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News Reports

Current Operations

• U.S. Peace Envoy Heads To Qatar, Afghanistan For New Talks RFE/RL 20 Aug 2019 -- U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad is heading to Qatar to resume talks with Taliban negotiators and to Kabul to meet with Afghan leaders, amid reports indicating a deal could be close to end the near 18-year war in Afghanistan.

Defense Policy / Programs

• China, Russia: US triggering arms race with new missile Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- China and Russia have warned that a new US missile test has heightened military tensions and risks triggering an "arms race."
• Russia says US cruise missile test 'regrettable' Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- Russia says the recent test-firing of a ground-based cruise missile by the United States is "regrettable."
• US Had Plans to Test Missiles Banned by INF Treaty Long Before Leaving Arms Deal – Lavrov Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- The US conducted its first test of a ground-launched cruise missile operating at ranges previously banned by the now void Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty on 18 August. Moscow noted that such tests need to be prepared in advance, meaning that Washington had developed such weapons before abandoning the INF
• US Missile Test Will Lead to Arms Race and Harm Global Security - Chinese Foreign Ministry Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- The comment echoes the recent statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry condemning the latest US missile launch in California involving a rocket previously banned by the INF Treaty.
• Moscow Deplores Latest US Test of Cruise Missile Banned by INF Treaty Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- The United States carried out its latest missile test on 18 August from San Nicolas Island, California. The Pentagon stated that "the test missile exited its ground mobile launcher and accurately impacted its target after more than 500 kilometres of flight".
• USS Ramage Deploys NNS 20 Aug 2019 -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Ramage (DDG 61) deployed from Naval Station Norfolk today to conduct maritime security operations and provide ballistic missile defense for U.S. Navy fleet and combatant commanders.
• New F-35 Modification Facility Brings Strategic Capability to FRCE NNS 20 Aug 2019 -- A recently-completed facility will bring a new strategic capability to Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) and the F-35B Lightning aircraft line next year. When the new F-35 laser shock peening facility is fully operational in 2020, FRCE will be one of two sites in the world that will use laser technology to strengthen F-35 structural components.
• Indo-Pacific Maritime Forces Kick off 18th SEACAT Exercise NNS 20 Aug 2019 -- The U.S. Navy and maritime forces from 10 Indo-Pacific partner nations began the 18th iteration of Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) in Singapore, Aug. 19.
• UNITAS LX Kicks off in Rio de Janeiro NNS 20 Aug 2019 -- Over 3,100 Naval Forces from 13 countries kicked off UNITAS LX (60), the 60th anniversary of the annual multinational exercise, in Rio de Janeiro, Aug. 19.
• US Navy on 'Balls of Our Feet' for Venezuela Action - SOUTHCOM Chief Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- The head of US Southern Command said Tuesday the US Navy was ready to "do what needs to be done" if and when US President Donald Trump gives the order for them to move against Venezuela.
• Battle Group Poland successfully completes water survival course Army News 20 Aug 2019 -- Members from NATO's enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Poland, alongside members from the Polish 15th Mechanized Infantry Brigade participated in a water survival course, Aug. 14.
• U.S., Allied Forces Kick-off EOD-Exercise HYDRACRAB NNS 20 Aug 2019 -- Expeditionary forces from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States took part in an opening ceremony for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) training exercise HYDRACRAB, Aug. 19.
• USS Michael Murphy Returns from Deployment NNS 20 Aug 2019 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) and the "Easyriders" of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 37 returned to their homeport of Pearl Harbor following a successful deployment to the 3rd and 4th Fleet areas of operations, Aug. 19.
• Bahrain King Visits Naval Forces Central Command NNS 20 Aug 2019 -- King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, visited the headquarters of Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), Aug. 19.
• US 'ready' for mission in Venezuela: Top commander Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- The United States Navy is "ready" to act in favor of Washington's interests in Venezuela, says a top American commander.
• S.Korea, U.S. end joint military exercises People's Daily 20 Aug 2019 -- The combined forces of South Korea and the United States ended their weekslong joint annual military exercises on Tuesday as scheduled, according to local media reports.
• New Russian drone can stay airborne for over 24 hours Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- The Russian military has unveiled an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for reconnaissance purposes that can fly for more than 24 hours without refueling.
• Russian Defence Ministry Posts Video of 6-Tonne Altius-U Drone's Maiden Flight Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- The Russian Defence Ministry has posted a video of the maiden flight of a 6-tonne Altius-U drone, capable of being in the air for more than 24 hours.
• Silence At Russian Nuclear-Monitoring Stations Fuel Fears Over Extent Of Deadly Blast RFE/RL 20 Aug 2019 -- Officials at the Vienna-based Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) say that two nuclear monitoring stations in Russia have resumed operations after mysteriously halting the transmission of data.
• Two Radiation Monitoring Stations in Russia Back Online - Nuclear Test Watchdog Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- Two Russian radionuclide stations – one in Yakutia (Sakha Republic) in Siberia and the other in the Chukotka Autonomous region of the Far East – that are a part of the international nuclear test monitoring system have resumed data transmissions, Lassina Zerbo said.
• Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) - F-16C/D Block 70 Aircraft and Related Equipment and Support DSCA 20 Aug 2019 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to TECRO for the 66 F-16C/D Block 70 aircraft and related equipment and support for an estimated cost of $8 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• China urges US to immediately stop arms sales plan to Taiwan Global Times 20 Aug 2019 -- China on Monday urged the United States to immediately stop its planned arms sales to Taiwan and cease military contact with Taiwan, saying otherwise, the US side will have to bear all the consequences.
• New counter-terror force in Xinjiang Global Times 20 Aug 2019 -- The Chinese People's Armed Police have established a new counter-terror special operations unit in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to adapt to the needs of counter-terrorism missions there, media reported on Tuesday.
• Latest military chopper expected to debut at National Day parade: report Global Times 20 Aug 2019 -- An echelon of China's domestically developed Z-20 helicopters was spotted on Monday in a video that was purported in the media to be a rehearsal for the upcoming National Day parade, leading analysts to believe that the country's newest chopper could make its public debut at the October 1 event.
• India to Phase Out Obsolete MiG-21 Combat Jets By December - Air Force Chief Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- Struggling to meet required combat strength with their current jets, the Indian Air Force (IAF) chief on Tuesday said the force can't wait for homegrown equipment and will replace obsolete planes at an appropriate time.
• Royal Air Force Fighter Jets Escort Russian Aircraft Over Baltic, UK Defence Ministry Says Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- The Royal Air Force scrambled Typhoon fighters from a military airfield in Estonia to escort two Russian Su-30 aircraft, the UK Ministry of Defence said on Monday.
• Israel, UAE sign spy aircraft deal worth millions of dollars: Report Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- A report has revealed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) sealed a secretive deal with the Israeli regime a few years ago to acquire advanced surveillance aircraft as Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi move closer to normalization of ties.
• Bid To Form New Bosnian Government Fails Over Differences On NATO RFE/RL 20 Aug 2019 -- The members of Bosnia-Herzegovina's tripartite presidency have again failed to form a new government more than 10 months after a general election.

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Aug. 20, 2019

Other Conflicts

• 20 August 2019 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 20 Aug 2019
• After Chinese Incursions, Philippines Says Foreign Ships Must Seek Permission Radio Free Asia 20 Aug 2019 -- Foreign ships passing through Philippine territorial waters without permission would be dealt with in an "unfriendly manner," President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman said Tuesday, a week after Filipino officials raised alarms over multiple sightings of Chinese warships passing unannounced through the country's seas.
• Yemeni air defense forces shoot US-built Saudi-led drone in Dhamar Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- Yemeni army forces, supported by allied fighters from the Popular Committees, have intercepted and targeted an unmanned aerial vehicle belonging to the Saudi-led military coalition while flying in the skies over Yemen's southwestern province of Dhamar.
• 'No time to lose' UN envoy tells Security Council, 'Yemen cannot wait' UN News 20 Aug 2019 -- One month ago, the United Nations top Yemen envoy told the Security Council the country was facing "a crucial moment" in the course of its long and bloody conflict, and on Tuesday, he again urged members to acknowledge that recent infighting around the Government stronghold of Aden were "a clear sign" that the conflict must be brought to a swift, peaceful end.
• In southern Yemen, a wearing-away of Saudi Arabia's coalition Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- A separatist group in Yemen that is backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has attacked and overtaken two military camps belonging to militants supported by Saudi Arabia, even as their patron countries are ostensibly in one alliance.
• Volley of Yemeni rockets hits Saudi Arabian camp Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- Yemeni armed forces have targeted a military camp in Saudi Arabia's southern province of Najran with a barrage of rockets.
• Yemeni Parliament Speaker Warns of Dangerous Attempts to Split Yemen SPA 20 Aug 2019 -- Yemeni parliament speaker Sultan al-Berkani warned of the dangers of any attempt to divide or separate Yemen into several parts, saying that the effects of such a move will have negative repercussions on the local and regional levels.
• Command of joint forces of the coalition to support legitimacy in Yemen: Targeting and destroying of number of caves to store ballistic missiles, drones and weapons in Sana'a belonging to Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist militia SPA 20 Aug 2019 -- Colonel Turki Al-Maliki, the official spokesman of the coalition to support legitimacy in Yemen said that the command of the joint forces of the coalition this evening carried out at 2256 hours a qualitative military operation to destroy a number of legitimate military targets, caves used by the Houthi terrorist militia to store ballistic missiles, drones and weapons. The caves are located in Faj Atan and Al-A'amd camp in the capital Sana'a.
• China envoy warns of re-emergence of Daesh, other Takfiri outfits in Syria Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- As Syria edges closer to final victory over foreign-backed terrorists, a senior Chinese diplomat warns that terror outfits could still re-emerge in the Arab country, calling for a continued and concrete fight against the Takfiri terrorists, most of whom remain holed up in embattled Idlib Province.
• Beware Of Next Jihadist Wave: China Says 'Terrorist Organisations' Stirring in Syria Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- Jihadist rebels have withdrawn from a pocket of land near Idlib in northern Syria following an assault by President Bashar al-Assad's forces. The Idlib region is the last part of Syria to be holding out against the Damascus government.
• Militants leave key Idlib town, last Hama stronghold after Syrian army advances Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- Foreign-backed militants have reportedly withdrawn from a key town in Syria's embattled Idlib Province as well as their last bastion in the nearby province of Hama, as government forces make more gains in the northwest.
• Turkey provides clear, support to terrorists in Syria's Idlib: Assad Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- President Bashar al-Assad has censured Turkey over sending a military convoy to Syria's embattled northwestern province of Idlib, stressing that the move clearly shows that the Ankara government is offering generous support to Takfiri terrorists who have lost ground amid government forces' push to retake the last militant-held area in the country.
• Turkey to Prevent US From Turning Safe Zone in Northern Syria Into Second Manbij – Ankara Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- Turkey will not allow the United States to impede talks on establishing safe zones in northern Syria, as was the case with the Syrian region of Manbij, where Washington did not keep its commitments to Ankara, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.
• Turkey Was Notified Attacks by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham in Syria's Idlib Would be Crushed - Lavrov Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- The Turkish Defence Ministry said a day earlier that three civilians had been killed and 12 more had been injured in an attack on its convoy moving toward an observatory point in Idlib Province.
• Deadly airstrikes and drone hits displace thousands of civilians in Libya oasis town UN News 20 Aug 2019 -- Intensifying clashes in the southern Libyan town of Murzuq involving air and drone strikes in recent days have left at least 90 people dead and displaced thousands of "terrified" civilians, the UN said on Tuesday.
• Scores of Civilians Killed, Injured in Libyan Oasis Town VOA 20 Aug 2019 -- The United Nations reports the small oasis town of Murzuq in southwestern Libya has suffered one of the largest losses of civilian life this month since civil war broke out in 2011 following the overthrow of former Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
• Pakistan 'to take Kashmir dispute with India to ICC' Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- Pakistan says it will take India to the International Court of Justice (ICC) over New Delhi's recent decision to strip the disputed Muslim-majority Himalayan region of its autonomy.
• Official: Border Skirmishes with India Kill 35 in Pakistani Kashmir VOA 20 Aug 2019 -- A top official in Pakistan disclosed Tuesday that recent cross-border skirmishes with India have killed dozens of people and injured hundreds of others on the Pakistani side of the disputed Kashmir region.
• Trump talks to India, Pakistan PMs, urges de-escalation Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- In separate phone calls, US President Donald Trump has urged the prime ministers of India and Pakistan to reduce tensions over the disputed Kashmir region.
• Pakistan To Take Kashmir Dispute To ICJ RFE/RL 20 Aug 2019 -- Pakistan says it will challenge New Delhi's decision to revoke the special status of Indian-administered Kashmir before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
• At Least One Person Killed After Pakistan and India Exchange Heavy Firing, Shelling across LoC Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- Amid existing bitterness since the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status, Indian and Pakistani troops deployed along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir have exchanged heavy firing and shelling with mortars. An Indian official confirmed one soldier was killed and four others injured in the firing on Tuesday.
• Trump, Pakistan's Khan Discuss Need to Reduce Tensions Over Kashmir Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- US President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Kahn during a phone conversation discussed the need to reduce tensions over the Kashmir crisis, the White House said in a statement.
• Policeman Killed, Five Officers Injured in Attack on Convoy in Myanmar's Rakhine State Radio Free Asia 20 Aug 2019 -- A convoy of four vehicles from a police security force was attacked twice Tuesday morning in mine explosions near the boundary between Kyauktaw and Ponnagyun townships in western Myanmar's volatile Rakhine state, killing one policeman and injuring five other officers, regional sources said.
• Security situation in Northern Ireland expected to deteriorate as no-deal Brexit looms Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- Police officers escaped injury after an explosive device detonated in Wattlebridge, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.
• Somalia Regional Election Raises National, East African Tensions VOA 20 Aug 2019 -- Somalia's regional state of Jubaland will this week elect a new president, but the electoral process has been marred by threats, intimidation, violence and outside interference.
• Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo At a United Nations Security Council Session on Middle East Peace and Security US Dept. of State 20 Aug 2019 -- Remarks by Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State
• Urgent need for 'restraint and genuine dialogue' in Middle East to avoid major confrontation UN News 20 Aug 2019 -- Briefing the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, the Chef de Cabinet of the Secretary-General, Maria Luiza Viotti, said on Tuesday that "restraint and genuine dialogue are urgently needed", in order to avoid a major confrontation, which would have disastrous consequences, even well beyond the region.

News Reports

• Arms Trafficker Convicted in Anti-Aircraft Missiles Scheme and Other Arms Offenses Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison US Dept. of Justice 20 Aug 2019 -- A black-market arms dealer with a long history of brokering machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank armaments – and who was found guilty last year in a scheme to sell and use surface-to-air missiles – was sentenced yesterday to 30 years in federal prison.
• Trump Says Russia Belongs, Wants To Make It The G8 Again RFE/RL 20 Aug 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump said he is in favor of letting Russia back in to the exclusive Group of Seven advanced economies when the United States hosts the event next year.
• Trump: Deputy Secretary Sullivan Could Be Next U.S. Envoy To Moscow RFE/RL 20 Aug 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump says that John Sullivan, a deputy secretary of state, "could very well be" Washington's next ambassador to Russia, replacing Jon Huntsman Jr., who announced his resignation earlier this month.
• In South Korea, a Small But Notable Backlash Against Trump VOA 20 Aug 2019 -- It's no secret U.S. President Donald Trump can sometimes be nicer to his country's perceived enemies than its friends. But Trump's unorthodox negotiating style appears to be wearing thin in South Korea, especially among conservatives, who are increasingly willing to criticize the U.S. leader.
• Pompeo, Unlike Trump, Concerned About North Korea Missile Tests VOA 20 Aug 2019 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday he is concerned about the spate of short-range missile tests North Korea has launched in recent weeks, disagreeing with President Donald Trump, who has shrugged off their significance.
• Successes Made at Construction of Tanchon Power Station in DPRK KCNA 20 Aug 2019 -- Successes have been made at the construction of the Tanchon Power Station in the DPRK.
• Pompeo Blasts Iran At UN Security Council Session On Middle East Security RFE/RL 20 Aug 2019 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo specifically singled out Iran in a speech on August 20 at a UN Security Council session on Middle East peace and security challenges.
• Iranian people know US pressure hasn't materialized: Shamkhani Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- The Iranian nation is aware that the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" against Iran "has not materialized," says Iran's Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani.
• US threatens those assisting released Iran-run tanker Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- The United States has threatened those potentially assisting the return of an Iranian-operated supertanker that has been released by Gibraltar after more than a month of detention there by Britain.
• US Warns Against 'Facilitating' Freed Iranian Tanker VOA 20 Aug 2019 -- The United States is warning entities in the Mediterranean against working with an Iranian-flagged oil tanker now moving through the region after being freed from detention by Gibraltar.
• Hong Kong Reels in Wake of Stabbing Attack on Protesters, Police Torture Video Radio Free Asia 20 Aug 2019 -- Hong Kong was reeling on Tuesday following a knife attack by a pro-police thug on two anti-extradition protesters and a former journalist.
• Hong Kong to establish mechanism to hold dialogue with protesters Global Times 20 Aug 2019 -- The Hong Kong government will establish a communication and dialogue platform to hold talks with protesters, said Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor at a press conference on Tuesday.
• Lam to establish platform for talks with protesters Global Times 20 Aug 2019 -- Observers wondered if the surprisingly non-violent protest on Sunday signalled a turning point for the months-long chaos or was simply a tactic used by opposition forces to pressure the government and upgrade violence.
• Hong Kong leader promises 'platform for dialogue' after peaceful rally Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam has promised to "establish a platform for dialog," following a peaceful protest in the region on Sunday.
• Hong Kong Leader Hails Peaceful March as Reset of Political Crisis VOA 20 Aug 2019 -- Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam says she hopes Sunday's peaceful march through the streets of the Chinese territory marks a turning point in the nearly two month anti-government protests.
• Data from India's Moon Mission to Help NASA's Human Mission: Indian Space Agency Chief Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- India's second Moon Mission Chandrayaan-2, is expected to land on the Moon next month, and will "boldly venture where no country has ever gone before – the Moon's south polar region.
• India's Second Moon Mission, Chandrayaan-2 Successfully Enters Lunar Orbit Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- India's ambitious space mission with its second lunar probe Chandrayaan-2 crossed another hurdle successfully by inserting the satellite into the lunar orbit on Tuesday at 9:02 a.m. IST as planned.
• Unmanned Indian Probe Enters Lunar Orbit VOA 20 Aug 2019 -- An unmanned Indian space probe successfully entered lunar orbit Tuesday, passing a crucial step towards a historic milestone for the country's fledgling space program.
• Post-Brexit US-UK Trade Deal Under Threat VOA 20 Aug 2019 -- U.S. Democratic party lawmakers are threatening to kill any free trade deal Britain strikes with the Trump administration, if a post-Brexit border is re-established across the island of Ireland. They argue a so-called "hard border" threatens a peace agreement the U.S.-brokered in the 1990s, which ended three-decades of violence in Northern Ireland.
• Kyiv Pursues Additional Reverse Gas Flows In Preparation For Potential Russian Gas-Transit Cutoff RFE/RL 20 Aug 2019 -- Ukraine's state-run gas-transport company, Ukrtransgaz, is preparing to open another reverse-flow point for the import of an additional 1.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas by January 1 in anticipation of Russia halting gas transit through the country when their contract expires at the end of the year.
• Facing Price-Fixing Charges, Ex-Energy Regulator Official Says Will Stay Out Of Ukraine RFE/RL 20 Aug 2019 -- A former head of Ukraine's energy regulator accused of taking part in an alleged conspiracy to fix electricity prices for the benefit of the country's largest privately owned power and coal producer says he will stay away from the country.
• The Turkmen President Is Alive, But What About His Prisoners? RFE/RL 20 Aug 2019 -- The weeks-long disappearance from public view of imperious Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov this summer spawned rumors of his death and calls for Ashgabat to prove he was still alive.
• Kyrgyz Ex-President Atambaev's Pretrial Detention Extended Until October 26 RFE/RL 20 Aug 2019 -- Former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev's pretrial detention has been prolonged until October 26.
• Tashkent Moves To Floating Exchange Rate For Uzbek Currency RFE/RL 20 Aug 2019 -- Uzbekistan has moved to a floating exchange rate for its currency, the som, as the central bank allows the influence of external factors to help determine the exchange rate.
• Treasury Designates Dominican Republic-Based Peralta Drug Trafficking Organization Under the Kingpin Act US Treasury 20 Aug 2019 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) identified Dominican national Cesar Emilio Peralta and the Peralta Drug Trafficking Organization (Peralta DTO) as significant foreign narcotics traffickers pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act). OFAC designated eight additional Dominican nationals for providing material support to, or acting for or on behalf of, Cesar Emilio Peralta and the Peralta DTO. OFAC also designated six entities in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, including a number of nightclubs owned or controlled by Cesar Emilio Peralta.
• North Macedonia Prosecutor Grilled In Corruption Case As 'Witness' RFE/RL 20 Aug 2019 -- North Macedonia's outgoing special prosecutor in charge of investigating organized crime cases has been questioned for four hours as part of a probe into a high-level corruption case that has rocked the Balkan country for weeks.
• VOA Interview: Guatemalan President-elect Alejandro Giammattei VOA 20 Aug 2019 -- An asylum deal with the United States would "necessarily" depend on economic benefits to its country, Guatemala president-elect Alejandro Giammattei told Jorge Agobian of VOA's Latin America Division on Monday.