BILATERAL ISSUES

1. IRAN

1. Nitin Gadkari represented India at the Inauguration Ceremony of President Dr. Hassan Rouhani of Iran, Tehran, 6 August 2017

Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping  Nitin Gadkari represented India at the inauguration of the second tenure of Dr. Hassan Rouhani as the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran on 5 August 2017.

During his two day visit on 5-6 August 2017,  Gadkari interacted with President Rouhani, called on the First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri and held detailed exchange of views with the Minister of Roads and Urban Development of Iran Dr. Abbas Akhoundi.

Gadkari handed over the letter felicitations from Prime Minister  Narendra Modi for President Rouhani in which Prime Minister extended invitation to President of Iran to visit India.

In the meetings, both sides reviewed and positively assessed the progress in implementation of the decisions taken during Prime Minister's visit to Iran last year, including the progress in the development of Chabahar Port. Both sides reiterated their commitment to complete and operationalize the Port at the earliest that would contribute to bilateral and regional trade and economic development and also provide alternate access to landlocked Afghanistan to regional and global markets. Source: Embassy of India, Beirut

2. Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping represents India at the Inauguration Ceremony of President Dr. Hassan Rouhani of Iran, New Delhi, 6 August 2017

Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari represented India at the inauguration of the second tenure of Dr. Hassan Rouhani as the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran on 5 August 2017.

During his two day visit on 5-6 August 2017,  Gadkari interacted with President Rouhani, called on the First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri and held detailed exchange of views with the Minister of Roads and Urban Development of Iran Dr. Abbas Akhoundi.

Gadkari handed over the letter felicitations from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for President Rouhani in which Prime Minister extended invitation to President of Iran to visit India.

In the meetings, both sides reviewed and positively assessed the progress in implementation of the decisions taken during Prime Minister's visit to Iran last year, including the progress in the development of Chabahar Port. Both sides reiterated their commitment to complete and operationalize the Port at the earliest that would contribute to bilateral and regional trade and economic development and also provide alternate access to landlocked Afghanistan to regional and global markets.Source: Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi

2. ISRAEL

3. Cabinet approves MoU on "India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund", New Delhi, 30 August 2017

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Israel on "India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F)". The MoU was concluded in July 2017.

India and Israel will make an contribution of four million US Dollars each for the Fund, both equivalent amount, annually for five years. The Innovation Fund will be governed by a joint Board which will consist of four members from each country.

The MoU envisages promotion of bilateral Industrial R&D and Innovation cooperation in the fields of science and technology by extending support to joint projects for innovative or technology-driven new or improved products, services or processes. Such projects will lead to affordable technological innovations in focus areas of mutual interest such as water, agriculture, energy and digital technologies. Institutional support in building up consortia including private industry, enterprises and R&D institutions from India and Israel will be enabled through these collaborative projects.

The activities supported by the Joint Fund would increase the techno-economic collaboration between the two countries by investing in jointly developed technology projects and collaborations based on technological innovation. It would leverage the complementary strengths of Israel and India to encourage Israel-Indian joint projects that capitalize on both the national and global marketplace. It would provide a comprehensive set of support tools to encourage joint projects that convert "know-how" into "show-how". It is expected that this will foster and strengthen the eco-system of innovation and techno-entrepreneurship in India and will contribute directly to the Start-up India programme.Source: Press Information Bureau, New Delhi

3. QATAR

4. August Official visit of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar to India (25-26 August 2017), New Delhi, 26 August 2017

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani visited India on 25-26 August. The Qatari dignitary was hosted by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. They held delegation-level talks on 26 August during which matters of mutual interest pertaining to bilateral, regional and international affairs were discussed. The two sides reviewed progress on the follow up of key decisions taken during the high-level bilateral visits which have been contributing to building a mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries.

The visiting Qatari Minister called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hand over a letter from the Emir of Qatar. He separately met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

The Indian side thanked Qatar for contributing significantly to India’s energy security, being the largest supplier of LNG. The visiting Minister assured us of continued Qatari support in this regard through uninterrupted energy supplies.

Sheikh Mohammed conveyed appreciation for the contribution of the 6,30,000 strong Indian community which forms the largest expatriate group in Qatar. The Minister assured us of the continued safety, welfare and well-being of the Indian community and briefed the Indian side about new labour laws in Qatar which favour expatriate workers.

During the meeting, the Qatari side welcomed participation of the Indian companies through project exports in Qatar’s infrastructure development, including for the on-going FIFA 2022 related infrastructure.

On regional issues, Sheikh Mohammed briefed his Indian interlocutors about the situation in the Gulf region. He was briefed about India’s position that peace and security in the Gulf are of paramount importance for the continued progress and prosperity of the region. Terrorism, violent extremism and religious intolerance pose grave threat not only to the regional stability but also to the global peace and order. India is of the view that parties should resolve their differences through a process of constructive dialogue and peaceful negotiations. Source: Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi

4. TURKEY

5. 8^th  meeting of Regional Technical Group on Trade, Commerce and Investment CBM of the Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process held in New Delhi, 7 August 2017

The eighth meeting of the Regional Technical Group of Confidence Building Measure on Trade, Commerce & Investment Opportunities under the Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process was hosted by India, as the Lead Country, today in New Delhi.

The meeting was co-chaired by the Acting Director General, Economic Cooperation Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,  Hassan Soroosh, and Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Dr. Deepak Mittal, and attended by representatives of 17 participating countries and supporting international organizations, including Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, UAE, Australia, Egypt, Germany, the K, the US, the EU and the UN.

The participants shared the view that Afghanistan acted as a natural bridge in promoting regional connectivity and economic integration. There was consensus that economic development was an important factor in ensuring peace and stability in Afghanistan and the Heart of Asia Region. In this context, the participants shared views on various measures and steps to promote transit and trade and realizing reliable and robust connectivity, with Afghanistan as the hub. This included the recognition of the need to make the existing transit and trade agreements more inclusive and comprehensive by expanding them both northwards and southwards to connect South Asia with Central Asia; strengthening growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and involvement of women in economic development, including through women entrepreneurship; and simplifying customs procedures.

The initiative by India to develop a web portal, with participation of FICCI, for exchanging information on regional markets, trade and investment opportunities; and facilitating networking between businesses for the participating countries was appreciated.

The steps taken for development of transit and transport through Chabahar Port involving India, Afghanistan and Iran, TAPI gas pipeline, CASA-1000, TAT railway line, Lapis Lazuli corridor were assessed positively. All sides agreed on the value of such connectivity and economic integration projects to overall growth, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan.

With regard to the bilateral initiatives taken by India, the recent establishment of the air freight corridor between India and Afghanistan was welcomed as providing fast and assured access to farmers of Afghanistan to the large markets in South Asia and beyond. India’s assistance for capacity building and training of Afghan officials, including on PPP mode of project implementation; and the WTO related matter, programmes for which that were conducted by the Ministry of Finance and the Department of Commerce, Government of India the past few months were also acknowledged positively. Source: Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi

5. UAE

6. Official visit of Dr. Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the UAE to India (09-10 August 2017), New Delhi, 10 August 2017

During his official visit to India, Dr. Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs held delegation-level talks with Minister of State for External Affairs, M.J. Akbar on 9 August. Dr. Gargash separately met with the National Security Adviser. He also met with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Secretary Dr. S. Jaishankar.

Dr. Gargash was accompanied by Mohammed Sharaf, Assistant Minister of Economy and other senior officials in the Government of the UAE. The two sides discussed matters of mutual interest pertaining to bilateral, regional and international affairs. The talks were held in constructive and friendly spirit.

MOS M.J. Akbar expressed his satisfaction over the follow up of important decisions taken during the recent high-level bilateral visits which are contributing to building a mutually beneficial comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. He thanked UAE for contributing significantly to India's energy security, being a key supplier of crude oil to us.

The two sides reviewed the progress made in achieving the target set for UAE investments in India. MOS M.J. Akbar expressed satisfaction over the signing of the MOU on the framework for facilitating the participation of UAE Institutional Investors in National Infrastructure Investment Fund, with Abu Dhabi Investment Authority agreeing to contribute towards the NIIF Master Fund. Dr. Gargash conveyed appreciation for the contribution of the Indian community in UAE in the development of their host country which has been an important anchor of our excellent bilateral engagement.

On regional issues, Dr. Gargash briefed his Indian interlocutors about the situation in the Gulf region. He was briefed about India’s position that peace and security in the Gulf are of paramount importance for the continued progress and prosperity of the region. Terrorism, violent extremism and religious intolerance pose grave threat not only to the regional stability but also to the global peace and order. India is of the view that parties should resolve their differences through a process of constructive dialogue and peaceful negotiations. Source: Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi

1 Crore = 10 million. Lakh = 100,000

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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.