POLITICAL ISSUES
IRAN
1. Iran nuclear deal consistent with our stand, says India
New Delhi, Sunday, 24 November 2013
India has said that the two-stage deal Iran struck with the U.S. and five other world powers on its nuclear programme was consistent with the position it had taken with Russia, Brazil, China, South Africa and other like-minded countries.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

2. India, Iran agree to keep wary Saudi Arabia engaged
New Delhi, Tuesday, 26 November 2013
Iran and India have agreed on the need to keep Saudi Arabia engaged to remove its misgivings about Tehran’s interim understanding with the six global powers reached in Geneva.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

3. Iran nuclear deal may end cheap oil supply for India
New Delhi, Tuesday, 26 November 2013
India's hopes to access cheaper oil after the US-led interim nuclear accord with Iran may prove a temporary advantage as Iran emerges from isolation and begins demanding full dollar payments.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

4. Foreign secretary gives a boost to Tehran ties
New Delhi, Tuesday, 26 November 2013
A day after P5+1 countries reached the Geneva Deal, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh reviewed Iran-India ties with Iran's visiting deputy foreign minister Ebrahim Rahimpour.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

5. 'Iran accord will be advantageous to India, help region'
New Delhi, Wednesday, 27 November 2013
Official sources told media, that besides easing Iranian oil sales, the interim Geneva nuclear accord would have more long-term advantages for India, especially in Afghanistan where Tehran would be able to play a more active role in keeping the Taliban under check.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi; See Also: The New Indian Express, Chennai

6. India likely to fast-track Iran port, oil plans
New Delhi, Thursday, 28 November 2013
India is looking at ways to intensify engagement with Iran after the country's nuclear agreement with the P5+1, National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon told senior officials.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

ISRAEL
7. Israeli army chief arrives on 4-day trip
New Delhi, Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Aiming to enhance defence ties with India, Israeli Army Chief Major General Guy Zur was in India on a four-day visit to explore further possibilities in joint training and exchanges.
Source: The New Indian Express, Chennai

KUWAIT
8. Kuwaiti PM to arrive on Thursday
New Delhi, Monday, 4 November 2013
Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah arrived on 7 November on a three-day state visit, during which energy security and infrastructure investment were the top agenda.
Source: The New Indian Express, Chennai

9. Kuwait eyes Iran's position for supplying crude to India
New Delhi, Friday, 8 November 2013
Kuwait is aiming to increase its oil production to 4 million barrels per day (BPD) from 2014 and is relying on India to buy more from the region. Kuwait’s daily output of oil has exceeded 3 million BPD in 2013.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

10. India, Kuwait to take relationship beyond buyer-seller partnership
New Delhi, Saturday, 9 November 2013
India and Kuwait held talks in the areas of investment, trade, and security, and of joint ventures in the energy sector, to take their relationship beyond the present buyer-seller partnership.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai; See Also: Business Standard, New Delhi

PALESTINE
11. India starts issuing visas from Ramallah
New Delhi, Saturday, 30 November 2013
India has started issuing visas from Ramallah in Palestine instead of Tel Aviv, a step Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials say will cut down on the waiting period as well as costs. India is perhaps the first country from South Asia to begin issuing visas in Ramallah from September, said Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed while speaking on the International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

SAUDI ARABIA
12. India-Saudi Arabia pact to end role of middlemen in recruiting workers
Dubai, Wednesday, 20 November 2013
India and Saudi Arabia are likely to sign a new agreement to permanently end to the role of middlemen in the recruitment process of Indian domestic workers to the Kingdom.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

13. Saudi Arabia seeks to allay fears in India over new labour law
New Delhi, Thursday, 21 November 2013
Amid concerns over return of large number of Indians following implementation of the ‘Nitaqat’ legislation, the Embassy of Saudi Arabia said Indian community has benefited the most from the grace period offered to regularize the job status, which expired on 3 November. It also said that over 1.4 million Indians have regularized their job status.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

YEMEN
14. India donates 2,500 tons of wheat as food aid to Yemen
Dubai, Sunday, 24 November 2013
In response to an appeal by the UN for humanitarian assistance, the Indian government has extended food assistance in the form of around 2,500 metric tons of wheat valued at around US$2 million to Yemen, a statement issued by the Indian embassy in Sana'a said.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

ECONOMIC ISSUES
BAHRAIN
15. India for developing economic corridors cross Asia
Manama, Monday, 25 November 2013
Speaking at the 12th Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Foreign Ministers Meeting in Manama, Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed said, "We want to develop economic corridors across Asia providing hope, opportunity and efficiency to our mutual benefit."
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi

MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES
IRAN
16. Stress on academic coordination
New Delhi, Monday, 11 November 2013
Hadi Solaiman Pour, Director, Centre for International Research and Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that relations between India and Iran go beyond the purview of diplomacy and there is need for coordination between academic institutions to promote dialogue between scholars, academics and people drawn from art, culture and science. He was speaking at the International Conference on India and Iran in Contemporary Relations conducted by the Osmania University Centre for International Programme (OUCIP).
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

SAUDI ARABIA
17. Hundred Skilled workers from Odisha return from Saudi Arabia
Kendrapara, Monday, 18 November 2013
Caught in the complexities of visa renewal, the skilled labourers have turned illegal migrants due to expiry of their visa period. This crackdown on illegal migrants in Saudi Arabia has had a bearing on over 100 skilled workers from Odisha's Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts who returned from the oil-rich country to avoid being hounded.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

18. Family belies KMC claim on migrant’s return from Saudi
Kolkata, Wednesday, 20 November 2013
In a revelation that may put the Kolkata Municipal Corporation officials in a spot, it has been found that several people whose name figure in a list of those brought back home from Saudi Arabia after the imposition of Nitaqat law in that country, never actually returned.
Source: The Indian Express, Mumbai

COMPILED BY MANJARI SINGH

Manjari Singh is a doctoral candidate in School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.  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