30-bed facility
-25 Tonnes of relief material, protective gear
(8/13)
Why This Matters:
1. Reset in ties: ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณโ€™s assistance to ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท comes when relations tense over Erdogan's criticism of ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ on Kashmir. Both sides have making moves to improve ties & this aid may help
2. Improves ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ's image as reliable responder in time of crisis
(9/13)
4. ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Amb. Alipov makes waves
Alipov made a major speech in ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ:
-๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บsupports ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ's permanent membership of the UNSC
-"Amusing to read about ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ defence coop w. ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ, as if it offers something exclusive. Nothing near advance tech we offer. What ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ is good at is advertising"
(10/13)
-"Frankly ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ have never been junior partner in our history. We have a close cooperation with๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณbut will never be.. junior partner to anyone "
-On mediation role in ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ war: "If ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ wants to take a more active part on that, we will certainly listen to ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ very very closely"
(11/13)
Why It Matters:
-Over a year of war in ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ, shows that ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ ties remain strong
-Alipov confirms that S-400 deal is happening which is important symbol for ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ
-Stayed away from controversy on question of ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ border crisis & pointed to how ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ solved territory issues
(12/13)
5. Canadian Foreign Minister visits ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly visited ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ w. some key discussion points
-Called for early conclusion for FTA
-Indo-Pacific cooperation
-Support for ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ's G-20 Presidency
-War in Ukraine
(13/13)
Why It Matters
-After irritants caused in recent months by pro-Khalistan referendums in Canada, shows that ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ&๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ partnership remains on track
-Marked the first time that the Dialogue was held in a decade

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