UNHRC approves 4 anti-Israel resolutions, also calls for limited arms embargo

The United Nations Human Rights Council approved four anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian resolutions, including a call for a limited arms embargo against the Jewish state, as it wrapped up its 49th session.

Israel was the only country the UNHRC censured multiple times. Russia, which is a UNHRC member, was censured only once for its invasion of Ukraine, with a resolution passed 32-2, with 13 abstentions.

Other countries – North Korea, Iran, Belarus, Myanmar, Nicaragua, and Syria – were taken to task for human rights abuses with only one resolution per country.

Israel is not a voting member of the UNHRC but spoke multiple times about UNHRC bias during the voting process on Thursday and Friday.

When it comes to Israel, Ambassador Meirav Eilon-Shahar said, the council was an echo chamber of fantasy and hatred against Israel.

“The problem with this echo chamber is that no reality comes in but certainly the hatred seeps out,” she said.

Out of the four resolution texts, the accountability resolution which spoke of the arms embargo is considered to be the most contentious. It was approved by the UNHRC in a 37-3 vote, with seven abstentions.

The three countries that stood with Israel were: Brazil, Malawi, and the United States, which rejoined the council as a voting member this year.

US Ambassador to the UN Michele Taylor said that the Biden administration was disappointed that UNHRC member States continue to disproportionately single out Israel and are dismayed by the many repetitive and one-sided resolutions that run year after year.

The countries that abstained from the vote on accountability were: Cameron, Honduras, India, the Marshall Islands, Nepal, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

All the European Union countries on the council supported the text, including France and Germany.

It urged “all states to refrain from transferring arms when... they assess that there is a clear risk that such arms might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations or abuses of international human rights law or serious violations of international humanitarian law.”

Last year, the resolution passed 32-6, with eight abstentions. The shift in the voting pattern had to do with changes to the rotating membership of the 47-member body and was not reflective of shifts in the positions of individual countries.

The Palestinian Ambassador to the UN in Geneva Ibrahim Khraishi said that it was important to hold Israel accountable for its actions against his people.

“This draft resolution should ensure justice and should hold to account all those who violate international humanitarian law and… to provide reparation and compensation to the Palestinian loved one of the victims,”

The other three resolutions were voted on under Agenda Item 7. The UNHRC is mandated to debate alleged Israeli human rights violations at each session. No such requirement is leveled against any other of the UN’s 193 members.

United Nations Human Rights Council approved four anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian resolutions, condemning Israeli settlement activity and calling for a boycott of settlement products and an Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 lines was approved 38-4, with five abstentions.

Of the three Agenda Item 7 resolutions, the one condemning Israeli settlement activity and calling for a boycott of settlement products and an Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 lines was approved 38-4, with five abstentions.

Those who stood with Israel were: Malawi, the Marshall Islands, the United Kingdom and the United States. Those who abstained were: Brazil, Cameron, Honduras, Lithuania and Ukraine. Last year the same text passed 36-3, with eight abstentions.

The resolution on the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination was approved 41-3, with three abstentions.

Those who stood with Israel were: the Marshall Islands, the United Kingdom and the United States. Those who abstained were: Cameron, Honduras and Lithuania. Last year, it passed, 42-3, with two abstentions.

Those who opposed or abstained from the text were not making a statement against Palestinian sovereignty, but wanted to take a stand against the council’s anti-Israel bias.

The resolution with the least amount of support was the text that asked Israel to withdraw from the Golan Heights, which was approved 29-15, with three abstentions.

United Nations Human Rights Council approved four anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian resolutions. Resolution that asked Israel to withdraw from the Golan Heights, which was approved 29-15, with three abstentions.

Those who stood with Israel were: Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, the Marshall Islands, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Korea, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Those who abstained were: Brazil, Cameroon and Honduras.

Khraishi defended the continued presence of Agenda Item 7.

The focus should be on ending Israel’s “occupation” and not the debate about it, Khraishi said, as he accused Israel of “colonialism and apartheid.” Earlier in the session, the special investigator into alleged Israeli human rights abuses submitted a report in which he accused Israel of the crime of apartheid.

Taylor said that “the continued existence of this agenda item calls into question the credibility of this body. None of the world’s worst human rights violators, some of whom are the subject of resolutions at this session, have their own stand-alone agenda item at this Council. Only Israel receives such treatment.

“Further, we strongly reject the characterization voiced by some that Israel’s actions constitute apartheid,” Taylor added.

Indian media finds similarity between Sri Lankan and Pakistani economic catastrophe

According to oneindia, both Pakistan and Sri Lanka have plunged into a crisis and the blame lies entirely on the Chinese debt. The situation in these two countries has now forced nations like Maldives, Bangladesh and Nepal to think again on the Chinese infrastructure and also being part of the BRI initiative.

In Sri Lanka the blame clearly lies on Rajapaksa who began leaning towards the Chinese heavily much to the displeasure of India. The nation brought upon itself immense economic stress by taking high interest loans from China in the name of developing infrastructure.

Pakistan on the other hand has more than 10% of its debt owed to China. Imran Khan has been blamed squarely for the economic mess the country is in today.

Due to these high value debts the country has not only fallen economically, but has also plunged into political crisis. Khan is making matters worse by whipping up public sentiments and blaming the situation on a foreign conspiracy against him and his government.

Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka face complex situations as the United States has a great amount of control on the global financial institutions. This would make it harder for the two nations as they have shifted their loyalties to China.

Finally, Imran Khan discloses name of US official who sent threat letter

According to Geo News, hours after the National Assembly Deputy Speaker trashed the Opposition’s no-confidence motion on Sunday; Prime Minister Imran Khan disclosed the name of the US diplomat who had allegedly sent the threat letter to Pakistan.

During a meeting with ex-lawmakers, PM Khan, who seemed much calmer and more confident after the proceedings of the day, revealed that the threatening message that was received from the US was sent by its Assistant Secretary of State for the South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu.

He was quoted as saying that during a meeting between Lu and Pakistan's Ambassador Asad Majeed, note-takers from both sides were present and minutes of the meeting were released after the meeting ended.

Lu, who is currently visiting India, in an interview with Hindustan Times, was questioned regarding the threatening message controversy. He denied responding to the allegations of Imran Khan.

The top US official had said that the US is closely monitoring the situation in Pakistan and we respect and support Pakistan’s constitutional process and the rule of law.

On March 31, Khan claimed to have received a threat letter against his government from a foreign country. He named the United States to be behind the conspiracy.

In an apparent slip of the tongue, he named "the United States..." but quickly moved on and stated that "a foreign country" had sent a "threatening memo" which was against the Pakistani nation.

However, the US State Department and White House together spurned Imran Khan’s allegation in which he had held foreign powers responsible for attempting to topple his government, Geo News reported.

The White House responded after PM’s speech, in which he named the US government over the no-trust motion against him.

During a regular press briefing, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield categorically rejected Imran Khan’s allegation.

Responding to a question that the Prime Minister of Pakistan accused the US government of working to remove him from power, Bedingfield said, "absolutely no truth to that allegation".

Who is Donald Lu

Lu became Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs on September 15, 2021. Prior to this assignment, Assistant Secretary Lu served as the US Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic from 2018 to 2021 and the US Ambassador to the Republic of Albania from 2015-2018.

Before his posting in Albania, Assistant Secretary Lu worked on the Ebola crisis in West Africa as the Deputy Coordinator for Ebola Response in the Department of State.

Lu is a Foreign Service Officer with more than 30 years of US government service. He served as Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) in India (2010-2013), Chargé d’Affaires (2009-2010) and DCM (2007-2009) in Azerbaijan, and as DCM in Kyrgyzstan (2003-2006).

Earlier in his career he was assigned as Deputy Director in the Office of Central Asian and South Caucasus Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs (2001-2003), Special Assistant to the Ambassador for the Newly Independent States in the Office of the Secretary of State (2000-2001), Political Officer in New Delhi, India (1997-2000), Special Assistant to the Ambassador in New Delhi, India (1996-1997), Consular Officer in Tbilisi, Georgia (1994-1996), and Political Officer in Peshawar, Pakistan (1992-1994).

As a Peace Corps volunteer in Sierra Leone, West Africa from 1988-1990, he helped to restore hand-dug water wells and to teach health education and latrine construction.

 

 

 

Saudi Arabia and UAE view United States an unreliable partner under Joe Biden

A professor at Georgetown University in Qatar says that leaderships in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates look at the Biden administration as an unreliable partner who is not worthy to jeopardize the ties with Russia.

“They feel that under Joe Biden the United States has not been a reliable partner, especially since the close, personal relationship that existed with the Donald Trump and since the United States is indirectly talking to Iran in Vienna,” Mehran Kamrava told The Tehran Times.

Though US-Persian Gulf ties are deep-rooted when it comes to military contracts, the Russia-Ukraine conflict shows that Arab states in the region may leave United States alone in some cases. 

The UAE and Saudi Arabia appear to be sending a message to the US, said Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a Middle East fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Talking to Al Jazeera last month, Ulrichsen said they are going to act upon their interests and not what the US think their interests are.

Giorgio Cafiero, CEO of Gulf State Analytics, a Washington, DC-based geopolitical risk consultancy, also said, “Syrian President Al-Assad coming to the UAE, shortly after the (Persian) Gulf Arab country opted to abstain from a UN Security Council resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine last month, tells us that the Emiratis are very serious about asserting their autonomy from the United States.” 

“For Arab states, Russia is an important actor with whom they can hedge their bets with the United States.”Arab states, especially Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, felt they lost a close friend in the White House after Donald Trump was defeated in the 2020 elections. 

“Clearly, the Saudi and Emirati leaderships do not have the same kind of relationship with Biden that they had with Trump, and they feel slighted,” Kamrava notes. 

“Also, given the very close relationship between both Saudi Arabia and the UAE with Russia, neither wants to risk alienating President Putin,” adds professor from Georgetown University. 

Following is the text of the interview:

Do you think the Ukraine war would expand to other countries? 

Since the war is currently ongoing, it is difficult to guess whether or not it will expand and if it will usher in a new order in the region. 

Are we going to witness a new order in the region?

Clearly, we see the emergence of diverging trends, however, and the gap between the EU and the US on the one side and Russia and a number of other countries, like China and Iran, on the other. 

Saudi and UAE leaders declined calls with Biden amid the Ukraine conflict. What are the implications of such a reaction?

Clearly, Saudi and Emirati leaderships do not have the same kind of relationship with Biden that they had with Trump, and they feel slighted as a result. They feel that under Biden the United States has not been a reliable partner, especially since the close, personal relationship that existed with the Trump White House is gone and since the US is indirectly talking to Iran in Vienna. Also, given the very close relationship between both Saudi Arabia and the UAE with Russia, neither wants to risk alienating President Putin. 

Why do the Arab states prefer not to be engaged in the US-Russia conflict while they are allied with Washington?

The Arab states do not want to jeopardize their increasing closeness with Russia. For them, Russia is an important actor with whom they can hedge their bets with the United States, and as a result, they are reluctant to take positions that are overtly antagonistic toward Russia.

China and the many Arab states avoided condemning Russia for launching war on Ukraine. Do you think the Ukraine crisis will turn into a new form of confrontation between the West and the East?

That might indeed be the case, but, again, it is too early to tell. Clearly, we are seeing tectonic shifts occurring in regional alignments. But how these shifts will turn out is hard to tell. There are new and emerging powers in the East, the most notable being China and South Korea, and, at least in relation to South Korea, it would be difficult to say that it is not part of the Western or American orbit. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that Russia is seen in the US and in the EU as a “disruptive actor” and China is perceived as a major technological competitor. 

Do you see a kind of hesitation in Persian Gulf Arab state's betting on America in the defense system? Do they think that America left them alone, especially in the Yemen war?
    
I think the US will remain to be an outside security provider for the southern states of the Persian Gulf in the near future. The personal relationship between Persian Gulf rulers and US President may change, but there are deeper structural factors that for the time being tie the two sides together. Some of the more important of these include deep military and security ties, with the Persian Gulf states continuing to prefer American weaponry and equipment; massive and growing economic and commercial ties between the two sides, with the US having emerged as a favorite destination of money and investments going from the Persian Gulf; and continued political and economic ties. In addition to all this, there is also heavy psychological reliance on the US as a security provider. Therefore, there is no indication that the US military presence in the Persian Gulf region will be lessened at all in the near future. 

Courtesy: The Tehran Times

Bangladesh Forex Crisis threatens macroeconomic stability of the country

According to The Bangladesh Chronicle, like other countries of the world, Bangladesh too is facing volatility in the foreign exchange market. This was initially caused by the demand recovery and supply chain disruptions as battered economies began recovering from the coronavirus pandemic.

The volatility has exacerbated in the last one month because of Russian invasion of Ukraine. This is not only likely to derail the rebound from the health crisis but also bringing about a bigger macroeconomic challenge for Bangladesh.

Maintaining a stable exchange rate of the taka against the US dollar is a populist idea that prevailed in the mindset of both the government and commoners. The same thinking might still be dominating, although the country seems to be facing a far bigger crisis than the pandemic.

Bangladesh Bank seems to be indecisive whether it would go for gradual depreciation of the local currency or opt for a quick devaluation. The situation has been created by the dwindling flow of foreign exchange.

Bangladesh Bank injected a record US$3.78 billion between July 1, 2021 and March 23, 2022 to stop the freefall of the taka, but the initiative has hardly resolved the crisis faced by the dollar-strapped banks.

Although, export earnings are on the rise, this has not been enough to offset the instability in the foreign exchange market led by a steep increase in import payments and a sharp decline in remittance.

Between July 2021 and January 2022, imports grew to US$46.67 billion, up 46%YoY. As against this exports increased 29% to US$27.97 billion. Remittance declined 19.4% to US$16.68 billion.

The imbalance between the inflow and outflow of US dollars has compelled many banks to purchase the greenback from Bangladesh Bank to settle letters of credit for imports.

The central bank is providing dollars to the banks with utmost generosity as the taka would face a major fall if the support is not extended.

The exchange rate now stands at Tk 86.20 per US dollar compared to Tk 84.80 a year ago. This means the central bank has allowed the taka to depreciate in a certain range.

But Ahsan H Mansur, an economist who earlier worked at the International Monetary Fund, describes the central bank’s move as insufficient to ensure macroeconomic stability from the current global turmoil.

“Bangladesh Bank will have to devalue the local currency by Tk 3 against the dollar immediately,” he said.

Higher imports against moderate exports brought down Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves to US$44.29 billion on March 23. This is way down from the US$48 billion recorded in August last year.

Economists think the worse is yet to come. This is because the impact of the global supply chain disruption stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has not fully hit Bangladesh yet.

Businesses usually open letters of credit two to three months before the arrival of imported products. So, the effect of the war will be visible a couple of months later.

 “The crisis in the foreign exchange regime will deepen if the increasing imports cannot be contained,” Mansur said.

He suggested bringing down the country’s import growth below 30% from 46% now or else the reserves will be hit hard by the ongoing instability.

The depreciation risks stoking inflationary pressure to some extent. The official figure of the Consumer Price Index surged to a 16-month high in Bangladesh in February driven by soaring costs of essential food ranging from staples such as rice, edible oil and vegetables to protein items.

“Inflation will increase, but you will have to embrace it for the time being,” said Mansur when asked how the government would tackle the situation.

“We don’t want to become Sri Lanka, which has long been facing a foreign exchange crisis,” he added.

Sri Lanka has been hit with the financial crisis because of a shortfall of foreign currencies. As a result, traders cannot finance imports.

On Tuesday, the country was forced to order troops to petrol stations as sporadic protests erupted among the thousands of motorists that queue up daily for scarce fuel.

“Any delays in taking initiatives to address the existing crisis will deal a fatal blow to the macroeconomic stability,” said Mansur.

Remittance flow through the official channel may reduce further as the exchange rate in the kerb market, an illegal trading spot, is higher than in the banking sector.

A foreign currency trader says that people now have to count Tk 91.80 per dollar, way higher than the Tk 86.20 interbank rate.

The foreign exchange regime volatility has even forced a bank to stop publishing US dollar rates in the last few days since the rates are fluctuating abnormally, said an executive of the lender requesting anonymity.

“If the kerb market continues to offer a higher rate, remitters will opt for the informal channel,” Mansur said.

“This will bring the reserves to a critically low level. So, the central bank should narrow the gap as the subsidy of 2.5% given by the government to beneficiaries of remittances is not adequate,” he added.

Md Habibur Rahman, Chief Economist of Bangladesh Bank, says the central bank has decided to gradually depreciate the local currency.

He thinks the exchange rate gap between formal and informal markets should be Tk 2.50 per dollar to ride out the ongoing situation.

If his view translates into reality, the exchange rate will have to be depreciated to at least Tk 89 per dollar, which is also supported by Mansur.

“The central bank will bring about quick depreciation of the taka to a certain degree since injecting dollars to keep the exchange rate stable is not an ideal stance for long,” Rahman said yesterday.

However, he has not given any hint as to how much depreciation will be allowed.

Another central bank official said the government would try to keep inflation in check in order to protect people from higher prices since the next general election is not far away.

Mustafizur Rahman, a distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue, says the reserves could cover import payments for more than nine months a few months ago, but now it can finance imports for about 5 and a half months.

He calls the gradual depreciation of the taka a time-befitting move.

“The depreciation will bring imported inflation. The government can lessen the woes of the common people by giving fiscal supports such as waiving or reducing taxes and value-added taxes, and providing subsidies to expand open market sales,” he said.

“But such fiscal measures will have an implication on drawing up the next budget,” Rahman added.

Syed Mahbubur Rahman, managing director of Mutual Trust Bank, says the imports of non-essential and luxury items have to be discouraged as some banks now face foreign currency shortages.

Imran Khan requests President of Pakistan to dissolve assemblies

The voting on Non-Confidence move was scheduled for Sunday. Opposition also moved a non-confidence move against Speaker of National Assembly. Deputy Speaker chairing the session termed the move void and within a few minutes Imran Khan while adding the nation, informed that he had sent a request to President of Pakistan to dissolve the assembles.

The decisions are likely to create constitutional crisis and heighten political uncertainty. Selection of an interim set up, legal battle in courts and holding of fresh election may mar economic development in the country. It will be premature to talk about near term future, till the dust settles.

If China breaches border, Russia won’t come to your defence, United States warns India

According to The Bangladesh Chronicle, the United States has warned India against warming up relationship with Russia, ahead of a visit by Moscow’s top diplomat to press New Delhi to resist Western pressure to condemn its invasion of Ukraine.

It may be recalled that India abstained from UN resolutions censuring Moscow and continues to buy Russian oil from its longstanding and time-tested friend and the biggest supplier of arms.

Delhi shares Western alarm over Beijing’s assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region, with 20 Indian and four Chinese troops killed in a brawl on their disputed Himalayan border in 2020.

Daleep Singh, Washington’s chief sanctions strategist was quoted by local media in a visit to Delhi as saying that India could not rely on Russia if there was another clash.

“Russia is going to be the junior partner in this relationship with China. And the more leverage that China gains over Russia, the less favourable that is for India,” Singh was quoted as saying on Thursday.

“I don’t think anyone would believe that if China once again breached the Line of (Actual) Control, that Russia would come running to India’s defence,” he said, referring to the India-China border.

Moscow, facing massive Western sanctions in response to its invasion of Ukraine in February, has declared a “no-limits partnership” with China, which also did not condemn Russian actions.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Delhi late Thursday from China, where he had hailed Beijing as part of a new “multipolar, just, democratic world order”.

India and Russia are working on a rupee-ruble mechanism to facilitate trade and get around Western sanctions on Russian banks, according to media reports.

Russia has written to India’s defence ministry requesting clearance of payments worth US$1.3 billion that have been halted since last month, according to the local Economic Times newspaper.

Singh said the US was ready to help India — the world’s third biggest oil importer and consumer — diversify its energy and defence supplies.

But he added that there would be consequences for countries seeking to circumvent the sanctions.

“I come here in a spirit of friendship to explain the mechanisms of our sanctions, the importance of joining us, to express a shared resolve and to advance shared interests. And yes, there are consequences to countries that actively attempt to circumvent or backfill the sanctions,” he said.

“We are very keen for all countries, especially our allies and partners, not to create mechanisms that prop up the ruble and that attempt to undermine the dollar-based financial system,” he said.

India is part of the Quad alliance with the United States, Japan and Australia — seen as a bulwark against China.

After the 2020 clash on the China border, India rushed large amounts of military hardware to the frontier, most of it Russian-origin. 

چین نے سرحد کی خلاف ورزی کی تو روس آپ کے دفاع میں نہیں آئے گا: امریکہ نے بھارت کو خبردار کر دیا

بنگلہ دیش کرانیکل کے مطابق امریکہ نے روس کے ساتھ تعلقات میں گرمجوشی کے پیشِ نظرہندوستان کو خبردار کیا ہے۔ یہ بیان ماسکو کے اعلیٰ سفارت کار کے ہندوستان کے دورہ سے قبل جاری کیا گیا ہےتاکہ ہندوستان پردباؤ ڈالا جائے کہ وہ یوکرین پر روس کی حملے کی مذمت کرے۔

یاد رہے کہ بھارت نے ماسکو کی مذمت کرنے والی اقوام متحدہ کی قراردادوں پر اپنی رائے دینے سے پرہیز کیا اور اپنے دیرینہ دوست اور ہتھیاروں کے سب سے بڑے سپلائرسے تیل خریدنا جاری رکھا۔

دہلی نے ایشیا پیسیفک کے علاقے میں بیجنگ کی جارحیت پر مغربی خدشات سے اتفاق کیا، 2020 میں ہندوستان کی متنازعہ ہمالیائی سرحد پر  چین کے ساتھ جھڑپوں میں 20 ہندوستانی اور چار چینی فوجی مارے گئےتھے۔

دلیپ سنگھ، واشنگٹن کے چیف پابندیوں کے حکمت عملی کے ماہر نے مقامی میڈیا سے گفتگو کرتے ہوئےدہلی کے دورے کے حوالے سے کہا کہ اگر کوئی اور تصادم ہوا تو بھارت روس پر بھروسہ نہیں کر سکتا۔

چین کے ساتھ اس تعلقات میں روس جونیئر پارٹنر بننے جا رہا ہے اور چین روس سے جتنا زیادہ فائدہ اٹھاتا ہے، ہندوستان کے لیے اتنا ہی کم سازگار ہوگا،‘‘ سنگھ نے جمعرات کو کہا۔

"مجھے نہیں لگتا کہ کوئی بھی اس بات پر یقین کرے گا کہ اگر چین نے ایک بار پھر لائن آف (حقیقی) کنٹرول کی خلاف ورزی کی تو روس ہندوستان کے دفاع کے لئے بھاگ کر آئے گا،" انہوں نے ہندوستان-چین کے سرحدی تنازعہ کا حوالہ دیتے ہوئے کہا۔

فروری میں یوکرین پر حملے کے جواب میں بڑے پیمانے پر مغربی پابندیوں کا سامنا کرنے والے ماسکو نے چین کے ساتھ "غیر محدود شراکت" کا اعلان کیا ہے، جس نے روسی اقدامات کی بھی مذمت نہیں کی۔

روس کے وزیر خارجہ سرگئی لاوروف چین سے جمعرات کو دیر گئے دہلی پہنچے، جہاں انہوں نے بیجنگ کو ایک نئے ملتی پولرسسٹم کا ذکر کیا اور اسے ایک منصفانہ، جمہوری عالمی نظام کا حصہ قرار دیا۔

میڈیا رپورٹس کے مطابق، بھارت اور روس تجارت کو آسان بنانے اور روسی بینکوں پر مغربی پابندیوں کو ختم کرنے کے لیے روپیہ-روبل کے طریقہ کار پر کام کر رہے ہیں۔

مقامی اخبار اکنامک ٹائمز کے مطابق، روس نے ہندوستان کی وزارت دفاع کو 1.3 بلین امریکی ڈالر کی ادائیگیوں کی منظوری کی درخواست کی ہے جو گزشتہ ماہ روک دی گئی تھیں۔

سنگھ نے کہا کہ امریکہ بھارت کی مدد کرنے اور اس کی توانائی اور دفاعی سپلائی کو متنوع بنانے کے لیے تیار ہے  – ہندوستان دنیا کا تیسرا سب سے بڑا تیل درآمد کرنے والا اور صارف ہے۔

لیکن انہوں نے مزید کہا کہ پابندیوں کو روکنے کی کوشش کرنے والے ممالک کے لیے اس کے نتائج ہوں گے۔

"میں یہاں دوستی کے جذبے کے ساتھ آیا ہوں تاکہ ہماری پابندیوں کے طریقہ کار، ہمارے ساتھ شامل ہونے کی اہمیت، مشترکہ عزم کا اظہار کرنے اور مشترکہ مفادات کو آگے بڑھانے کے لیے آیا ہوں۔ اور ایسے ممالک کو خطرناک نتائج سے آگاہ کرنا ہے جو پابندیوں کو روکنے یا پیچھے ہٹانے کی سرگرمی سے کوشش کرہے ہیں،" انہوں نے کہا۔

انہوں نے کہا کہ "ہم تمام ممالک، خاص طور پر اپنے اتحادیوں اور شراکت داروں کے لیے بہت خواہش مند ہیں کہ وہ ایسا طریقہ کار نہ بنائیں جو روبل کو فروغ دے اور جو ڈالر پر مبنی مالیاتی نظام کو کمزور کرنے کی کوشش کرے۔"

ہندوستان امریکہ، جاپان اور آسٹریلیا کے ساتھ کواڈ الائنس کا حصہ ہے جسے چین کے خلاف ایک مضبوط اتحاد کے طور پر دیکھا جاتا ہے۔

چین کی سرحد پر 2020 کی جھڑپ کے بعد، ہندوستان نے بڑی مقدار میں فوجی جنگی سازوسامان سرحد پر پہنچا دیا، جس میں زیادہ تر روسی ساخت کا ہے۔