Current Affairs - International

Mexico became the first country in the world to issue a sovereign bond linked to the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations, raising EUR 750 million ($890 million).

The United States and India virtually held the 10th edition of the Defense Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI) Group Meeting on September 15. According to a U.S. Department of Defense press release, the DTTI co-chairs - Indian Ministry of Defense's Secretary of Defense Production Raj Kumar and the U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen M. Lord - signed a statement of intent "to strengthen our dialogue on defense technology cooperation by pursuing detailed planning and making measurable progress" on several existing DTTI projects.

China launched a Long March 11 rocket from an ocean platform in the Yellow Sea early Tuesday (Sept. 15), successfully sending nine satellites into orbit. The launch took place at 09:23 local time (01:23 GMT/9:23 p.m. Eastern Monday) from a 524-feet-long (159.6 meters) launch platform named De Bo 3. The mission is China's second ocean-based launch, following a first Long March 11 sea launch in June 2019. It is the first time however that China has used new seaport facilities at Haiyang in eastern China. China is only the third country to perform a sea launch, following the U.S. and Russia.

Israel, Bahrain, and UAE signed Abraham Accords on September 15, 2020, in a signing ceremony which was presided over by the President of United States Donald Trump at the White House. The Abraham Accords have been signed to establish the foundation of peace agreements between Israel and the two Arab nations- Bahrain and UAE.

The 10th Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) Group Meeting was held virtually by the Indian and U.S. Defense Delegations. The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Raj Kumar, Secretary, Defence Production, from the Indian Ministry of Defence and Ms. Ellen M. Lord, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, from the U.S. Department of Defense. During the meeting, the co-chairs signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) that declared their intent "to strengthen our dialogue on defense technology cooperation by pursuing detailed planning and making measurable progress" on several specific DTTI projects.