India’s Proximity Archives
Date: November 20, 2024
South Asia
In the general election held in Sri Lanka on November 14, the ruling alliance of the National People’s Power (NPP), led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, secured a decisive victory, obtaining 159 out of 225 seats and surpassing previous records set by strong governments. The party of former President Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, experienced a near wipeout in the legislature, dropping from 145 seats in the 2020 general elections to just three. The election results give President Dissanayake substantial influence in the legislature, enabling him to implement his pledges for political and economic reform. A new 21-member Cabinet was sworn in on November 18th. President Dissanayake kept crucial ministries like Defence, Finance, Planning, and Digital Economy under his control and appointed Harini Amarasuriya as Prime Minister once again.
In the general election held in Sri Lanka on November 14, the ruling alliance of the National People’s Power (NPP), led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, secured a decisive victory, obtaining 159 out of 225 seats and surpassing previous records set by strong governments. The party of former President Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, experienced a near wipeout in the legislature, dropping from 145 seats in the 2020 general elections to just three. The election results give President Dissanayake substantial influence in the legislature, enabling him to implement his pledges for political and economic reform. A new 21-member Cabinet was sworn in on November 18th. President Dissanayake kept crucial ministries like Defence, Finance, Planning, and Digital Economy under his control and appointed Harini Amarasuriya as Prime Minister once again.
Southeast Asia
US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin commenced his two-day visit to the Philippines on November 18, 2024. He held a meeting with Philippine Secretary of National Defence Gilbert Teodoro and attended the official signing ceremony for the newly established General Military Information Agreement, or GSOMIA. The agreement provides a legal framework to enable enhanced and expanded sharing of information and defence technology between the two countries. The two ministers also broke ground on a new combined coordination centre at Camp Aguinaldo in Manila to further enable information sharing between U.S. and Philippine forces.
East Asia
On November 16, the 31st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders’ Meeting was held in Lima, Peru. Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the meeting and put forth three proposals to build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future and start a new era in Asia-Pacific development. He recommended building an open and interconnected paradigm for Asia-Pacific cooperation. Furthermore, he stated that APEC should be committed to multilateralism and an open economy, firmly upholding the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organisation at its core, advance regional economic integration and connectivity, and uphold stable and smooth industrial and supply chains.
On November 16, the 31st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders’ Meeting was held in Lima, Peru. Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the meeting and put forth three proposals to build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future and start a new era in Asia-Pacific development. He recommended building an open and interconnected paradigm for Asia-Pacific cooperation. Furthermore, he stated that APEC should be committed to multilateralism and an open economy, firmly upholding the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organisation at its core, advance regional economic integration and connectivity, and uphold stable and smooth industrial and supply chains.
West Asia
According to reports, Israeli airstrikes in Iran on October 27 targeted an active nuclear weapons research facility in Parchin. The strikes destroyed equipment used to design explosives that could surround Uranium in nuclear devices, thereby damaging Iran’s efforts to resume its nuclear weapons research. Meanwhile, during his visit to the Gaza Nitzarim Corridor on November 19, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed that “Hamas will not rule Gaza” and that the IDF was eliminating Hamas' military and governance capabilities. Israel continued its airstrikes in Beirut, Lebanon, killing Hezbollah's media relations chief Mohammad Afif, while Hezbollah launched a missile attack on Tel Aviv that injured five people.
According to reports, Israeli airstrikes in Iran on October 27 targeted an active nuclear weapons research facility in Parchin. The strikes destroyed equipment used to design explosives that could surround Uranium in nuclear devices, thereby damaging Iran’s efforts to resume its nuclear weapons research. Meanwhile, during his visit to the Gaza Nitzarim Corridor on November 19, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed that “Hamas will not rule Gaza” and that the IDF was eliminating Hamas' military and governance capabilities. Israel continued its airstrikes in Beirut, Lebanon, killing Hezbollah's media relations chief Mohammad Afif, while Hezbollah launched a missile attack on Tel Aviv that injured five people.
Central Asia
On November 13, on the sidelines of the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, signed an agreement for a strategic partnership in developing and transporting green energy. Calling the signing of this agreement a historic event, Aliyev said that “it opens new opportunities for cooperation between the regions of Central Asia and the Caucasus. The Azeri President added that constructing an electric cable under the Caspian Sea could lead to broader regional collaboration. President Aliyev also highlighted Azerbaijan’s ongoing plans to construct a cable from Azerbaijan along the bottom of the Black Sea to Europe.
Indian Ocean Region
The Indian Navy will conduct the fourth edition of the Pan-India Coastal Defence Exercise, Sea Vigil-24, on November 20-21, 2024. This exercise involves six ministries and 21 organizations/agencies and will encompass all coastal states and union territories, including Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Originally conceptualized in 2018 in response to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Sea Vigil aims to validate and enhance measures for coastal defence. The primary focus of Sea Vigil-24 is to strengthen the security of critical coastal assets, including ports, oil rigs, single point moorings, cable landing points, and other vital infrastructure.