Joint Statement By Russia And China:

• For the first time in two years, the leaders are meeting. The leaders issued a joint statement following the meeting.

• Russia and China have decided to oppose the expansion of NATO. They must abandon Cold War-style tactics.

• Russia had previously opposed Ukraine`s accession to NATO. Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union prior to its disintegration.

• Russia took Crimea from Ukraine to facilitate shipping. The tussle arose as a result of this. 

• As stated in the statement, the Enlargement of NATO implies that Russia does not want Ukraine to join NATO.

• The two countries` bilateral cooperation has grown. "Our friendship knows no bounds," the message said. 

• There are no off-limits areas of cooperation. The two countries` diplomatic relations will be strengthened due to this. 

• The conference is being held at a time when tensions in Ukraine are at an all-time high. Russia has deployed 100,000 troops to the Ukrainian border.

• The phrase "Ukraine" did not appear in the statement. It does, however, have unintended consequences. The US has been singled out for criticism.

• The countries were not pleased with the AUKUS alliance. According to them, the United States uses its Indo-Pacific policies to destabilise the Indian and Pacific Oceans. 

• The AUKUS alliance is a trilateral treaty between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. 

• The Australian Navy has been strengthened as a result of the collaboration. The United Kingdom and the United States agreed to assist Australia in acquiring nuclear warships as part of the agreement.

 India and Australia have reached an Early Harvest Agreement.

India and Australia have found an aggressive 30-day timeline for finalizing the early harvest agreement (EHA) before finalizing a full-fledged trade agreement between both.

Highlights

• Education is going to be the center stage of negotiation, and therefore the countries would check out mutual recognition of educational qualifications between both the countries.
• It will be one of the fastest negotiating trade agreements ever done by India or by Australia with large economies.
• Australia is watching substantial opportunities in mining, education, pharma, textiles, and renewables.
• Both the countries had set a decent deadline to conclude an early harvest agreement, which may be a precursor to FTA or Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), by 25 December 2021.

Broad Coverage

• The deal was signed after reaching a standard position in reducing import duties and tariff barriers. 
• This deal would help in boosting India`s export capabilities.
• Confirmation of specific categories constituting these sensitive categories of products has not been given. Still, it could mean India has kept dairy and agricultural items out of the early harvest agreement. 
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• However, India`s move would be a loss for Australia, which has consistently asked for market access in these two areas.

Drones Flying Over Civilian Airspace In Israel For The First Time

Israel has become the first-ever country to permit drone flights in civilian airspace.

Highlights:

• Israel has become the first-ever country to permit drone flights in civilian airspace. 
• The certification was issued to the Hermes Starliner unmanned system by the Israeli Civil Aviation Authority and was manufactured and developed by Elbit Systems, an Israeli defense company.
• The UAVs will be used for agriculture, the environment, public welfare, economic activity, and crime. 
• For safety reasons, international aviation regulations prohibit uncertified aircraft from flying in civilian airspace, limiting the operation of UAVs to unsegregated airspace.

The Hermes Starliner unmanned system:

• The Hermes Starliner, which features a wingspan of 17 meters and weighs 1.6 tons, can fly for up to 36 hours at an altitude of about 7,600 meters and may carry a further 450 kg of electro-optical thermal, radar, and other payloads.
• It will be ready to participate in border security and anti-terror operations, secure mass public events, perform maritime search and rescue, commercial aviation, environmental inspection missions, and precision agriculture work.

International Current Affairs February 2nd Week 2022