China
Author: Pepe Escobar
Source: www.atimes.com

All bets are off on the outcome of India Prime Minister Narendra Modi's potentially ground-breaking meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping this Friday and Saturday in Wuhan.

Things have not exactly started in auspicious mode.

After a meeting in Beijing of foreign ministers represented at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), India, once again refused to support the New Silk Roads, known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the final communiqué.

Every other SCO member – represented by the foreign ministers of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan – did.

So here we go again – back to the interminable, intractable India-Pakistan soap opera.

Both India and Pakistan were admitted as full members of the SCO in 2017. The SCO, led by China and Russia, is the premier Eurasian mechanism dealing not only with security matters but also expanding, in these past few years, towards economic cooperation.

New Delhi though argues that one of BRI's key connectivity projects – the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – runs through sections of Kashmir that it considers occupied territory.

Still, the Chinese Foreign Ministry is putting out the best PR possible on the informal Modi-Xi meeting. They're bound to discuss CPEC in detail. Formally, any breakthrough may be announced at the next SCO summit in June, in Qingdao, China.

Don't touch the Iran nuclear deal

This key China-India rift inside the SCO actually mirrors the much bigger clash between BRI and the so-called "Indo-Pacific" strategy pushed by Washington in conjunction with India, Japan and Australia. New Delhi seems to consider BRI and Indo-Pacific mutually exclusive.

BRI though is a vast pan-Eurasian economic integration project while Indo-Pacific is essentially a vehicle for military containment of China.

Economically, New Delhi is concentrating on the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) – which aims to link Russia with India via Iran. Additionally, India's investment in Chabahar port in Iran aims to configure its own New Silk Road to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan.

And that brings us to a crucial SCO subplot. Every member-nation – with special relevance in the case of BRICS members China, Russia and India – supports the JCPOA, or the Iran nuclear deal. Iran, currently an observer, is bound to be admitted as a full SCO member by 2019.

When it comes to the classic SCO staple of fighting terrorism, Iran also fits (heavily supported by the three BRICS). Tehran is actively fighting Daesh in both Iraq and Syria, as well as all forms of jihadism in Afghanistan. All these key players – the three BRICS plus Iran – favor a SCO-led solution for Afghanistan.

On top of it, earlier this week Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed an agreement to set up a free trade zone between Iran and the Russian-led Eurasia Economic Union (EAEU).

So Iran is a key hub of BRI; a partner of India in the INSTC; an imminent member of the SCO; and it's now linked to the EAEU. This acronym-fest spells out Eurasia integration – and fits, economically, into the "extensive contingency plans" evoked by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in case the Trump administration abandons the JCPOA.

China, Russia and India have clearly identified how Iran relinquished practically 90% of its nuclear program and in the end was "rewarded" by increased US sanctions. As for Iran's ballistic missile program – which was never part of the JCPOA – that's much less advanced compared to Russia, India or Pakistan for that matter. The message by the three BRICS/SCO member nations is clear; the JCPOA is untouchable.

And the winner in the South China sea is…

As for India relying on the non-SCO "Indo-Pacific" club as a counterpunch to BRI, seems like New Delhi has not read the fine print.

So it's quite enlightening to examine the extensive questions posed by the US Senate to Admiral Philip Davidson, the expected nominee to lead the US Pacific Command (PACOM).

To sum it all up, here's Davidson's Top Three:

1. "China is pursuing advanced capabilities (e.g., hypersonic missiles) which the United States has no current defense against. As China pursues these advanced weapons systems, US forces across the Indo-Pacific will be placed increasingly at risk."
2. "China is undermining the rules-based international order."
3. "In short, China is now capable of controlling the South China Sea in all scenarios short of war with the United States."

That unveils Indo-Pacific as essentially a strategy of containment applied to the South China Sea – even as Beijing is also very much implicated in consolidating the Maritime Silk Road across the Indian Ocean.

It's unrealistic to expect India to come up with a far-reaching pan-Eurasia economic integration project that even barely matches BRI. New Delhi's best bet is to fight jihadism in conjunction with the SCO while economically investing in the INSTC. No BRI? That's India's choice.

India
Author: KANWAL SIBAL
Source: www.dailyo.in

Apart from its bilateral aspect, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the UK was also significant in the context of Britain urging India to play a larger role in the Commonwealth (CW) and India's receptiveness to the idea.

Little attention

The CW gets very little attention internationally and India too has neglected it in recent years, with the Indian prime minister absenting himself from the last few summits.

India gives new forums like BRICS and now the SCO far more political attention. The UK itself has discounted the CW after joining the European Union (EU).

Now that it has decided to untether itself from the EU, it needs other platforms and partners, and India stands out prominently.

If other countries such as Japan and the US are seeking to build partnerships with India in Africa because of its positive image there and good understanding of Africa's developmental needs, the UK would also have reason to work more closely with India in Africa.

But should India assume a more prominent role in the CW and to what end? India has built strong ties with African countries independently of its CW membership.

It has significant bilateral assistance programmes including in West African francophone countries, in areas such as education, health, IT, human resource development, capacity building using Indian expertise and so on.

Strong energy ties with African countries covering oil, natural gas as well as uranium have been built. The India-Africa Summit Forum in October 2015 gathered 51 leaders including 42 heads of state and government. Our total trade with Africa has reached $70 billion (Rs 464 thousand crore) and major expansion is possible because of rising economic graphs on both sides.

Many CW countries have large populations of Indian origin as a legacy of the British empire, of course. But India traditionally underplayed this community link with these countries. Today, India cultivates the diaspora assiduously for economic and cultural reasons. The annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas testifies to the value we place on this connection.

With the "white" CW countries such as the UK, Canada or Australia the robust expansion of our ties has not needed the CW platform either. Indeed, the CW bond did not alleviate past difficulties with these countries over non-proliferation or human rights questions. It is because of India's economic rise and its growing international status that partnership with India has gained value in their eyes.

The argument that the absence of China from the CW gives India a congenial platform to gain more influence on the international stage, is thin. China has made major strides in Africa very rapidly, with its trade volume with it at $200 billion (Rs 13,28,000 crore) far surpassing that of India.

It has its own China-Africa Cooperation Forum. South Africa is China's largest economic partner, and it was China that pushed for South Africa's membership of BRICS. China is engaged in massive infrastructure projects in Africa; it is very active in the Pacific.

Chinese challenge

Its economic relationship with countries like Australia and Canada outclasses ours. If, however, the argument of shared values and democracy now gets play in our dialogue with the West it is because of China's aggressive rise, its repudiation of Western values and democracy and its offer of China's authoritarian and state-controlled political and economic governance as an alternative model for developing countries to follow.

We should evaluate our future role in the CW keeping in mind the total picture. The CW has transcended its colonial moorings — countries like Mozambique, Cameroon, Namibia, Sierra Leone and Rwanda were never part of the British empire.

India's bilateral cooperation with CW countries will not be hindered by our stepped-up role in the organisation; it can actually be supplemented. Our ambition to be a leading power can only be facilitated by leveraging diverse multilateral platforms. A large number of CW countries are members of the International Solar Alliance, in the building of which we have played a leadership role.

Common concern

Climate change issues are a common concern, and so are the mounting threats of religious radicalism and international terrorism. The international situation is becoming more uncertain because of anti-globalisation and protectionist trends.

The WTO's developmental agenda has been discarded; indeed, the WTO itself is being sought to be weakened as the cornerstone of international trade governance.

The CW consists of 30 small states that could benefit from the guidance and help India can provide in finding solutions to their problems in the area of clean energy, digital solutions, building trade capacity, broadband connectivity and so on. We are already giving lines of credit to 10 of these states.

The challenge is how to prepare these states for the 21st century. The world is getting more complicated and competitive and India needs to be active on all international platforms and build supportive relationships. More engagement with the CW could help in this.

Our aim should be to put together a package for the small states and work through the CW to achieve our bilateral objectives with them. The India-UK joint statement commits the two countries to reinvigorate the CW and increase its relevance to small and vulnerable states.

Building cybersecurity capacity and help member states to implement the WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement by providing technical assistance have been identified as priorities. For India to play an enhanced role, its institutional position in the CW has to be upgraded, and it is expected it will.

South Africa
Author: H.E. Ambassador Lin Songtian
Source: za.china-embassy.org

On 26 April, Independent Media published an article by H.E. Ambassador Lin Songtian titled BRICS Cooperation Ushering into the Second Golden Decade. The full text is as follow:

In July this year, South Africa will host the 10th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg. Once again, after South Africa hosting the BRICS Durban Summit in 2013, the ship of BRICS cooperation will sail into the rainbow nation of South Africa and sail towards the Second Golden Decade of the BRICS.

BRICS cooperation was established as a response to the 2008 international financial storm. South Africa joined the BRICS in 2010. Since its establishment, the BRICS has associated itself with Africa, the continent with the largest number of developing countries, and has become an emerging powers cooperation mechanism that reaches across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe. After 10 years of development, BRICS cooperation has left far behind the outdated practices of political and military alliance, and has established a new type of relations of partnership instead of alliance. BRICS cooperation has transcended the old mentality of drawing lines according to ideology, and has walked a path of mutual respect and common progress. BRICS cooperation has transcended the old idea of zero-sum game and the winner takes all, and has implemented the new concept of win-win cooperation for common development. Today, BRICS has already established itself as a major force in shaping the modernization of international governance.

BRICS cooperation has become the main engine driving world economic growth. The combined population of China, South Africa, Russia, India and Brazil accounts for 40% of world's total, and from 2006 to 2016, the share of the BRICS aggregate economy in the global total has increased from 12% to 23%, trade volume from 11% to 16%, and foreign direct investment from 7% to 12%. Together, BRICS countries contribute to over 50% of world economic growth, which exceeds the contribution of all developed countries combined. BRICS countries voting share in the World Bank and the share quota in the IMF have respectively increased to 13.19% and 14.84%.

The BRICS unity and cooperation has helped strengthen the force for fairness and justice in the international community. BRICS countries have held high the banner of peace, development, cooperation and win-win, maintained effective coordination and collaboration in the United Nations, G20 and other major international fora. BRICS countries have worked actively towards the implementation of the UN Millennium Development Goals and the Sustainable Development Goals. On hotspot issues and major global challenges such as the climate change, the five countries have demonstrated BRICS wisdom, contributed BRICS plans, and expressed BRICS voices, upholding the fundamental principles and authority of the United Nations and the international laws, effectively safeguarding the common interest of all developing countries. The BRICS+ initiative proposed during last year's BRICS Xiamen Summit has opened up a new prospect of broadening the BRICS' circle of friends, and has gained extensive attention and popular support.

BRICS cooperation has produced remarkable results and brought concrete benefits to the peoples of BRICS member states. Over the past 10 years, BRICS' total GDP has grown by 179%, trade expanded by 94%, and urban population increased by 28%, bringing the sense of achievement to over 3 billion population across the member states. With the further progress in the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership, BRICS mutually beneficial economic cooperation is expected to produce more fruitful results. The New Development Bank established in 2015 with an initial capitalization of 100 billion US dollars has already reserved sufficient capital to support member states in infrastructure development and production cooperation. The BRICS contingency reserve with 100 billion US dollars offers member states a robust line of defence against financial risks. These milestone efforts mark major steps of emerging countries to jointly tackle global challenges through the establishment of a collective financial safety net. By doing so, the BRICS mechanism has been operating in a fundamentally different way with the global financial system long held by the West, and has offered a new choice for all the developing countries in their pursuit of self-sustainable development. Unlike the World Bank and the IMF, the capitalisation of the New Development Bank are equally shared among 5 BRICS countries and accordingly, the decisions of the Bank are based on consultation on an equal footing and based on the rules of the market. Consistent with the trend of times, the New Development Bank fully encapsulates the principle of equal partnership, mutual benefit, and win-win, and has become an accelerator and an engine for the financial stability of the BRICS countries and of the whole world.

For the BRICS, South Africa is a major participant, contributor and beneficiary. More importantly, South Africa is a leader and a bridge in connecting BRICS' development cooperation with Africa. From 2011 to 2016, South Africa's trade with other BRICS partners has increased 54.7%. As South Africa's strongest BRICS partner, Chinese investment in South Africa has grown significantly over the years, and has reached 25 billion dollars on accumulative terms, creating hundreds of thousands of local jobs in South Africa. In 2017, bilateral trade between China and South Africa increased by 15.4% year-on-year and registered 39.17 billion dollars. Today, China is South Africa's largest trading partner and a major source of foreign investment and overseas tourists.

In 2017, the New Development Bank opened its Africa Regional Center in Johannesburg and committed to approve 1.5 billion dollars of loans within 18 months of its opening. It is certain that BRICS cooperation will create more strength for the development of South Africa and Africa, and will generate more opportunities for Africa to realize self-sustainable development.

The 5 BRICS member states are like the five fingers of hand, each one is different, but they all complement each other. The shared strategic interests of the BRICS offers us robust and constant strengths of cohesion, making us 5 countries move like a well-coordinated and flexible hand. The world has been going through profound changes in terms of the global structure and shifting strengths between the north and the south. As protectionism and exclusivism makes its way into certain major powers, the world is increasingly confronted with the willful acts of trade war, challenges against economic globalization and multilateral regime, and increasing instabilities and uncertainties in international political, economic and security domains. Against such complicated and acute challenges, stronger unity and cooperation among the BRICS and the developing countries is the inevitable and the only correct path forward.

As the chair for this year's BRICS, South Africa, after closely examining the new developments in the international situations and the new characteristics of BRICS cooperation, has proposed the 4th industrial revolution and inclusive growth as priorities for this year's Summit among others, and has proposed concrete measures to deepen BRICS+ cooperation, which have been warmly welcomed and actively supported by China and other BRICS partners. China will give its full support to South Africa for a successful BRICS Summit, and will work together to inject new momentum into fully deepening BRICS strategic partnership, and create a new chapter for BRICS cooperation.

This year marks the centenary of former South African President Nelson Mandela. The BRICS' open, inclusive, cooperative and win-win spirit is highly consistent with the Mandela spirit. It is also the long-cherished wish of President Mandela and all other previous generations of the ANC revolutionary leaders to fight for a more fair, just, and equitable international order. We are fully convinced that, as long as the BRICS countries strengthen our unity and committed ourselves to win-win cooperation for common development, BRICS cooperation will embrace new vigor and dynamism in the second Golden Decade, and be even more productive in delivering benefits to the peoples of Africa, the developing countries, and the world, and will become a model and make new contribution to the establishment of a new type of international relations featuring win-win cooperation and a community with a shared future for mankind.

China
Source: english.scio.gov.cn

Xi made the remarks when meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Xi said he is looking forward to President Putin's China visit in June and his attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the eastern Chinese coastal city of Qingdao.

He said he hopes to boost friendship with President Putin, jointly plan China-Russia ties in a new era, and discuss the future development of the SCO together with the leaders of other SCO member countries.

Calling a high-level bilateral relationship "precious wealth of both countries," Xi said the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination has maintained positive development momentum.

China and Russia need to continue to give play to the guiding role of high-level exchanges in the development of bilateral ties, fully implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, and synergize the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasia Economic Union, Xi said.

He also called on the two sides to enhance mutual support in international affairs, jointly uphold international law and universally recognized norms of international relations, and strengthen cooperation within the SCO, BRICS, G20 and other frameworks so as to build a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for humanity.

"I believe that with the efforts of both sides, China-Russia ties will make new achievements," said Xi.

Lavrov said President Putin looks forward to visiting China and attending the SCO Qingdao summit.

Russia has attached great importance to the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination with China and stands ready to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, he said.

Both Russia and China respect international law and the UN Charter, said Lavrov, adding that his country agrees that the two nations need to further enhance coordination within multilateral frameworks.

China
Source: www.china.org.cn

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a two-day informal meeting in central China Friday, pledging to open a new chapter in bilateral ties.

In China's central city of Wuhan, Xi said China stands ready to work with India to establish a closer partnership of development, so as to promote all-round progress in exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various sectors.

Xi said both sides should look at the complete picture of Sino-Indian ties from a strategic perspective, so as to ensure that bilateral relations always proceed in the right direction.

"The great cooperation between our two great countries can influence the world," Xi said.

Modi said that the meeting has a historic significance.

Modi called on the two sides to increase mutual understanding, and work together to deal with global issues and challenges using the wisdom of the two countries.

Calling Xi-Modi meeting "one of the most significant events in the region this year," Mushtaq Rahim, an Afghan analyst and founding member of the Kabul-based think tank Afghanistan Diplomacy Studies Organization, told Xinhua that the meeting is not only of direct significance for Beijing and Delhi, but also paves the way for broader regional economic and security cooperation.

Rahim said the improvement of relations between China and India can help countries in the region build consensus and create more opportunities for economic cooperation.

Muhammad Faruk Khan, presidium member of Bangladesh's ruling Awami League, told Xinhua that the deepening of understanding between China and India will undoubtedly benefit both of them and the region at large.

"We welcome this meeting and the meeting to be held between them in June during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in China," said Khan, who was also former Bangladeshi commerce minister.

The bilateral tete-a-tete has attracted worldwide attention, said Gerrishon Ikiara, a senior lecturer at the University of Nairobi.

While political and economic ties between China and India have been rapidly growing in recent years in a wide range of dimensions, the meeting between the leaders of the two most populous countries in the world signals closer economic and diplomatic cooperation between the emerging economies in Asia.

Stephen Ndegwa, professor from the Nairobi-based United States International University, said that as leading emerging global economies under BRICS, China and India will help change any skewed trade rules in favor of developing economies.

"The meeting will entrench Asia's pivotal role in global trade and diplomacy. This is expected to create a more balanced relationship in how countries trade in the world for mutual benefit," Ndegwa said.

Sudheendra Kulkarni, chairman of Mumbai-based think-tank Observer Research Foundation, said the Wuhan meeting provides an opportunity for the two leaders to address core concerns and identify areas where India-China relations can be ambitiously expanded and deepened.

Comprehensive connectivity in South Asia should be a big idea for the two heads of state, Kulkarni said. With mutual trust and comprehensive cooperation, India and China can positively influence peace, stability and progress in Asia and around the world.

China
Source: www.china.org.cn

BETHLEHEM, West Bank, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Only a few children went outdoors to the only playground available in the Aida refugee camp in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, where the tear gas thrown by the Israeli forces still lingers on around the tiny camp.

Aida refugee camp, hosting around 3,150 Palestinian refugees, is backed by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and is surrounded by the Israeli-built wall and six watch towers.

It is located between Bethlehem and Jerusalem and is close to two large Israeli settlements, leaving it vulnerable to the constant clashes between the Palestinians and the Israeli soldiers.

According to a study published by the U.S. Berkeley University, all the refugees in the camp are exposed to tear gas that is thrown by Israeli soldiers towards the camp two to three times a week, without a direct correlation to security tensions or demonstrations in the camp.

The research raised serious concerns over the physical and psychological impact of the gas used against Palestinians.

"What we see is that tear gas sometimes lingers for two to three days after an event and we are worried about the long-term chronic health impact this could have on the residents of the camp," said UNRWA's Director of Operations Scott Anderson.

The only playground in the camp was set up and funded by the UNRWA year ago, to provide the refugee children with a place to develop their interests and have fun.

"We found that for so many times, some children do not feel safe to come to the playground because the soldiers often throw tear gas at them," said Isra' Abu Sroor, who is in charge of the center's financial and administrative affairs.

Two years ago, a child was killed near the camp, after which many parents stopped sending their children to the playground due to safety concerns, added Sroor.

According to the U.S. study, tear gas may cause health risks as well as psychological impacts such as post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep disruption, acute stress responses, hyper arousal and a general feeling of lack of safety.

While the issue is becoming a growing concern for UNRWA, the agency is still suffering a serious financial gap of nearly 200 million U.S. dollars, which threatens the fundamental services it offers to the refugees.

Anderson warned of the lack of fundings to the UNRWA that were used to provide daily basic services that refugees depend on, including education and healthcare.

"The global support to our operation is deeply encouraging, including the recent unprecedented support from the Gulf countries... and the increasing support we get from the BRICS (China, India, Russia, Brazil and South Africa)," said UNRWA Spokesperson Christopher Gunness.

"We hope China will become a strategic ally of UNRWA," he said. "Given China's rapid development and its experience in lifting so many of its people out of poverty, the agency feels there is much we can learn from a partnership with China."

China contributed 350,000 U.S. dollars to the UNRWA in 2015, according to figures provided by the agency.

The UNRWA has over 700 schools hosting almost 525,000 children and offer healthcare to some 3.5 million refugees through a network of 150 clinics.

In addition, the agency's food and cash assistance program offers some 1.7 million U.S. dollars to extremely vulnerable refugees.

Throughout the region, UNRWA serves a total of some 5.3 million Palestinian refugees.

In the beginning of this year, the United States cut down its funding to UNRWA from 125 million dollars to 65 million dollars.

Palestinian officials said that the U.S. move to reduce its aid to UNRWA was in line with the new policy of U.S. President Donald Trump to ignore the final issues of the peace process, which is reflected by his removal of the issues of Jerusalem and the refugees "off the table." Enditem

Russia
Source: www.mid.ru

Ladies and gentlemen,

We have held very meaningful and useful talks, which were a logical succession of a meeting we had during a recent visit by State Councillor and Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi to Moscow.

Today we focused on the preparations for the visit of President of Russia Vladimir Putin to China scheduled for June, when a meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State will be held in Qingdao.

We pointed out the unprecedented level of Russian-Chinese relations, which can be described, with good reason, as a comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction. We held a detailed discussion of the current state of bilateral relations, including a host of practical questions, and their further development.

You attended the signing of the annual plan of consultations between our foreign ministries, which stipulates numerous meetings between our deputy foreign ministers and directors of the concerned departments to discuss a wide range of current global and regional matters.

We also talked about a meeting of the SCO Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, which will be held tomorrow. We spoke at length about the SCO's activities in general and agreed that its role in international affairs had increased following the organisation's expansion through the admission of India and Pakistan in the capacity of full members. We praised the high standards of Russian-Chinese interaction within the SCO.

We also brought up the subject of the further development of BRICS and RIC.

We held in-depth discussions on the situation concerning the Korean Peninsula, where positive changes have been reported in the past few months. Russia and China believe that this advancement is largely in keeping with the provisions of the Russian-Chinese roadmap for a Korean settlement. We believe it is necessary for all the parties involved to take simultaneous steps towards one another and to refrain from any provocative action. We have agreed to do our best to facilitate these developments.

We exchanged opinions on the situation in Syria. Both parties agree that the missile strike on Syria delivered by the United States and its allies was a flagrant violation of international law. We called for the OPCW to conduct a thorough and objective investigation of the alleged chemical attack in Douma without any foreign pressure. We pointed out that there is no alternative to a political and diplomatic settlement of the Syrian crisis. We agreed to more closely coordinate our positions on this matter, including at the UN Security Council.

We exchanged views on the situation with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action concerning Iran's nuclear programme. We agree on the vital significance of preserving the agreements that have been sealed by UN Security Council Resolution 2231. We are against their revision. We consider the attempts to cancel the results of the years-long efforts of the P5+1 countries and Iran counterproductive. We will do our best to preclude any attempt to undermine these agreements.

Overall, the results of our talks have confirmed our mutual resolve to strengthen Russian-Chinese foreign policy cooperation. I would like to express our gratitude to State Councillor and Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi and all our Chinese friends for their hospitality.

Question: How are the participants in Beijing affected by the current developments in the world? Things are heating up in Syria, and the United States will probably pull out of the Iranian nuclear deal unilaterally. What effect does this have on the SCO and some of its members?

Sergey Lavrov: Your question is too broad. The overall situation in the world is unsettling. As my colleague has said and we have repeatedly mentioned, there are attempts to undermine the stability of the international order which is based on the UN Charter, as well as attempts to hold court, investigations and pronounce sentence ignoring the UN Charter. This is unacceptable. We clearly stated this together with China at the Security Council where we voted on corresponding drafts of the resolution. Our representatives also made such statements in a national capacity as well.

We are very much concerned about the developments in Syria. Right at the moment when not only ISIS but the remaining terrorists were at a breaking point, when the large Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta was liberated from extremists and, critically, when real opportunities were appearing to soon start the work of the constitutional commission in accordance with the decisions of the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi, a provocation was carried out under false pretext of chemical weapons use.

Before OPCW inspectors arrived at the site, amidst plentiful evidence that it was staged, air strikes were made. It must be obvious for all unbiased observers that it was done to scuttle the investigation by OPCW inspectors and undermine positive trends in the Syrian settlement process that were growing stronger largely due to the initiative of the guarantor countries of the Astana process (Russia, Iran and Turkey). I am confident that the truth will out. Even the countries that voiced support for the absolutely unlawful action taken by the United States, Great Britain and France, were forced to do so.

The majority of them are well aware that this is an unacceptable way of solving serious international crises. The most immediate task is to create conditions for OPCW inspectors to finish their work without any external pressure, or rather, not giving way to this pressure exerted on them. We will insist that the inspectors visit all sites connected to the so called 'news' on the alleged chemical attack, including the place where an infamous video was filmed in which water was poured on boys who were later shown to the global public to be healthy and in fine spirits. OPCW inspectors have not yet visited this place, as well as the hospital and laboratories, liberated by the Syrian troops with our assistance, where militants were preparing to launch chemical attacks right until the moment they left Eastern Ghouta. All this must be under the radar of OPCW inspectors. We will work to make this happen.

As regards the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran's nuclear programme, as I said, we have the same position as China on this. This document was approved by the supreme body responsible for supporting peace and security – the UN Security Council. It is unacceptable to revise such agreements, which would mean revising one of the greatest recent achievements of world diplomacy. Russia and China will make every effort to prevent such a highly dangerous turn of events.

Russia
Source: www.mid.ru

The meeting of the SCO Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs has come to a close. We focused our attention on preparations for the upcoming SCO summit meeting, which will be held in Qingdao, China, on June 9 and 10. It will be the first SCO summit meeting that will be attended by the leaders of eight member states following the accession of Pakistan and India. They received the status of full members at last year's summit in Astana, and the summit in Qingdao will be the first SCO summit they will attend as full members.

We pointed out that the SCO expansion and the involvement of our Indian and Pakistani colleagues in our joint efforts are proceeding very well. Much is yet to be done, but we see that our new colleagues are adjusting to new rules quite well.

The agenda for the Qingdao summit was another issue we discussed. We have approved in principle the key documents of the upcoming summit, primarily the SCO declaration, which will cover the main spheres of our practical cooperation and key international issues. The draft declaration highlights the SCO's international efforts to promote respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in the internal affairs of others and a peaceful settlement of crises and conflicts. All of this is especially important in light of the attempts by the US and its allies to hinder the development of a polycentric democratic world order. The latest example of this is the aggressive action taken against the Syrian Arab Republic. The communique we have adopted at today's meeting of the SCO foreign ministers offers our assessment of that action.

We also discussed new measures the SCO could take against new challenges and threats. We have prepared an action programme against terrorism, separatism and extremism for 2019-2021, to be approved by the heads of state in Qingdao. The drafting of the SCO anti-drug strategy has reached the final stage. Today we have spoken out in support of revitalising the SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, which is working very well as it is.

Our discussions on combatting extremism and drug trafficking focused on the situation in Afghanistan and around it. All of us are concerned about the strengthening of extremists, primarily from the so-called Islamic State, who enter Afghanistan via Iraq and Syria and are becoming entrenched in Afghanistan's northern provinces, which border on our allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO). This certainly means that we must redouble our efforts to preclude the proliferation of conflicts from Afghanistan and to promote a political settlement of the Afghan crisis.

We expressed our support for the results of the Tashkent conference on Afghanistan, which was held in the capital of Uzbekistan in late March. All those who participated in that conference supported the launch of direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban movement while preventing ISIS from recruiting Taliban members.

We reaffirmed our resolve to promote an active involvement of all Afghanistan's neighbours in these efforts. We advocated this policy during the Moscow format meetings. The SCO is a convenient natural platform for promoting a settlement in Afghanistan, because Afghanistan and all its neighbours have either full membership or observer status in this organisation. In light of this, the participants in our discussions today welcomed the resumption of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group. Its previous meeting was held in Moscow last autumn, and its next meeting is scheduled to be held in Beijing in mid-May.

At this stage, we are paying special attention to our economic cooperation. We plan to sign a cooperation agreement of the EAEU and its member states with the People's Republic of China soon as part of the concept for promoting the alignment of Eurasian economic integration with China's Belt and Road Initiative. Broadly speaking, we are considering a Greater Eurasia project, about which President of Russia Vladimir Putin spoke at the ASEAN-Russia summit in 2016.

The SCO is expanding and strengthening its international ties. The SCO Secretariat has signed documents on the development of a working relationship with the UN, ASEAN, the CSTO and the CIS. We are planning to sign a memorandum on cooperation with UNESCO soon and a roadmap on strengthening the SCO-ASEAN partnership.

The main results of our meeting today have been formulated as an information statement, which is being circulated, as far as I know.

Question: Does the SCO play a role in containing the West economically and politically? Is it possible that cooperation between the SCO member states will expand or transit to the military level?

Sergey Lavrov: We do not contain anyone; our role is to uphold the principles of international law in the political, military-political and economic areas. As I have said, these principles include unconditional respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, non-interference in their affairs and the focus on the exclusively peaceful settlement of any disputes and conflicts.

The SCO countries also maintain military cooperation. As you know, the meeting of the SCO Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, which I attended, was accompanied by a meeting of the SCO Council of Defence Ministers, in which Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu participated. Our military colleagues, working in close coordination with us and under the guidance of their national leaders, highlighted the need to enhance the SCO's and its member states' readiness to repel terrorist, extremist and other threats to the territorial integrity, sovereignty and legitimate interests of their countries. Everything necessary is being done to make these preparations as effective as possible. I am sure that additional efforts will be taken towards this end.

Question: Did you discuss the coordination of the SCO countries' efforts for the post-war restoration of Syria? It has been proposed to co-finance Syria's reconstruction through the BRICS New Development Bank.

Sergey Lavrov: I have no information about the BRICS New Development Bank considering such projects. We do know, though, that the Syrian delegation at the recent Yalta International Economic Forum presented the country's restoration requirements in terms of foreign assistance and possible involvement. However, as far as I know, conditions are not available yet for a practical discussion of these tasks. First we need to complete our anti-terrorist efforts in support of the Syrian government on Syrian territory, first of all addressing humanitarian problems and rebuilding the key infrastructure facilities.

As for the economic reconstruction, it will take time. I am sure that all of us must act in the interests of the Syrian people and with full respect for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity. I am saying this now because several countries have openly adopted a policy of Syria's disintegration. The United States assured us, as I said more than once, that its only goal in Syria was to drive terrorists out and defeat ISIS. Contrary to such statements, including those made by US President Donald Trump, the US is becoming established on the eastern bank of the Euphrates and is not planning to leave the area, where it is creating local governments. By the way, the French president is encouraging the US to do so. He has said recently that the US must keep troops in Syria and that the US-led coalition must remain there as long as necessary to create an order that will suit Western countries. This clearly amounts to interference in internal affairs in violation of all the norms of international law and propriety. I hope very much that talks with our French colleagues will help us find a form of interaction on the Syrian settlement that will be in keeping with all the rules and norms of international law and the UN Charter.

As you know, the presidents of Russia and France had a telephone conversation yesterday, during which President Putin put forth our positions and reaffirmed our readiness to coordinate our positions with our French partners. We are open to cooperation.

As for the restoration of Syria, we are alarmed by the Western statements on denying assistance to government-controlled regions. The litmus test will be the conference on support and assistance to Syria, which will be held in Brussels this week. We want to see what position the conference organisers and participants, primarily the EU and other Western countries, will assume on the restoration of Syria and its economy.

Question: Toronto hosted a G7 foreign ministers' summit, which again announced that new anti-Russia sanctions were possible and established a special group to investigate Russia's behaviour. What is your comment?

Sergey Lavrov: In all evidence, they have no serious problems left on the agenda, which they could address among themselves. The main issues that affect and are of importance for international economic life and the international community as a whole are discussed in other formats. Political issues and military-political issues are discussed at the UN Security Council and the UN at large. Economic issues, of course, cannot be decided outside the G20, which involves, along with the G7, all the BRICS countries and many of our friends.

As far as the results of the foreign ministers' meeting in Toronto are concerned, its anti-Russian underpinnings are clear. Regrettably, this anti-Russian and very slippery line has been followed even by those G7 countries which assure us that they do not share the attempts to isolate Russia.

We will uphold our positions and wait patiently for our partners to realise that these actions are an absolute dead end and lack any prospects.

South Africa
Source: www.miningweekly.com

A new independent professional organisation was launched in Pretoria on Thursday with the aim of raising the level of research and debate on energy economics in South Africa, where policy and regulatory uncertainty remain a major constraint to investment.

Named the South African Association for Energy Economics (SAAEE), the organisation is also the thirtieth affiliate of the