Editorial 

The second decade of the millennium begin with the world facing scores of tragedies, deaths, regional conflicts, health, and natural disasters only in January this year. On the eve of a new year, the U.S. in an unprecedented move, airstrike outside Baghdad, Iraq killing General Qassem Soleimani, one of the most powerful men in Iran and head of Al-Quds Force.

The killing of the Iranian General threatened regional and global peace and stability where U.S. and Iran plunged into the deepest standoff since the Iran-Iraq war. During the same standoff, while Iranian missiles were hitting one of the US Military bases in Iraq, a Ukrainian plane was hit “mistakenly”, killing 176 people on board as the aircraft was en route to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

While peace in the Middle East was trembling with these earthshaking moves from regional and global power, the third presidential impeachment trial in US history entered its crucial stage where the House of Representatives impeached incumbent President of the US Donald Trump in December 2019.

As Whitehouse was witnessing troubling times in its history, Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev whereas Head of Federal Tax Service Mishustin was accepted as Russian Prime Minister by the State Duma the next day, with evolving political change happened in a dramatic manner in Moscow.

Even this political wrangling was not enough in January only, scores of natural disasters hit across the globe. The climatic changes and their drastic effects have hit the regions from Asia to Africa and gripped the world globally causing traumatic changes and epidemics at the beginning of this year.

The worst outbreak in the last 70 years of history was seen in Kenya when millions of locusts moved into the East African nation from neighboring Somalia and Ethiopia. UN warned that the number of locusts would grow 500 times larger in the coming months creating havoc in the regions.

In the Philippines, Taal Volcano, the second most active volcano near Manila erupted again forcing thousands of people to evacuate. As the Philippines braced itself from a natural disaster, Turkey was hit with a massive earthquake killing 41 people in Elazig province in January. More than 100 people were killed and went missing after the heaviest snowfall hit the Kashmir region in the recent century while in Australia deadly bushfires in the country’s history killed many people and wild animals causing an ecological disaster.

In the southeast Asian region, the deadliest floods in the ever recorded history of the capital of Indonesia killed at least 83 people, raising serious concerns about climate change and threats to nature.

The world is currently witnessing with abated breath a growing global emergency of a viral illness that originated from China and spread to more than 25 countries so far. Even China has put massive quarantines and global lockdowns worldwide however there is an ever-growing number of confirmed cases of more than 12,000 surpassing the previous SARS outbreak in 2003.

US and Israel announced the Middle East peace plan which was completely rejected by Palestinians across the world causing massive across the region. Apart from these unrests and protests, the Middle East has witnessed mounting protests including Iraq and Lebanon against their governments.

While writing these lines, the UK will exit from European Union causing a serious crisis within a “picture perfect” Union. We have to now wait and see what to expect from coming days in these years, however wishing peace and prosperity for the world and across the globe.

Lying across the heart of Central Asia, Tajikistan is the lynchpin to regional connectivity and integration by providing a link to Central Asia and beyond through its outstanding geographical location, renewed economic and trade policies and promising regional and global partnership endeavors.

Famously known as “Roof of the World” bordering Kyrgyzstan, China, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, Tajikistan is situated at a strategic geographical position where the world’s major civilizations are melting together including Turkish, Russian, Indus, Persian and Chinese. Being the smallest in terms of geography, Tajikistan has actively built its strength not only on its terrestrial location but also by capitalizing on the people of the country by building on the internal system of peace and stability since its inception.

The country led by the Founder President Emomali Rahmon is galvanizing its strength to develop and reinforce its bilateral, regional and international cooperation through global trade. With its growing economic and regional significance especially after the advent of the Belt and Road Initiative of China, Tajikistan is truly a gateway towards the economic and trade route of the region.

During his inaugural speech at the highest level as the first head of the state at the UN Summit in 1993, President Emomali presented the contours of the domestic, foreign and regional policy objectives by declaring individuals with rights and freedom as supreme while contributing and building on the strength of global and regional peace and stability.

Since nearly three decades of independence, Tajikistan has evolved itself to construct a promising future by sailing through the challenges of the past and converting them into opportunities. Over the years, Tajikistan has transformed itself as a gateway to the Central Asian region by providing the countries across the region and globe the opportunities through its promising open doors policy.

A complete shutdown and a black day were observed in Jammu and Kashmir as a protest against India’s Republic Day celebrations. The intensity of the demonstrations has also increased as a result of the more than 176 days of India’s unlawful siege of occupied Kashmir.

Kashmiris are denied basic human rights since the brutal announcement of the August 5 revocation of Article 370 of India’s constitution ending decades of semi-autonomous rule for the Muslim majority region. India is slowly losing its democratic color and the pride that it used to take to be a leader of the democratic world.

The wide range of arrests of local political leaders, a shutdown of communications linkages, and restrictions on movement, and increase of the presence of the military in Kashmir are the tactics the incumbent government of Narendra Modi is using to curb the freedom and self-determination struggle.

The international community is now well aware of India’s draconian rule in occupied Kashmir as a result of Pakistan’s effective diplomacy.

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The Diplomatic Insight, Pakistan's premier Public Diplomacy Magazine, has been at the forefront of promoting Peace Through Informed Dialogue since its inception in 2009. With both print and electronic versions, this decade-old media house is offering research, analysis, and public diplomacy outreach to clients in Pakistan and across the globe. TDI is now offering Amazon Kindle Self Publishing Services to diplomats, ambassadors, political leaders, academicians, and other civil society leaders to be the next best-seller authors. With access to 11 global markets and the option to translate your work into 11 languages, you can reach up to 300 million readers worldwide and unlock your personal and country branding.