Political Issues
Iraq
1. Embassy facilitating return of Indian nationals from Iraq
New Delhi, Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Indian Embassy in Baghdad has been proactively liaising with the local and the national authorities in Iraq to facilitate the safe return of Indian nationals, who have expressed their desire to return from Iraq.
Source: Yahoo News, New Delhi

Israel
2. Indian artists to boycott major show in Israel
New Delhi, Tuesday, 2 August 2011
In a major show of solidarity with the Palestinian people, five Indian artists announced their intention of boycotting a major show of Indian art in Israel. The show titled “Deconstructing India” is scheduled to be mounted at the Tel Aviv State Museum in the spring of 2012.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

3. Israel's new envoy presents credentials to President Patil
New Delhi, Friday, 12 August 2011
Israel's newly appointed ambassador to India Alon Ushpiz presented his credentials to President Pratibha Devisingh Patil at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Source: Yahoo News, New Delhi

Libya
4. Indian national killed in Libya, government in evacuation mode
New Delhi, Monday, 26 August 2011
Indian ships would be sent under the aegis of the International Organization of Migration (IOM) to assist Indians in Libya. The government's decision was influenced by the killing of an Indian national in Libya who was caught in crossfire in capital Tripoli as the rebels and Muammar Gaddafi's forces were involved in the final throes of a bloody battle for control of the country.
Source: Economic Times, New Delhi

5. India invited to attend international conference on Libya
Berlin, Thursday, 25 August 2011
India is among a group of countries invited to attend an international conference on Libya, which French President Nicolas Sarkozy will host in Paris next week to discuss the future of the North African nation after the overthrow of the Muammar Gaddafi regime.
Source: Deccan Herald, Bangalore

Oman
6. Somali pirates hijack ship with 21 Indian sailors from Oman
Mumbai, Saturday, 20 August 2011
A tanker managed by an Indian firm with 21 Indian sailors on board was hijacked on Saturday while at port in the Gulf state of Oman. The ship, with 27 crew from Algeria, Ukraine and the Philippines, was heading to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from Salalah with a cargo of clinker.
Source: Reuters, Mumbai

Palestine
7. Palestine seeks India's support for statehood
New Delhi, Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Nabil Shaath, the special envoy of Palestine National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, sought India's support for a proposed vote seeking the recognition of Palestinian statehood during the UN session in September. Shaath, on a two day visit to India, met External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed.
Source: Yahoo.com, New Delhi

8. Gandhian way for Palestine
New Delhi, Thursday, 25 August 2011
Terming the Gandhian way of protest as "more relevant" in Palestine, its ambassador Nabil Shaath said Mahatma Gandhi inspired the new generation to carry out their struggle in a non-violent way.
Source: Outlook India, New Delhi

Syria
9. Syria lobbies India to prevent UN condemnation
New Delhi, Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Faisal Mekdad, Syria's deputy foreign minister, on a three-day visit to India, said that he had asked India to use its influence on the Security Council to thwart the West.
Source: The Telegraph, London

10. Syrian Minister briefs Krishna on ground realities
New Delhi, Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Amid escalating violence in Syria and international media reports of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) scheduling a discussion on the situation, India asked Damascus to rein in its security forces.
Source: The Hindu, New Delhi

11. Unites States wants India, China to take steps against Syria
Washington, Friday, 12 August 2011
Seeking wider global action against Syria for its violent crackdown on anti-regime protesters, the US wants India and China, which have large energy investments in that country, to take steps against it by imposing sanctions.
Source: Indian Express, New Delhi

Economic
Iran
12. India makes first oil payment in 5 months
New Delhi, Monday, 1 August 2011
India made its first payment since February for crude oil it buys from Iran after receiving a US$ 100 million wire-transfer by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) was received by Tehran via Turkey.
Source: The Statesman, New Delhi

13. India avoids cut off, makes payment
Tehran, Monday, 1 August 2011
Iran and India resolved the payment dispute that was threatening to halt the Iran’s crude exports to India. Indian companies have been looking for an alternate way to make payments to Iran after the Reserve Bank of India stopped a clearing mechanism.
Source: BBC News

14. Iran claims no reduction in oil exports
Tehran, Monday, 8 August 2011
Iran’s, Deputy Oil Minister Ahmad Qalebani claims Iran did not reduce its oil exports to India for the month of August.
Source: Yahoo News, Tehran

15. Hopes of return to normal oil exports by Iran
Tehran, Sunday, 14 August 2011
The head of international affairs at the National Iranian Oil Co. said Iran hoped that oil deliveries to India would return to a normal level after the resolution of the long-running payment problem.
Source: Reuters, Tehran

16. Iran says India paid two thirds of oil debt
Tehran, Monday, 15 August 2011
Mahmoud Bahmani, Central Bank Governor of Iran said “Two thirds of India's debt to Iran has been paid and the balance is being taken care of and there are no problems in this regard." Bahmani confirmed that Iran and India have discussed India paying for some of its oil in gold. "Such talks have taken place and if necessary we will do that," he said.
Source: Reuters, Tehran

Israel
17. Israel Chemicals to sell 1 million tonnes potash to India
Tel Aviv, Sunday, 7 August 2011
Israel Chemicals (ICL) said it had signed a deal to supply one million tonnes of potash to its main customer in India at $490 per tonne. The potash would be supplied over eight months from August 2011 to March 2012.
Source: Reuters, Tel Aviv

Lebanon
18. British oil firm Cairn eyes Lebanon as India deal nears end
London, Tuesday, 23 August 2011
British oil firm Cairn Energy is lining up exploration opportunities in Lebanon as a long-running deal to sell a stake in its Indian business nears its conclusion.
Source: Hindustan Times, New Delhi

Oman
19. Reliance withdraws from Oman oil exploration block
Dubai, Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Reliance Industries has withdrawn from an offshore oil exploration block in the Sea of Oman. Block 18, a 21,140 sq. km concession located off the Batinah coast, was relinquished by the conglomerate's wholly owned Dubai-based subsidiary, Reliance Exploration and Production DMCC. The decision follows an exploratory drilling campaign that failed to unearth any significant prospects.
Source: NDTV Profit, New Delhi

20. Three projects for investment identified by India-Oman fund
New Delhi, Friday, 19 August 2011
The India-Oman Joint Investment Fund, which was created earlier this year with an initial corpus of $100 million, has identified three projects in India for investment.
Source: Financial Express, New Delhi

Saudi Arabia
21. India, Saudi Arabia talks on PolyPropene anti-dumping tax
Dubai, Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Saudi Arabia and India would resume talks next month on the prospects of lifting an anti-dumping tax imposed on the kingdom's polypropylene exports. Saudi Arabia's Commerce and Industry Minister, Abdullah Zainal Alireza would lead the Saudi delegation while the Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee would lead the Indian team.
Source: Deccan Herald, Bangalore

Turkey
22. India IOC says paying for Iran oil through Turkey bank
New Delhi, Wednesday, 10 August 2011
India's top state-run refiner, Indian Oil Corp Ltd, said it had begun paying its debt to Iran for oil imports and would clear an outstanding of 380 million Euros this month using an arrangement with a state-controlled bank in Turkey.
Source: Reuters, New Delhi

Compiled by Shubhra Chaturvedi

Shubhra Chaturvedi is pursuing her research in School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University and is an Intern at MEI@ND. Email

As part of its editorial policy, the MEI@ND standardizes spelling and date formats to make the text uniformly accessible and stylistically consistent. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views/positions of the MEI@ND. Editor, MEI@ND: P R Kumaraswamy