June 16 – June 30 CONTENTS Foreword (General Observations).………………………………………......3 Americas……………………………………………………………………….6 Arms Control and Disarmament……………………………………………13 China and East Asia………………………………………………………….18 Europe…………………………………………………………………….......21 Global Terrorism…………………………………………………………….25 Middle East & West Asia……………………………………………………28 South Asia (I)…………………………………………………………………36 South Asia (II)………………………………………………………………..41 United Nations…………..................................................................................47 2 Area Briefs: 16-30 June, 2019 General Observations Pakistan • On June 29, the government passed the federal budget in the National Assembly with a majority vote. • In a sign of improving Pakistan-Afghan relations on June 27, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani arrived in Pakistan. The leadership in both countries “agreed to open a new chapter of friendship and cooperation” between the two neighbours. Ghani also held delegation- level talks aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in diverse areas including political relations, trade, economic, security, peace and reconciliation, and education. Earlier on June 22, 2019, Afghan leaders participated in peace talks in Murree titled the “Lahore Process”. The conference covered a wide range of issues pertaining to the economy, health and repatriation of refugees. • On June 26 Pakistan and the European Union signed the Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP). The plan will provide a framework for greater cooperation and strengthen ties between the two sides. • On June 24, 2019, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels. The two sides reviewed the status of bilateral cooperation, and exchanged views on the regional political and security situation. • On June 24, Pakistan and the United Kingdom held military-to-military talks on the geo- strategic environment and discussed ways to intensify defence cooperation. Earlier on June 19, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt held the 4th review of Pakistan-UK Enhanced Strategic Dialogue (ESD) at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Qureshi also met with the UK’s DFID Secretary Rory Stewart at the DFID Headquarters in London. on June 24, 2019, Chief of Army Staff, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa held talks the Chief of Defence Staff, Nick Carter, at the Ministry of Defence in London. Both parties agreed on achieving sustainable, irreversible, enduring peace and stability in the region through meaningful international partnership. • On June 24, 2019, Pakistan received an assurance from Qatar for a $3 billion package consisting of a foreign currency deposit and ‘direct investment. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, arrived in Islamabad Earlier on June 22 for a two-day state visit to Pakistan. The two countries signed a series of Memoranda of 3 Understanding (MOU’s) across different sectors including trade and investment, tourism and security. • On June 21 Pakistan reiterated its commitment to taking all necessary measures to ensure completion of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) action plan in a timely manner. • On June 19, the Commander of the Chinese ground forces, General Han Weiguo, called on Prime Minister Imran Khan to discuss various areas of bilateral cooperation. • On June 18, Pakistan and the World Bank (WB) signed three loan agreements under which the WB would provide $918 million to help the Pakistani government expand the country’s tax base and improve education standards in strategic economic sectors. • On June 18, the government formed a high-powered body, the National Development Council (NDC) to formulate development and economy-oriented policies of the country. International • On June 20, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar asked Pakistan to rebuild trust and develop an environment conducive for progress. The Indian Premier was responding to messages of felicitation from Prime Minister Imran Khan. Modi said that for cooperative ties, it was “important to build an environment of trust, free of terror, violence and hostility.” • On June 30 President Trump became the first sitting American commander in chief to set foot in North Korea when he met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the heavily fortified Demilitarised Zone. The two leaders agreed to restart negotiations on a long- elusive nuclear agreement. • On June 29 US President Donald Trump and his Chinese Counterpart President Xi Jinping agreed to resume trade talks following a seven-week breakdown. Their decision has helped avert an escalation of their tariff war that had shaken global markets and threatened the future of the two largest global economies. Trump’s decision to resume talks with both the Korean and Chinese leaders was prompted, in part, by Chinese President Xi Jinping’s June 21 meeting with Korean Leader Kim Jong Un. According to observers both Xi and Kim were looking to each other for help in gaining leverage with President Trump. 4 • On June 27 world leaders gathered in Osaka, Japan, for the annual meeting of the Group of 20 major economies. Official themes for 2019 included global economic risks, trade disputes, innovation and artificial intelligence, and women in the workplace. • Liberals dominated the June 27 Democratic debate. The development has made the moderates anxious, as they fear it won’t be an effective approach to defeat President Trump. • In their first move to restrict President Trump’s immigration crackdown Democrats voted on June 25 to send $4.5 billion in humanitarian aid to the border to address horrific conditions facing a crush of migrants, attaching significant rules on how the money could be spent. Meanwhile a similar measure with far fewer strings restricting the President has drawn bipartisan support in the Senate. • President Trumps June 20 decision to stop a retaliatory strike against Iran highlights the complexities of the Iran nuclear issue. US Intelligence and military officials are seeking clandestine ways to deter attack without escalating tensions into a full-blown conflict. The efforts include operations similar to the American cyber attacks against Iran targeting an Iranian group believed to be behind a series of attacks on tankers in the Middle Eastern region. Leaders across the world have cautioned both sides about the risk of war remaining very real. The decision to conduct the retaliatory strike came in the aftermath of Iran’s June 20 decision to shoot down a US drone after it entered Iranian airspace. • In a repeat of the March 2019 vote the preferred candidate of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was defeated on June 24 by the opposition in the race for Istanbul Mayor. • On June 20 British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and former Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson emerged as the two remaining candidates in the race to become British Prime Minister. Johnson is the favourite to win the election. • On June 18 US President Trump introduced a new slogan, “Keep America Great,” and pledged to fight for his supporters during the rally in Orlando, Florida where he formally opened his re-election campaign. ---Amina Afzal 5 AMERICAS Domestic • During the Democratic debates on June 26, candidates attacked US President Donald Trump’s handling of the US economy and the migration crisis at the US-Mexico border. Democratic hopefuls clashed on healthcare, inequality and foreign policy, and made promises on immigration, reproductive rights and the economy. During the second night of debates, Kamala Harris dominated the debate with her criticism of former Vice President Joe Biden’s track record on race. • On June 26, the Republican controlled Senate passed its own $4.6 billion border aid bill, rejecting the one passed by Congress. Earlier on June 25, the Congress passed a $4.5 billion emergency aid package to support detained migrant families and children. The Congress passed a $4.5 billion emergency aid package after reports emerged that young detainees in a facility in Texas were being held in “inhumane conditions”, and a chilling image of a drowned migrant and his daughter created public outrage. The Trump Administration is facing mounting criticism of their handling of detainees with several children who have died in US custody. The Republican controlled Senate however, passed its own $4.6 billion border aid bill on June 26, 2019 which was similar to the bill passed by the Congress, but allowed the Trump Administration greater flexibility and fewer restriction on how the funds could be used. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democrats on June 27, 2019 to “reluctantly” approve the Senate plan as she argued “The children come first. At the end of the day, we have to make sure that the resources needed to protect the children are available”. Congress ultimately passed the Senate’s bill with 305 votes to 102 on June 27, 2019. • On June 25, Customs and Border Protection commissioner John Sanders resigned amid a public outcry over the treatment of immigrants in detention centers. Sanders will officially step down from his position on July 5, 2019 and will be replaced by Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Mark Morgan. • On June 25, US President Donald Trump announced Stephanie Grisham will replace Sarah Sanders as the White House Press Secretary. Grisham will also assume the position of White House Communications Director and continue in her role as First Lady Melania Trump’s Communication Director. • On June 23, former Pennsylvania