On Tuesday, Pakistan’s caretaker PM Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar praised the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a key component of the countries’ all-weather strategic cooperation partnership. He stated that Pakistan’s vision of the CPEC is anchored in its desire for regional connectivity and sustainable development. He emphasised the crucial role that CPEC has played in improving Pakistan’s socio-economic landscape over the past ten years.
Indian PM Narendra Modi kicked off the third Global Maritime India Summit 2023 in Mumbai via video conferencing on Tuesday. The ‘Amrit Kaal Vision 2047,’ a blueprint for the Indian maritime blue economy, was unveiled at the summit. Modi inaugurated and laid the groundwork for projects worth more than Rs 23,000 crores (~$2.76 billion). He also laid the foundation stone for the Tuna Tekra Deep Draught Terminal at Gujarat’s Deendayal Port Authority during the event.
Hong Kong’s Court of Appeal on Tuesday dismissed the government’s bid to deny same-sex married couples the right to rent and own public housing, calling the move “discriminatory in nature” and a complete denial of same-sex couples’ rights.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to arrive in Pyongyang today for meetings with the North Korean leadership. Russia’s TASS news agency reported that Lavrov could brief the Kim Jong-un Administration on the results of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China, and also discuss the standing invitation for Putin to visit Pyongyang.
On Tuesday, Russia’s parliament took the first step towards revoking ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and its senior lawmaker warned the US that Moscow might abandon the treaty altogether. In the first of three readings, the Russian Parliament’s lower house, the Duma, voted 412 to zero, with no abstentions, to support the withdrawal of the ratification. Russia claims the goal is to restore parity with the US, which signed but never ratified the 1996 agreement, and that testing will not restart unless Washington does so.
Russian Iskander missiles have been spotted in Belarus training grounds, as seen in a video published by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), as Russia seeks to strengthen its nuclear capabilities. According to reports, Iskanders are manufactured solely in Russia. WSJ reported that Asipovichy District in Belarus has become a hub for nuclear-capable weaponry transferred from Russia.