Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday discussed with his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Store initiatives to mobilise climate finance for renewable energy projects for developing countries.

In a telephone conversation with Store, Modi emphasised the importance of ensuring equitable, timely and adequate climate finance for the developing world, and appreciated the Norwegian prime minister’s commitment to the cause.

“The two leaders reviewed various ongoing bilateral cooperation initiatives, including under the Task Force on blue economy,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
Modi and Store also expressed satisfaction at the increasing India-Norway collaboration in areas like green hydrogen, shipping, science and technology, and education, it said.

“Had a productive conversation on phone with Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Store today. We reviewed our bilateral cooperation and discussed new initiatives in climate finance,” Modi said on Twitter.

In a tweet, the Norwegian Prime Minister’s Office said, “Prime Ministers Jonas Gahr Store and Narendra Modi spoke on the phone today in continued dialogue on our cooperation in the fields of energy, climate, trade, investments and blue economy. Norway-India bilateral relations strengthening and deepening across sectors.”

Modi and Store had met in May this year in Copenhagen.

Earlier this year, Norway had announced that it will join the International Solar Alliance, proposed by Modi in 2015.

The cooperation between India and Norway on climate, energy and environment has a long history and has been strengthening in the last few years.

Last month, as part of the Norway-India global energy transition partnership, the Norwegian Climate Investment Fund entered into an agreement to take a 49 per cent stake in a 420 MW solar power plant being built in Rajasthan by Italian firm Enel Green Power.

The climate investment fund will allocate 10 billion Norwegian Korne (approximately USD 1 billion) over the next five years, with India being a priority market.

By Erlan Karin, State Counsellor of Kazakhstan

Another Presidential Address opens a fundamentally new political milestone in the history of the country. The head of state is setting qualitatively different standards for the system of power. It is the utmost transparency in the adoption of the most important political decisions, constant renewal, and open competition.

The President’s decision to make the entire electoral schedule public is an unprecedented step for Kazakhstan’s political practice.

The launch of the entire election cycle is conditioned by the need for a radical reboot of our political system and is fully consistent with the rationale of the constitutional reform supported by the majority of citizens in the June referendum.

The consecutive holding of presidential elections followed by the election of deputies of the Mazhilis (the lower chamber of the Parliament) and maslikhats (local representative bodies) will allow focusing on the solution of urgent and strategic tasks on socio-economic development of the country. In other words, the accumulated rhythm of the country’s modernization will not be disturbed.

The growing geostrategic tensions and turbulence in the world economy are a strong factor in favor of holding early elections. The unpredictability of the dynamics of world processes multiplies the risks and challenges not only for individual states, but for entire regions.

Another central initiative of yesterday’s address is the head of state’s proposal to limit the presidential mandate to a single term of seven years without the right to re-election.

This proposal is a thoroughly considered decision, which, if approved by the Parliament, will determine the future of Kazakhstan’s political system.

In this case, the election of one person as President for only one seven-year term is a political innovation, which now has no precedent in the near and distant surrounding of Kazakhstan. The norm of a one-time presidency is primarily aimed at the long-term stabilization of the political system, eliminating the risks of power monopolization and strengthening the basic principles of democracy.

The initiative on a single presidential term is a logical progression of steps already taken to finally move away from the super-presidential model. These include the non-partisanship of the head of state, the ban on his relatives holding positions in government agencies and state-owned companies, and the redistribution of some presidential powers in favor of other institutions of power. The introduction of a single presidential term thus closes the process of institutionalizing a presidential republic with an optimal balance of power.

The initiative to hold early elections to the Mazhilis and maslikhats of all levels in the first half of next year also comes from the rationale of the political modernization program.

Elections in single-mandate districts under a mixed electoral system that is being implemented will become an important factor in improving political culture in the country and a powerful tool for articulating the interests of citizens at the local level.

The electoral legislation will soon work according to new rules. The registration procedure for political parties will be simplified, which is already contributing to the emergence of new parties, new faces in politics, and increased political competition. And this trend is irreversible, with the deepening of political modernization it will only grow. 

Renewal of representative bodies of power, new principles of Mazhilis and maslikhats formation are closely linked to the comprehensive transformation of the executive vertical – the government and akimats (administration). In the future, the government will include not only representatives of the party that won the most votes, but representatives of other parliamentary parties as well.

In general, all the political initiatives presented in the address comprehensively fill with real content the key formula of our nation-building “strong President – influential Parliament – accountable Government”. The new reform gives a start to the electoral cycle, which will allow a restart of the entire political system.

Kazakhstan will launch a new program called National Fund for Сhildren in 2024 that envisions allocating 50 percent of the National Fund’s annual investment income to support children, nearly the third of the country’s 19 million population, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced in his Sept. 1 state-of-the-nation address.

The funds will be directed to special savings accounts for children until 18, with no right to early withdrawal. The funds could then be used for housing and education purposes.

The National Fund is a governmental entity modeled on Norway’s Oil Fund to accumulate a share of the nation’s profits from oil exports. As of July, its assets reached US$53.3 billion.

Tokayev called it “extremely important” to announce the new program in 2022, which is designated as the Year of Children in Kazakhstan.

“We have enshrined in the basic law the key principle that land and natural resources belong to the people. This is not just a beautiful declaration, but the leitmotif of all reforms. Every family must receive a real return on using the country’s national wealth,” said Tokayev.

Another nation-wide initiative is to create new modern schools for 800,000 children by 2025 as part of the Comfortable School national project.

The move will help address the problem of schools with three shifts and those that require immediate repair work as annual population growth puts significant pressure on the country’s educational infrastructure.

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called for an extraordinary presidential election this fall.

“A new trust mandate of the people is needed for the successful implementation of fundamental and comprehensive reforms on the way to creating a fair Kazakhstan,” Tokayev said during his State-of-the-Nation Address on September 1.

In addition, the President proposed major revisions to the number and length of presidential terms. “I suggest that the presidential term will be limited to seven years. However, re-election is not permitted,” he stated.

According to the President, the suggested novelty will significantly reduce the risks of power monopolization.

Tokayev also proposed to hold elections to the Kazakh Parliament and Maslikhats (local representative bodies) in the first half of 2023.

“We are building a fair Kazakhstan with open competition and equal opportunities for everyone,” said the President.

Tokayev focused on the importance of carrying out major political transformations in a transparent way.

The President said that public disclosure of the timing and sequence of the new electoral cycle is consistent with the principles of openness in decision-making.

“All these steps gradually fill our main formula “a strong President – an influential Parliament – an accountable Government” with real content,” he said.

The Group of Citizens for Freedom in Telecoms submitted a document to Norwegian Ambassador to Thailand – Kjersti Rodsmoen, on the issue to put on hold the planned merger of True Corporation Plc (TRUE) and Total Access communication Plc (DTAC).

The move to ask the Norwegian government comes as opposition to the planned merger continues and Norwegian government is a shareholder in Telenor which in turn is the single largest shareholder in DTAC.

The Group of Citizens for Freedom in Telecoms demanded the Norwegian government to pressure Telenor, Dtac’s parent company, to consider putting the imminent merger on hold, because it would cause a market monopoly in Thai mobile phone services.

A duopoly of the merged entity and Advanced Info Service Plc (ADVANC) would create a grievance for consumers and impact the rights and freedoms of the public, who face interference in their access to information if the deal goes ahead, the Group of Citizens for Freedom in Telecoms said. This would create a grievance for consumers and impact the rights and freedoms of the public, who face interference in their access to information if the deal goes ahead, they said.

“We are aware of the grievance and what has happened, and we have even taken this public announcement to Telenor and the Norwegian government. May I confirm that this matter will be investigated, and if there are irregularities or violations of good corporate governance in Norway, we will not be negligent when considering this merger. Telenor is Norway’s third largest company, and the embassy will assist as an intermediary to further this announcement.”

The group also handed a statement to the ambassador which reads as below.

The Statement of the Citizens’ Group for Freedom of Communication

On the Merger between True Corporation Public Company Limited (TRUE) and Total Access Communication Public Company Limited (DTAC)

The Citizens’ Group for Freedom of Communication is gravely concerned over the merger between True Corporation Public Company Limited (TRUE) and Total Access Communication Public Company Limited (DTAC).

1. The merger proposal of the two companies violates Section 21 of the Telecommunications Business Act, which states that:

“In the telecommunications business operation, other than being subject to the law on trade competition, the Commission shall prescribe specific measure according to the characteristics of the telecommunications business operation to prevent the licensee from carrying out any act that is monopolistic, or that reduces or limits the competition in the provision of telecommunications service in the following matters:

(1) subsidisation of services;

(2) holding in businesses of the same category of service;

(3) abuse of market power;

(4) anti-competition behavior;

(5) protection of small entrepreneurs.”

• The merger between True Corporation Public Company Limited (TRUE) and Total Access Communication Public Company Limited (DTAC) will result in a decrease in the number of telecommunications businesses. To be precise, only two main service providers will remain. This will affect the consumers both in terms of service quality as well as pricing. It will also impede the development and competition in a digital economy, for which Thailand and countries all over the world strive in this modern world. At present, DTAC owns a mobile subscriber market share of 19.6 million numbers (20%), TRUE has 32.2 million numbers (34), while AIS has 44.1 million numbers (46%). It is evident that the merger between True Corporation Public Company Limited (TRUE) and Total Access Communication Public Company Limited (DTAC) will reduce the number of major service providers to two and increase the combined market share to more than half allowing the merged company to influence the market both in terms of pricing and service quality.
• In addition, the Group is concerned for the people’s freedom of communication, which should remain free from interference by private companies or the state. Given the potential reduced number of telecommunication service providers, the interference, harassment, restriction, and blocking of the access to information will be allowed to happen more easily. This is especially the case now, when the spyware technology is regularly used by the state to obtain an unauthorized access to activists and dissidents’ data. According to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), corporates also have the responsibility to respect human rights. In the second pillar, it has been stressed that business individuals and enterprises, regardless of their categories or size, have the responsibility to respect human rights.

The Group is aware that Telenor, the mother company of Total Access Communication Public Company Limited (DTAC), recognizes the importance of good governance and human rights, as seen in Telenor’s opinion that telecommunication is crucial in people’s exchange and communication and is a part of the freedom of expression as well as right to privacy. Maintaining this value will be proven difficult, if the merger involves a domestic company having in place human rights and privacy policies that are below Telenor’s standards.

Therefore, we would like to urge Telenor to halt this merger proposal between True Corporation Public Company Limited (TRUE) and Total Access Communication Public Company Limited (DTAC). Moreover, we would also like to request the Government of Norway to consider whether the merger proposal between True Corporation Public Company Limited (TRUE) and Total Access Communication Public Company Limited (DTAC) is in accordance with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

            These three demands are urgent as the voting of the meeting of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications is set to take place on 10 August 2022.

            Thank you in advance for your consideration.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has said Afghanistan’s de facto authorities and the international community’s unwillingness to engage effectively have pushed millions of Afghans into despair.

On the eve of the regime change anniversary in Afghanistan, the NRC Country Director Neil Turner in a statement said: “We have witnessed shocking levels of poverty and suffering in Afghanistan over the past year. The economic restrictions imposed on the country and the unwillingness of both the de facto authorities and the international community to effectively engage with one another have pushed millions of Afghans into despair.

“The families we meet are in crippling debt, facing an ever-increasing pressure on their household budgets. For a staggering number of people, money can no longer buy enough food to survive. Humanitarian efforts are not enough to put an end to the crisis. Frontline actors have done all in their power to provide emergency support to the affected populations and mitigate the situation.

“Yet one year on, Afghanistan stands at a precipice, with its people being punished for the Taliban’s takeover of the country. Despite repeated calls from humanitarian actors, nothing seems to have changed. Afghanistan’s foreign reserves remain frozen, the Afghan Central Bank is still not functional, and development assistance remains withdrawn.

“The international community must acknowledge the humanitarian impact of the economic measures imposed one year ago and step up to address the drivers of the crisis. Without a swift response to the current near economic collapse, including viable development assistance, support to key state infrastructure and fully funded emergency appeals, ordinary Afghans will continue to pay the highest price for the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.”