POLITICAL ISSUES
IRAQ
1. Ambassador of Iraq called on President
Islamabad, Friday, 8 November 2013
Ambassador of Iraq to Pakistan Rushdi Mahmood Al-Ani called on President Mamnoon Hussain and discussed bilateral relations.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

IRAN
2. President calls for strengthening trade ties with Iran
Islamabad, Friday, 6 December 2013
President Mamnoon Hussain urged ambassador of Iran to Pakistan Ali Reza Haghighian, to strengthening bilateral relations, especially in trade and economic ties.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

3. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister calls on Sartaj Aziz
Islamabad, Tuesday, 19 November 2013
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia and Pacific affairs Ebrahim Rahimpour called on Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz during his official visit to Pakistan and discussed bilateral relations.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

4. Barjis Tahir welcomes Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers
Islamabad, Monday, 25 November 2013
Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Chaudhry Muhammad Barjees Tahir appreciated the agreement between Iran and world powers for peaceful atomic energy programme and said that it would help to overcome the crisis of oil.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

5. Iran, Pakistan to fast track gas pipeline project
Islamabad, Tuesday, 26 November 2013
In a meeting in Tehran between Prime Minister’s Advisor on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, it was agreed that technical and commercial proposals on the Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline would be discussed in Tehran in the first week of December.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: The News International, Karachi

6. IP gas pipeline project to be materialised in one year: Minister
Islamabad, Thursday, 28 November 2013
Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that Pakistan would complete the proposed gas pipeline project with Iran within a year. He also said that he would be meeting with his Iranian counterpart next month in this regard.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: The Dawn, Karachi; The Nation, Lahore

KUWAIT
7. Kuwaiti PM to visit Pakistan
Islamabad, Tuesday, 5 November 2013
Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah would visit Pakistan on the invitation of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif from 10 November 2013 to 12 November 2013 to further strengthen relations between the two countries. It would be the first senior visit from Kuwait in last the seven years.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

8. Kuwaiti PM arrived to warm welcome
Islamabad, Sunday, 10 November 2013
Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah arrived on a two-day official visit on Sunday, 10 November 2013. He was warmly received at the Nur Khan Airbase by Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

9. President urges for concerted steps to promote Pakistan-Kuwait ties
Islamabad, Sunday, 10 November 2013
President Mamnoon Hussain in a meeting with Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said that Pakistan had potential for investors in diverse fields including trade and investment, defence, energy, oil and gas and invited Kuwaiti businessmen and entrepreneurs to invest. The President said that Pakistan supports a peaceful Syrian-led and inclusive solution.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

10. Pak-Kuwait ties marked by growing trade, defence ties: PM
Islamabad, Monday, 11 November 2013
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif during his meeting with Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, the Prime Minister of Kuwait attached special importance to Pakistan’s relations with Kuwait in the trade and defence sector.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: The Dawn, Karachi; The Frontier Post, Peshawar; Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

SAUDI ARABIA
11. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia enjoy close fraternal relations: Ayaz Sadiq
Islamabad, Monday, 18 November 2013
Speaker of National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq met Speaker of Saudi Majlis Ash Shura (Consultative Council) Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Al-Sheikh and emphasised enhancing cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

12. Saudi Visa processing centre to facilitate Pakistanis: Javed Abbasi
Islamabad, Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Acting Speaker of the National Assembly, Murtaza Javed Abbasi appreciated the efforts of Saudi Government to facilitate Pakistani visitors of the two Holy places while launching the ceremony of Visa processing centre for Saudi Arabia in Islamabad.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

13. Pak delegation made headway during Saudi visit
Islamabad, Sunday, 24 November 2013
Pakistan’s parliamentary delegation led by the Speaker of National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq returned from Saudi Arabia after making a major headway in improving bilateral relations, including the Saudi assurance to deal sympathetically with the issue of non-registered labour from Pakistan.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

TURKEY
14. Pak parliamentary delegation called on Turkish President
Islamabad, Thursday, 14 November 2013
A parliamentary delegation from Pakistan led by Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production met with Turkish President Abdullah Gul.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: The News International, Karachi

15. Turkish Ambassador calls on Finance minister
Islamabad, Monday, 18 November 2013
Ambassador of Turkey to Pakistan S. Babur Girgin called on Finance Federal Minister for Finance Muhammad Ishaq Dar and discussed matters of mutual interest. The Ambassador termed the recent visit of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif to Turkey as successful.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

UAE
16. Pakistan-UAE Joint Ministerial Commission concludes its deliberations
Islamabad, Friday, 8 November 2013
In the 11th Session of the Pakistan-UAE Joint Ministerial Commission, both countries agreed to form a joint Committee which would ensure the transfer of technology. A MoU was signed between Emirate Securities and Commodities Authority and Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: Daily Times, Islamabad

17. UAE Deputy Chief of Staff meets Rana Tanvir Hussain
Islamabad, Tuesday, 19 November 2013
UAE Deputy Chief of Staff, Major General Eisa Mazrouei met the Federal Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanvir Hussain at Dubai Airshow 2013 exhibition and reviewed progress on implementation of decisions taken in the last Defence Cooperation Committee.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

ECONOMIC ISSUES
KUWAIT
18. Pakistan, Kuwait ink documents to boost investment, extradite prisoners
Islamabad, Monday, 11 November 2013
Pakistan and Kuwait signed four documents in areas of investment, extradition, labour and visa waiver at diplomatic and official levels which was witnessed by Prime Minister of Pakistan and his Kuwaiti counterpart.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: The News International, Karachi

19. Kuwaiti businessmen vow to increase capital flow to Pakistan
Islamabad, Monday, 11 November 2013
Bader Mohammad Al-Saad, Managing Director of Kuwait Investment Authority while addressing a Business Forum organized by Board of Investment (BOI) informed that both Investment promotion Agencies Board of Investment and Kuwait Investment Agency would sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in investment cooperation.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

TURKEY
20. Pak-Turkey economic relations to further strengthen: CM
Lahore, Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif while talking to a delegation headed by Ahmed Al-Barrak, Chairman of Board of Directors of Al-Barrak Group of Companies, Turkey, discussed matters relating to housing sector, proposed project of running Mono Rail on Canal and Metro Train Project. The Chief Minister said that launching of flights operation by Turkish Airlines in Pakistan is a welcome step and it will help promote economic relations.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

UAE
21. Pakistan, UAE to establish Joint Trade Council
Islamabad, Thursday, 7 November 2013
Pakistan and the UAE agreed to enhance bilateral economic cooperation and decided to establish Joint Trade Council to promote trade between the two countries.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: The Nation, Lahore; The News International, Karachi

22. President for further strengthening Pak-UAE ties
Islamabad, Thursday, 7 November 2013
President Mamnoon Hussain emphasized the need for a strong trade and economic partnership between Pakistan and UAE and hoped that the early conclusion of Pakistan’s free trade agreement with the GCC will further boost Pakistan-UAE bilateral trade hand and would pave the way for increased commercial activity Pakistan and GCC countries.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad; See also: Daily Times, Islamabad

MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES
EGYPT
23. Egypt honoured Allama Iqbal for his message of peace, tolerance
Islamabad, Monday, 18 November 2013
The government of Egypt honoured Dr Allama Muhammed Iqbal, the widely acclaimed poet and philosopher, for his message of peace and tolerance on International Day for Tolerance, observed on 18 November 2013.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

TURKEY
24. Pak-Turkish carriage train operations to be restored in December
Islamabad, Friday, 6 November 2013
In a meeting between Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and Turkish ambassador to Pakistan S. Babar Hizlan, the restoration of a carriage train operation between Islamabad and Istanbul was decided. This restoration is to start from December 2013.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

COMPILED BY PAULAMI SANYAL

Paulami Sanyal is a doctoral candidate at the 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