The Hindu Editorial (Regional priorities) – Dec 02, 2020

Three years after joining the eight-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), India hosted the SCO heads of governments (HoG) meeting for the first time on Monday. For further reading, visit “The Hindu”. Below is today’s word list-1 for The Hindu Editorial (Regional priorities) – Dec 02, 2020.

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Today’s word list-1 for The Hindu Editorial (Regional priorities) – Dec 02, 2020:

1. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) (noun) – The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation, the creation of which was announced on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai (China). The SCO currently comprises eight Member States (China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) and is seen as a counterweight to NATO (The North Atlantic Treaty Organization). It was established as a multilateral association to ensure security and maintain stability across the vast Eurasian region, join forces to counteract emerging challenges and threats, and enhance trade, as well as cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
2. summit (noun) – meeting, conference.
3. serve (verb) – act as, function as, be of use (in achieving).
4. quest (noun) – pursuit, search.
5. geopolitical (adjective) – relating to the study of the geographical factors (a country’s position on the earth, size, climate, and natural resources & etc,.) in world politics and inter-state relations.
6. balance (noun) – parity, equity/equality, equilibrium, levelness.
7. engagement (noun) – participation, taking part, involvement.
8. host (verb) – present, organize, arrange (an event).
9. communique (noun) – official communication, press release, bulletin.
10. virtual conference (noun) – an interactive online event that brings together a group of people with similar interests or expertise so that they can learn/share information from one another.
11. measure (noun) – step, action, course of action, plan of action, procedure.
12. socioeconomic (noun) – relating to the interaction of social (position, rank, or importance) and economic (income, pay, and wealth) aspects.
13. consequence (noun) – outcome, ramification, repercussion.
14. multilateralism (noun) – a method of coordinating relations between ( a group of) three or more countries.
15. charter (noun) – constitution, code, canon, body of law.
16. influential (adjective) – important, significant, prominent.
17. show up (phrasal verb) – expose, reveal, exhibit, unveil.
18. persisting (adjective) – continuing, lasting, prolonging.
19. difference (noun) – disagreement, difference of opinion, misunderstanding, dispute, argument.
20. ostensibly (adverb) – apparently, seemingly, supposedly.
21. protocol (noun) – procedure, convention, rules of conduct.
22. parliamentary democracy (noun) – a system of government in which citizens elect representatives to a legislative parliament to make the necessary laws and decisions for the country.
23. bloc (noun) – alliance, association, union.
24. cross-border (adjective) – across a border between two countries.
25. speak of (phrasal verb) – mention, talk about, discuss, refer to, remark on, comment on.
26. combat (verb) – fight, tackle, confront, defy/resist.
27. state terrorism (noun) – it refers to acts of terrorism which a state (country) conducts against another state (country) or against its own citizens.
28. in reference to (phrase) – in relation to something, about something.
29. Regional Anti-Terror Structure (RATS) (noun) – headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, RATS is a permanent organ (body) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) which serves to promote cooperation of member states against the three evils of terrorism, separatism and extremism.
30. reflect (verb) – indicate, show, register, exhibit.
31. mark (verb) – indicate, represent, signify.
32. Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) (noun) – The Belt and Road Initiative, formerly known as One Belt One Road or OBOR for short, is a global infrastructure development strategy adopted by the Chinese government in 2013 to invest in nearly 71 countries and international organizations. It is also referred to as “21st century silk road”. From South-east Asia to Eastern Europe and Africa, Belt and Road includes 71 countries that account for half the world’s population and a quarter of global GDP.
33. endorse (verb) – uphold, support, ratify, approve, justify.
34. make a pitch (phrase) – say/do something in support of someone or something.
35. transparent (adjective) – open/candid, forthright, straightforward, honest.
36. sidebar (noun) – a side issue.
37. regardless of (phrase) – irrespective of, without consideration of, notwithstanding, in spite of.
38. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (noun) – NATO was created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.
39. mandate (verb) – approve, accept, ratify.
40. alliance (noun) – coalition, partnership.
41. given (preposition) – considering, taking into account, bearing in mind.
42. South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) (noun) – Established in 1985, it is the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of states in South Asia. Its member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
43. The Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) Initiative (noun) – The Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) sub-regional initiative is envisioned to improve economic cooperation and connectivity among the four South Asian countries. For India, this initiative allows it to bypass some of the more complex political issues of SAARC and engage in direct discussions on connectivity with Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal.
44. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) (noun) – a proposed agreement between the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its free trade agreement (FTA) partners. The pact aims to cover trade in goods and services, intellectual property, etc.
45. channel (noun) – method/system, medium, mechanism, vehicle (for communication).
46. outreach (noun) – the level of reaching out/activity/effort; involvement.
47. ties (noun) – bond, association, relationship.
48. bilateral (adjective) – involving two groups or countries.
49. eschew (verb) – reject, avoid, deny, abstain from, refrain from.
50. amidst (preposition) – amid, in the middle of; during.
51. Line of Actual Control (LAC) (noun) – the de-facto (effective) border between India and China. The LAC is a 4,057-km border running through three areas-Western (Ladakh, Ladakh (Kashmir)), middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal) and eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal).
52. stand-off (noun) – deadlock, stalemate, impasse (in a dispute/conflict).
53. counterpart (noun) – equivalent, equal (person); fellow, peer.
54. on the sidelines (phrase) – it refers to a meeting/forum occurs at the same time as the scheduled meeting/forum, but is not itself an item on the agenda.
55. pursue (verb) – engage in, conduct, follow.
56. counterpoint (noun) – contradicting, opposing, disagreeing idea/point to the original or main idea/point.
57. much more (phrase) – a lot more.
58. robust (adjective) – strong, powerful.

Note:  

 1. Click each one of the words above for their definition, more synonyms, pronunciation, example sentences, phrases, derivatives, origin and etc from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/.

2. Definitions (elementary level) & Synonyms provided for the words above are my personal work and not that of Oxford University Press. Tentative definitions/meanings are provided for study purpose only and they may vary in different context. 

3. This word list is for personal use only. Reproduction in any format and/or Commercial use of it is/are strictly prohibited.

Today’s word list-1 for The Hindu Editorial (Regional priorities) – Dec 02, 2020:

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