POLITICAL RELATIONS
EGYPT
1. Stop violence, engage in talks: India to Egypt
New Delhi, Saturday, 17 August 2013
With violence engulfing large parts of Egypt and the number of casualties rising, India asked all sides to "abjure violence" and "exercise restraint".
Source: The Indian Express, Mumbai

IRAN
2. Iran's Hassan Rouhani takes oath, Hamid Ansari attends ceremony
Tehran, Sunday, 4 August 2013
Hassan Rouhani took oath as Iran's seventh President at a ceremony attended by a galaxy of world leaders. Vice President Hamid Ansari represented India during the ceremony.
Source: The Indian Express, Mumbai

3. India, Iran pledge to deepen ties as Rouhani assumes office
Tehran, Sunday, 4 August 2013
Iran's new President Hassan Rouhani pledged to deepen ties with India. Vice President Hamid Ansari, who was earlier India's ambassador to Iran, called on Rouhani during which the two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral ties.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

4. Iran detains tanker carrying Iraqi crude to India
New Delhi, Thursday, 15 August 2013
An Indian ship carrying Iraqi crude has been detained by Iran in its territorial waters due to pollution concerns.
Source: Reuters, U.K.

5. Iran boosts iron exports to China, India as oil sales slump
New Delhi/London, Friday, 23 August 2013
Iran is raising its exports of iron ore and iron products to India in an attempt to replace at least a small part of the massive revenue that has been lost due to sanctions on its oil sales.
Source: Reuters, U.K.

IRAQ
6. Iraq will not sell crude to India at a special price: Shahristani
Mumbai, Friday, 16 August 2013
Iraq, the second-largest supplier of oil to India, has ruled out offering any special price because its laws do not permit."Our laws do not allow us to offer any special pricing to anyone. We can sell crude only at the existing market- determined prices," Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Hussain Ibrahim Saleh al-Shahristani said.
Source: The Indian Express, Mumbai

7. Iraq PM flies to India to sell more oil
Baghdad, Thursday, 22 August 2013
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki expects to finalize a deal to sell India more crude oil during his forthcoming visit to New Delhi.
Source: Reuters, U.K.

8. India and Iraq: Restoring the Old Warmth
New Delhi, Friday, 23 August 2013
The visit of the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri-al-Maliki to India marks the rapid acceleration of bilateral ties after Delhi's prolonged neglect of Baghdad. The resurgence of Iraq will not only contribute to India's energy security but also widen the basis of India's engagement with the volatile Gulf region.
Source: The Indian Express, Mumbai

9. India, Iraq exploring payment in domestic currency: Anand Sharma
New Delhi, Friday, 23 August 2013
India and Iraq are exploring the possibility of making payments in domestic currencies through an understanding between the Central Banks of the two countries to resolve the issue of delay in payments to exporters. Iraq is also working on making the tendering process for sourcing equipment amenable for Indian companies, which at present are left out because goods of Indian origin are not allowed to participate in tenders floated by Iraqi companies.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

10. India wants to broad-base oil ties with Iraq, says Pranab
New Delhi, Saturday, 24 August 2013
Interacting with the visiting Prime Minister Nouri Kamil al-Maliki at Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Pranab Mukherjee said that with the emergence of democracy in Iraq, relations between the two countries were entering a new phase. The President said Iraq had become India’s second largest crude oil supplier, a mutually beneficial partnership. India desired to elevate the buyer-seller relationship to a broad-based level with equity partnership in oil production, and joint ventures in oil exploration, petrochemical complexes and fertilizer plants etc.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

11. India proposes 10-yr oil deal with Iraq
New Delhi, Saturday, 24 August 2013
Iraq emerging India’s second largest source of oil with over 12 per cent oil imports last year, India proposed a 10-year deal to meet increased crude oil demand, to which Iraq has given its assurance.
Source: The Indian Express, Mumbai

KUWAIT
12. India-Kuwait bilateral trade over US$17 billion: Envoy
Dubai, Monday, 12 August 2013
Hailing the Indian community in Kuwait for contributing to the country’s development and to bilateral relations, Indian ambassador Satish C Mehta pointed to trade between the two nations that has exceeded US$17.63 billion last year. He said it is possible in every dimension of the relationship as both have had close and friendly political, economic and trade, cultural, and people-to-people linkages.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai; See Also: Business Standard, New Delhi

MOROCCO
13. India, Morocco ink double taxation avoidance pact
New Delhi, Thursday, 8 August 2013
On 8 August India and Morocco signed a protocol amending the Double Taxation Avoidance Convention and to ensure effective exchange of information on tax matters. The protocol was signed by Sudha Sharma, chairperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes, on behalf of the Indian government and ambassador Larbi Reffouh on behalf Moroccan government.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

UAE
14. 'UAE, India bilateral trade to exceed US$75 billion'
Abu Dhabi, Friday, 16 August 2013
Trade and investment between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is likely to exceed US$75 billion in 2013, India's ambassador to the UAE M.K. Lokesh said.
Source: Yahoo News; See Also: Business Standard, New Delhi

ECONOMIC RELATIONS
OMAN
15. Spice to begin non-stop flights between Muscat and Ahmadabad
Dubai, Thursday, 15 August 2013
SpiceJet, India’s low cost airline will launch three weekly non-stop flights between Muscat and Ahmadabad from 29 August. SpiceJet has entered into a partnership with Oman based travel and tour operator, Khimji House of Travel (KHOT).
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

SAUDI ARABIA
16. Aegis JV bags BPO contract from Saudi Telecom Company
Mumbai, Thursday, 29 August 2013
Essar Group firm Aegis today said its joint venture firm, Contact Centre Company (CCC), has won a multi-million dollar contract from Saudi Telecom Company (STC) to provide Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services related to human resources (HR).
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi

OTHER ISSUES
HAJJ
17. Uttar Pradesh gets 560 extra seats for Hajj
Lucknow, Thursday, 29 August 2013
Uttar Pradesh has been granted 560 extra seats for the Hajj pilgrimage this year, after 1,533 pilgrims from India cancelled their trip to Saudi Arabia.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

18. Hajj pilgrims need special health certificate
Kochi, Friday, 30 August 2013
Indian Hajj pilgrims will have to submit a special health certificate this season to get emigration clearance stating they are fit to travel. Health officials attached to the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) said that this condition was being insisted upon in the backdrop of reports of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) cases from Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

19. Virus scare leads to drop in Hajj pilgrims
Chennai, Saturday, 31 August 2013
The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) scare will result in 28 per cent fewer pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia from India for hajj this year. Around 125,000 Muslims will make the journey this year, 49,000 fewer than the 174,000 who went last year, Hajj Committee of India Vice-chairman Abu Bakar said.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

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