Iranian deputy foreign minister discussed issues of mutual interest with Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna on the sidelines of the 11th meeting of Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) here on Tuesday. The two sides discussed world and regional developments as well as bilateral ties. 

Source: Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Tehran

 

 

India's reluctance to go ahead with multi-billion IPI gas pipeline and some other steps being taken by it recently indicate that New Delhi is now cautious about any expansion of energy relations with Tehran, a Congressional report has said. 

Source: Zee News, New Delhi

 

 

As the IAEA works on a resolution to censure Iran yet again for its nuclear program, India believes there is little to stop Tehran from proceeding with weaponization and the Iranian nuclear program is not in India’s interest said government sources. 

Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

 

 

With the IAEA weighing options to deal with Iran's nuclear program, PM Manmohan Singh on Friday said the issue should be dealt with diplomatically. Singh, who met Obama on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, said matters relating to Iran's nuclear program should be dealt with diplomatically.

Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

 

 

India and 39 other nations abstained from a UN resolution condemning an alleged Iranian plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to the United States, saying full facts were not known and the matter was sub-judice.

Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

 

 

India and Iran have been cradles of great civilizations and the messenger of spirituality, peace and friendship throughout the history, said Iranian Ambassador to New Delhi Mehdi Nabizadeh while addressing a three-day International Seminar on Hazrat Sheikh Sharafuddin Ahmad Yahya Muniri at Patna.

Source: IRNA, Tehran

 

 

Ruling out even a temporary halt in Iran's nuclear enrichment program, its ambassador to India S Mehdi Nabizadeh urged India and other countries in the region to look at Iran's nuclear policy “independently” in the wake of a recent IAEA report accusing Tehran of militarizing its nuclear program. 

Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

 

 

India is in a dilemma about an armed Iranian ship MV Assa that has dropped anchor off Lakshadweep over a month ago. On November 23, India sent a second diplomatic missive "note verbale" to Iran asking them to remove the ship from India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Iran, said officials, has been stonewalling New Delhi's requests. 

Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

 

 

India will order another two advanced Israeli Phalcon AWACS (airborne warning and control systems), or the “formidable eyes in the sky” capable of detecting hostile aircraft, cruise missiles and other incoming aerial threat far before ground-based radars at a cost of over US$ 800 million soon. Top defence ministry sources say the “draft contract” for the two new AWACS “is now finally in the final stages of being examined.”

Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

 

 

India and Israel continue to expand their ties in the fields of defence and homeland security. Israeli Air Force commander-in-chief, Major-General Ido Nehushtan, is the latest in the series of high-level visits to India, which are kept under the radar due to political sensitivities, to further bolster the “bilateral strategic partnership.”

Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

 

 

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Israel, Danny Ayalon said that India and Israel need to pool all their resources together to fight against terrorism.

Source: Times Now, Mumbai

 

 

Three years after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Israel too has stepped up the pressure on Pakistan to take action against terror. David Goldfarb, the spokesman of the Israeli embassy in New Delhi said that Israel stands behind India and demands actions against the culprits

Source: CNN-IBN, New Delhi

 

 

There are no instances where exodus of Indian nurses in large numbers from Saudi Arabia has taken place, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said in reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi

 

 

The Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Muhammad Yasin Malik has urged Saudi Arabia to play its role in resolving the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the Kashmiris’ aspirations.

Source: South Asian News Agency (SANA)

 

 

In a major boost to their bilateral ties, India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Wednesday signed two agreements, including one on combating terrorism in all forms and organized crimes. Home Minister P. Chidambaram and UAE counterpart Lt. Gen. Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan signed the agreements, the second one being on transfer of sentenced persons.

Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

 

 

India and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday signed two key agreements, including one which will facilitate each other's convicted prisoners to serve the rest of their sentences back home. The other agreement relates to security cooperation.

Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

 

 

The political turmoil in Libya has had no direct impact on India's crude oil imports. Mr S. Jaipal Reddy, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, said “as India imports very little crude oil from Libya, there has been no direct impact of the situation in Libya on India's crude oil imports.” He told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that during 2010-11, India imported 1.094 million tonnes of crude from Libya, which was only 0.667 per cent of the total crude imports during the said year.

Source: The Hindu, Chennai

 

 

Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) is looking to buy crude from sanctions-hit Syria and has asked state-run Shipping Corp of India (SCI) to arrange a vessel, sources familiar with the plan said on Wednesday.

Source: Reuters

 

 

India provides an opportunity for investment in the backdrop of problems in the global economy. Bharat Shah, Director of ASK Investment Holdings said, at a meeting of Bahrain Chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (BCICAI) in Bahrain.

Source: Gulf Daily News, Manama

 

 

Companies in Bahrain engaged in construction and maintenance of infrastructure can now compete in infrastructure project tendering in Kerala, the southernmost state of India, said V K Ebrahim Kunju, the state's Minister for Works. 

Source: Bahrain News Agency, Bahrain

 

 

In an effort to resolve a long-standing payment crisis, the Reserve Bank of India has given permission to the Central Bank of Iran to open rupee accounts with two Indian banks- UCO and IDBI.

Source: Business Line, Chennai

 

 

A galaxy of top-notch hospitals and Expert medical professional are set to exhibit the increasing opportunities of Indian medical tourism destination for the State of Kuwait.

Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

 

 

High-level government official from India’s southern state of Karnataka has called upon non-resident Indians (NRIs) in the Sultanate to seriously consider investing in the state. 

Source: Times of Oman, Muscat

 

 

Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged Turkey's Minister of economy Zafer Caglayan to abolish 20% luxury tax on polished diamond import into that country to increase bilateral trade with India.

Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

 

 

On the back of an estimated $ 30-40 billion investment from India in the UAE already, the industrial city of Abu Dhabi plans to attract more investors from the country to set up their plants in oil-rich Emirates

Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

 

 

Strengthening its presence in Gulf region, State Bank of India (SBI) is launching a range of services for non-resident Indians in the UAE, including opening of NRI accounts, a senior bank official said here. 

Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

 

 

Yatharth Kachiar is pursuing her research in School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Email