IRAQ

Shri Soumendu Bagchi appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Iraq, 20 March 2024

Shri Soumendu Bagchi (IFS: 1993), presently DDG, ICWA, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Iraq.

2. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly. Source: Ministry of External Affairs, India.  

PALESTINE

India expresses deep shock at the loss of lives in Northern Gaza, 01 March 2024

We are deeply shocked at the loss of lives in Northern Gaza yesterday during delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Such loss of civilian lives and the larger humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to be a cause for extreme concern.

We reiterate our call for safe and timely delivery of humanitarian aid and assistance. Source: Ministry of External Affairs, India.  

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

APEDA facilitates exposure visit of Farmer Producer Organizations to UAE; aim to unlock region's vast agricultural and food product export opportunities, 06 March 2024

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, is actively driving initiatives to enhance the contribution and share of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) / Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) in the exports of Agri and processed food products and has till date registered more than 1000 FPO/FPC’s as APEDA Members.

With a dual aim to unlock export opportunities for agricultural and processed food products from the region and to enhance the contribution of FPO’s/FPC’s in the Agri and Processed food products, APEDA organized an exposure visit for Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to the UAE. The delegation comprised 47 members, representing FPOs from UP, Bihar, and Uttarakhand.

During the visit, FPO's visited the Al-Aweer fruit and vegetable market to explore the possibilities and opportunities for Indian agri products specially grown in UP, Bihar and Uttarakhand. Further the delegation of FPOs visited LuLu Hypermarket to understand the requirements and pattern of purchase at Dubai market. During the visit, the FPO representatives also met with a good number of buyers and pitched their produce for export. As an immediate outcome, an FPO among the delegation finalized an order of fresh turmeric which was also flagged off to the UAE market. The other FPO's have also been able to get promising leads and are currently in negotiation with the buyers. Thus more orders are expected in the near future.

To evaluate the benefits of the visit and disseminate its outcomes among farmers, APEDA conducted a capacity-building and experience-sharing program in Varanasi on 5th March 2024. In the program, the representatives of FPOs who undertook the visit to the UAE, shared their experiences and learnings of the visit among other member farmers. They briefed them about the requirements/regulations to be followed for exporting agri commodities to the UAE market. They also briefly highlighted the potential products which have a significant untapped demand in the UAE market namely Mango, Green Chilly, Okra etc. which could be tapped by the farmers of the region. They also encouraged the farmers to implement good Agricultural practices (GAP), while farming so as to enable their produce to meet the regulatory requirements of the Importing countries.

Notably, the event also marked the flag-off of a consignment of fresh turmeric to Sharjah, UAE, showcasing the region's potential for export. Additionally, fresh fruits were exported from Varanasi's LBSI Airport to the international market, highlighting the region's expanding export capabilities.

Operating through its regional wing in Varanasi, and taking forward the above vision,  APEDA has identified the Purvanchal region as a model Agri Export Hub, recognizing its significance in agricultural trade and has enrolled more than 120 FPO’s from the region as its members. Special focus is being given towards enrolment of FPO’s/FPO’s dealing in ODOP/GI products, those which are Women & SC/ST led and those from the NER/Himalayan States and landlocked areas. Taking this theme forward,  APEDA officers along with departmental subject experts from the GOI and the State Government sensitized the farmers and other FPOs with the requirements of agri-export supply chain.

Divisional Commissioner, Varanasi Division, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Kaushal Raj Sharma praised APEDA's significant efforts in the Purvanchal region, emphasizing the exposure visit for FPOs as an invaluable opportunity facilitated by APEDA. He highlighted APEDA's role in guiding FPOs towards meeting agricultural export requirements and international standards. He also noted the remarkable progress in agricultural exports, citing an increase from 151 MT in FY 2021-22 to 702 MT in FY 2023-24 (April to December), reflecting the positive outcomes of APEDA's initiatives since 2020.

Chairman APEDA, Shri Abhishek Dev, emphasized the significance of exposure visits in exploring agricultural export opportunities, underlining their potential to boost national foreign exchange earnings and improve farmer incomes. He remarked on the keen interest shown by FPOs in agricultural export, recognizing it as a positive indicator of the region's capacity to meet international market demands. He highlighted Uttar Pradesh's rise as the third-largest agricultural exporting state in India (APEDA Basket), attributing this achievement to the region's deep potential and APEDA’s sustained efforts in enhancing the contribution of land-locked areas in exports.

APEDA's interventions are positively transforming the agri-export landscape in the Purvanchal region, with significant advancements in infrastructure, market linkages, and export promotion activities. This has resulted in growth in agri-exports, positioning UP as the third-largest agri- exporting state in the country (APEDA Basket).

Through targeted capacity-building programs and international buyer-seller meets, APEDA has empowered FPOs and exporters, enabling them to tap into global markets and showcase the region's diverse agricultural products. The success stories of agricultural exports, ranging from fresh fruits and vegetables to rice, demonstrate the region's ability to meet global demand and establish itself as a key player in the agricultural export market. Source: Press Information Bureau.

Cabinet approves Inter-Governmental Framework Agreement India and United Arab Emirates on cooperation for the empowerment and operation of the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor, 13 March 2024

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi gave its Ex-post facto approval today to the Inter-Governmental Framework Agreement (IGFA) that was signed on 13th February, 2024 during the High-Level visit between the Government of Republic of India and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on Cooperation for the empowerment and operation of the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). The aim of the IGFA is to enhance the bilateral relations and to further strengthen the relations between the two countries in the Ports, Maritime and Logistics sectors.

The IGFA includes areas of cooperation between the two countries with the objective of exploring further potential of future joint investment and collaboration in respect of development of the IMEC.

The Agreement contains detailed framework for cooperation between the two countries. The cooperation will be based on a set of mutually agreed upon principles, guidelines and agreements consistent with the relevant rules and regulations of the countries' jurisdiction. Source: Press Information Bureau.

As part of the policy, the MEI@ND standardizes spellings and date format 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.