A. REGIONAL GROUPINGS HITLIST 40 TOPICS Current Affairs 1 SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION Why in news? • June , 2019 : 19th SCO Summit with heads of States: Bishkek Declaration, Kyrgyzstan Current • . Affairs Prime Minister of India 2019 : HEALTH 1. Healthcare cooperation 2. Economic cooperation 3. Alternate energy 4. Literature and culture 5. Terrorism-free society 6. Humanitarian cooperation Current Affairs • July 2020 : Saint Petersburg, Russia • November 2019 : Council of Heads of Government@ Tashkent, Uzbekistan • 2020 : India will host the 19th Council of Heads of Government of SCO • First such high level meeting of the eight-member Current grouping to be organised by New Delhi Affairs BASICS : • 26 April 1996 - Treaty on Deepening Military Trust in Border Regions in Shanghai • Shanghai–5’ - China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia & Tajikistan • 24 April 1997- Treaty on Reduction of Military Forces in Current Border Regions @ Moscow Affairs • 2001 : Uzbekistan joined;renamed as Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) • 8 Members - China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan • India and Pakistan (June 2017 Astana summit ) • 4 Observes - Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia 6 Dialogue Partners - Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Current Turkey and Sri Lanka. Affairs • Official working languages - Chinese and Russian. • SCO Secretariat in Beijing Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) based in Tashkent. • Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure ( RATS ) • Formed in June 2004 Tashkent summit • Headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan • Permanent organ of SCO • Against three evils of terrorism, separatism and Current Affairs extremism. • Head of RATS is elected for a three-year term. • March 2019 : 34th meeting of RATS council , Tashkent • “Sary-Arka-Anti terror 2019: First joint military exercise of SCO • Sary Arka region grasslands of Kazakhstan Significance : • 25% oil & 50 % natural gas Current • Affairs Kazakhstan - Uranium • Uzbekistan & Kyrgyzstan - Gold 2 Eurasian Economic Union Current Affairs 2 Eurasian Economic Union Current Affairs Why in News? • Russia pushes India’s entry into Eurasian Economic Union • India and EAEU discussing the possibility of signing a FTA • 2025 : EAEU financial common market Current Affairs EAEU signed free trade agreements with Serbia and Singapore Current Affairs BASICS: • December 1991 • Belavezha Accords : Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus • Belavezha in Belarus • Treaty on Commonwealth of Independent States • Now 9 member states of CIS Current • Armenia,Azerbaijan,Belarus,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Moldova, Affairs • Russia,Tajikistan,Uzbekistan • 1 associate state: Turkmenistan • 1996 : Treaty on Increased Integration in the Economic and Humanitarian Fields • first foundation for economic convergence • 2001 : Treaty on Eurasian Economic Community Current Affairs • 2007 : Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia created a Customs Union • 2010 : Eurasian Customs Union to remove all customs borders between each other after July 2011. Current Affairs • 2012 : Eurasian Economic Space • Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia • 2012 : Eurasian Commission • Governing body of Eurasian Economic Space • HQ : Moscow Current Affairs • 29 May 2014: Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union signed • Kazakhstan, Belarus and Russia • Jan 1, 2015 came into force • Nursultan Nazarbayev’s idea(first President of Kazakhstan) • New Members : Armenia (2 January 2015) Current Kyrgyzstan (12 August 2015) Affairs 2020 April 1990 - March 2019 Total 5 members 1. Russia 2. Kazakhstan 3. Belarus 4. Armenia 5. Kyrgyzstan Current Affairs 2020 • Armenia is the only country of the EAEU that has no common border with the other member states of the union. Current Affairs 2020 Current Affairs 3 GREATER EURASIAN PARTNERSHIP Current Affairs • Greater Eurasian Partnership (GEP) floated by Putin • Russia wants GEP to include India, Iran, South Korea, Japan and ASEAN to dilute Beijing’s power Current Affairs • . Current Affairs 4 COLLECTIVE SECURITY TREATY ORGANIZATION (CSTO) Current Affairs Why in news ? • November 28, 2019 - a session of CSTO Collective Security Council was held in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan Current Affairs BASICS • 1992 : Six post-Soviet states belonging to the Commonwealth of Independent States signed Tashkent / Treaty/CSTO • 1. Russia • 2. Armenia • 3. Kazakhstan Current • 4. Kyrgyzstan Affairs 2020 • 5. Tajikistan • 6. Uzbekistan • 1993 : Azerbaijan, Belarus and Georgia joined CST • April 20, 1994 :CST came into force • 2002 : six agreed to create CSTO as a military alliance • Collective Security Treaty became CSTO • Collective defence of any member that faces external aggression Current • Eurasian counterpart of NATO ( 29 members) Affairs Current Affairs 2020 Withdrawal: 1. Azerbaijan 1994 /1999 2. Georgia 1994/ 1999 3. Uzbekistan 1994 /1999 (first time) 2006/2012 (second time) Observers : Afghanistan and Serbia Current Affairs 5 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Current Affairs Why in news ? • 27 March 2020 : North Macedonia becomes new member • 3 December 2019 : Allied Heads of State and Government met in London to commemorate the 70th Current anniversary of NATO Affairs BASICS: • 1947: Treaty of Dunkirk - Britain and France • March 1948: Treaty of Brussels by Six • Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom against possible German or Soviet aggression after the end of World War II. Current Affairs • 4 April 1949 :12 founders • Brussels Six & US, Canada, Portugal, Italy,Norway, Denmark and Iceland • Intergovernmental military alliance between three UNSC permanent members (US,UK & France) and • 27 other North American and European countries. Current Affairs • Headquartered in Haren, Brussels, Belgium. • HQ of Allied Command Operations — Mons, Belgium • Article 10 : Provision for enlargement • 30 member states • 2017 : Montenegro joined Current • 27 March 2020 : North Macedonia joined Affairs Macedonia Entry • Republic of Macedonia changed its name to the “Republic of North Macedonia” to enter NATO and EU • Earlier accession to both organizations was vetoed by Greece. Current Affairs • Why Greece Opposed? • Greece opposed the use of the name “Macedonia” without a geographical qualifier such as “Northern Macedonia” • Two official candidates : Bosnia and Herzegovina Current • Two aspiring members: Georgia and Ukraine. Affairs Current Affairs 2020 NATO ‘s Global partners: • Non NATO countries with whom NATO cooperates • Afghanistan, Australia, Colombia, Iraq, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand and Pakistan Current Affairs • 2018 : Colombia becomes NATO’s first global partner in Latin America. • Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty 1949 does not apply to Colombia as it is only a global partner and not full fledged member Current Affairs • Article 5 declares that an attack on one member state is an attack on all of them • It applies only to the 30 fully-fledged members • NATO has only once invoked Article 5, on September 12, 2001 following the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in US. • October 7, 2001: Operation Enduring Freedom Current Affairs• U.S. government for the Global War on Terrorism • August 2003 to December 2014:NATO led the UN-mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan • December 2001 : ISAF was established by UNSC Resolution 1386 as envisaged by Bonn Agreement. Current Affairs 2020 • January 2015 : NATO launched Resolute Support Mission (RSM) to train, advise and assist Afghan security forces and institutions. Current Affairs 2020 Current Affairs 2020 NATO ALLY-LIKE STATUS Why in news? • US Senate passed a binding legislation to accord India the same status as its other NATO allies — South Korea, Japan and Australia. • It will be part of National Defense Authorisation Act 2020. Current Affairs • NDAA will ensure that US State Department treats India as a non-member NATO ally for the purposes of Arms Export Control Act. • 2001: Pakistan received the status of Major non-NATO Ally from the US • 2017 : US downgraded Pakistan’s status as an MNNA due to Current harbouring of Osama bin Laden and financing of terror Affairs • US suspended $1.66 bn worth of military aid 6 Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia Current Affairs Why in news? June 2019 : External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar, attended the 5th Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Summit in Dushanbe, Tajikistan Current Affairs Current Affairs • October 1992 : CICA was first proposed by Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev • Inter-governmental forum for enhancing cooperation Current towards promoting peace, Affairs security and stability • 27 Member states including India,Pakistan,China ,Russia… • 8 Observer states including US,Japan Current Affairs 7 Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Current Affairs • December 2015 : established • January 2016 : commenced operation • Headquartered in Beijing Current Affairs • 57 founding members • India - founding member • 102 approved members • Membership open to all members of the World Bank or the Asian Development Bank • Regional and non-regional members Current Affairs • Non-sovereign entities can become member assuming their home country is a member. • sovereign wealth funds or state-owned enterprises of member countries could potentially join Current Affairs Shareholder 1. China (32% stake) 2. India (7.6%) 3. Russia 4. Germany • Regional members hold 75% total voting power Current Affairs • AIIB has approved five projects