The G20 Summit in New Delhi saw the announcement of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), an ambitious programme clearly meant to rival China’s Belt and Road Initiative, of which the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is an important component.
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Pakistan
Resounding silence
The G20 Summit in New Delhi saw the announcement of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), an ambitious programme clearly meant to rival China’s Belt and Road Initiative, of which the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is an important component. Pakistan should notice that apart from India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the EU, France, Italy, Germany and USA have all signed on. These are all traditional allies, with the exception of India… And how has the Pakistan government reacted? With resounding silence. Pakistan Today
Sri Lanka
Power grid with India
In the establishment of power grid connectivity with India, Sri Lanka remains open for either undersea cables or overhead lines, a top official of the Ceylon Electricity Board said. The Sri Lankan side submitted all the details to the Power Grid Corporation of India. The length of the power line will be around 120 km. During the visit of President Ranil Wickremesinghe to India, the two sides signed an agreement to link the power grids. India has currently linked its grid with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. The Daily Mirror
Bangladesh
Third largest market
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has invited investors from the Commonwealth countries to come to Bangladesh in a bigger way. ‘Geographically, Bangladesh is at the centre of a market of 3 billion people. We have 170 million people of our own. By 2030, the affluent population of Bangladesh will stand at 35 million. Therefore, Bangladesh will become the third largest market globally, leaving behind Germany and the United Kingdom,’ she said. Hasina said some 70 per cent of Bangladesh’s foreign direct investment came from reinvestment, which was a proof of the excellent investment environment that Bangladesh offers to investors. The New Age
Nepal
Morocco a cruel reminder
The 6.8 magnitude earthquake in Morocco makes Nepalis mindful of their own vulnerability. Nepal straddles two massive tectonic plates — the Indian and Eurasian — the collision of which was responsible for forming the Himalayas and the earthquakes that occur now and then. For the same reason, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) ranks Nepal the 11th most earthquake-prone country and Kathmandu as one of the most quake-vulnerable cities in the world due to its poor infrastructure and burgeoning population. The Kathmandu Post