BILATERAL ISSUES

1. EGYPT

1. Bomb attacks in two Churches in Egypt, Cairo, 10 April 2017

Tweeting after the heinous attacks on two of the churches in Egypt on 9 April 2017, Prime Minister Modi has said: "Deeply pained by the attacks in Egypt. We condemn these attacks. My thoughts are with families of the deceased and prayers with the injured".

India, herself facing cross border terrorism, stands by the people and the Government of Egypt in our common fight against terrorism. The dastardly attacks in Egypt again highlight the urgent need for concerted action on the part of the international community against the scourge of terrorism.

We offer our deep condolences to the bereaved families and wish speedy recovery to the injured. Source: Embassy of India, Cairo

KUWAIT

2. Advisory to Indian nationals in Kuwait, Kuwait, 5 April 2017

It has been observed that some Indian nationals in Kuwait send e-mails/Whatsapp messages seeking Embassy’s help without giving requisite details about their passport number, civil ID number, full name, address and their own phone number as well as those of employer/sponsor etc.      

2. Indian nationals are advised again that in case of any problem or dispute with the employer/sponsor or any other kind of difficulty in travel to India, issue of Emergency passport, etc. should come to the Embassy and register their complaints giving full details such as name of employer, address, phone number, photocopy of passport and Iqama etc.

3. In case, they are not able to come to the Embassy, they should contact the Embassy giving personal particulars and telephone number of self or any friend or relative by E-mail on the following E-mail addresses:

labour.kuwait@indembkwt.org

welfare.kuwait@indembkwt.org

4. It remains Embassy’s endeavour to provide all possible help to the members of Indian community in distress. Source: Embassy of India, Kuwait

3. Indian community welfare fund (ICWF), Kuwait, 19 April 2017

Indian Embassy has been providing assistance to distressed Indian nationals in Kuwait by providing air-tickets (on case to case basis) and token financial assistance of US $ 40 to each person for repatriation. Further, seriously ill Indian nationals are sent to India on either stretcher or wheel chair. The transportation of mortal remains is also provided.

2. During calendar year 2016, Embassy has provided air-tickets, medical care and contingency travel expenses etc., to the distressed Indian nationals in Kuwait out of the ICWF, as under:
 

4. Indian Embassy organizing a session of Yoga and Meditation, Kuwait, 19 April 2017

Indian Embassy is organizing a session of Yoga and Meditation on Friday, 21 April 2017 at Kuwait Oil Company’s Ahamadi Garden from 0630-0830 hours, in collaboration with Heartfulness, Art of Living, Seva Darshan, Amma Kuwait, Artistic Yoga and Harmony House.

All Yoga and Meditation enthusiasts in Kuwait are welcome to attend the session.

Kuwait

5. Recruitment of Indian nurses for Kuwait, Kuwait, 9 April 2017

Some private hospitals in Kuwait have made enquiries about recruitment of Indian nurses. It is reiterated that to streamline the recruitment of Indian nurses for work in Kuwait, the Government of India has restricted since May 2015 the recruitment of nurses through a few designated State-run recruiting agencies and placed nurses under the “ECR” regime so that emigration clearance through E-Migrate becomes mandatory for them for any employment in any of the 18 ECR countries (including Kuwait).

2.         Presently, there are six State Manpower Corporations in India which are authorized for recruitment of Indian nurses abroad:

I. Non–Resident Keralites Affairs Department (NORKA-ROOTS),NORKA CENTRE, Thycaud Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, E-mail mail@norkaroots.net , Tel. 0091-471-2330530

II. Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Consultants Ltd. (ODEPC),T.C. 27/741(3), Ambalathumukku, Vanchiyoor. P.O, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, E-mail – odepc@sify.com, Tel. 0091-471-2576314

III. Overseas Manpower Corporation Limited (OMCL), No.42, Alandur Road, Thiru-vi-ka Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, E–mail overmcl@gmail.com , Tel. 0091-44-22505886, 22502267, 22500417.

IV. Uttar Pradesh Financial Corporation, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UPFC).14,/88, Civil Lines, Kanpur-208001, Phone: EPABX: +91-512-2530041-44 Fax:+91-512-2530073, +91-512-2533743 mail headoffice@upfcindia.com, upfcknp@dataone.in

V. Telangana Overseas Manpower Company (TOMCOM) Govt. of Telangana, Govt. IT Campus, Vijaya Nagar Colony, Masabtank, Hyderabad-500057. 009140-23221705. E-mail: tomcommd@gmail.com

VI. The Overseas Manpower Company of Andhra Pradesh (OMCAP). ITI Campus, Vijayawada (OMCAP),Krishna (Dist), Andhra Pradesh -520008, , Tel/Fax: 91 0866 2484948, Email: omcapl@gmail.com

3. The process of recruitment of Indian nurses under E-Migrate system is easy, transparent and user-friendly. Recruiting Agencies in Kuwait which are keen to recruit Indian nurses for Kuwait should register themselves with the E-Migrate system. The Embassy has an E-Migrate Helpdesk in its premises – for those wishing to register in E-Migrate system. For any query, please contact: Second Secretary (Labour) at Tel. No. 22531716, Mobile: 97229914 and Attache (Labour) at Tel. No. 22530409 or send e-mail to: attachelabour@indembkwt.org or labour@indembkwt.org

Source: Embassy of India, Kuwait

2. LEBANON

6. Ambassador was the Guest of Honour at a function hosted by HE Anwar Mohamad El-Khalil, Beirut, 9 April 2017

Ambassador was the Guest of Honour at a function hosted by HE Anwar Mohamad El-Khalil, Member of Parliament from Marjeyoun-Hasbaya (Southern Lebanon) to felicitate the Indian Battalion (INDBATT) in UNIFIL on 9 April 2017. Source: Embassy of India, Beirut

3. OMAN

7. Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs of Oman calls on Prime Minister, New Delhi, 3 April 2017

Mr. Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs of Oman called on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today.

Prime Minister and Mr. Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah exchanged views on the close relations between India and Oman that are making progress in diverse areas.

Mr. Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah carried the greetings of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said. Prime Minister in turn conveyed his esteemed greetings to His Majesty. Source: Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi

4. PALESTINE

8. ITEC Training slots for Palestine Enhanced to 150, Ramallah, 25 April 2017

As part of India’s ongoing assistance programmes in Palestine for strengthening its capacity building efforts focused on institutions, services and training of personnel, the Government of India has decided to enhance the number of ITEC training slots for Palestinian nationals from 100 to 150, starting from current financial year 2017-18. The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, administered by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India was launched in Palestine in 1998 as a bilateral assistance programme and over the last two decades, about 900 Palestinians have undergone specialized training in various fields in different Indian institutes. As is well-known, the entire cost of training, including the return international airfare, tuition fees, accommodation, emergency medical treatment, stipend, book allowances, and study tour, is borne by the Government of India.

The ITEC training courses offer a unique opportunity to India to share and exchange its developmental experience, as well as expertise and knowledge, with friendly countries.  Citizens from 161 partner countries have participated in various ITEC courses over the last 5 decades. In 2015-16 over 10,000 scholarship slots were allotted by Government of India in more than 47 training institutions for training courses in diverse subjects ranging from information technology, public administration, entrepreneurship, rural development, renewable energy, etc. India also assists ITEC partner countries in establishing useful infrastructure facilities with technology and skills appropriate to their resources and needs. In 2014, on the occasion of completion of 50 years of ITEC programme launched in 1964, Government of India introduced a fully online application procedure with the launch of new ITEC portal, www.itecgoi.in which provides the facility to participants to register themselves for their choice of courses and institutes and track the status of their applications. It also provides a platform for networking by the Alumni and Institutes. Source: Representative Office of India, Ramallah

5. UAE

9. Investment from UAE New Delhi, 5 April 2017

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has been conducting negotiations with the UAE to seek investments for a UAE-India infrastructure investment fund and if so, the details thereof and the status of these negotiations; (b) the timeframe within which the Government expects to complete the negotiations; and (c) the investments received by the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) so far and its corpus?

Answer

The Minister of State in the Ministry Of External Affairs, Gen. (Dr) V. K. Singh (Retd)

(a) & (b) The Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the United Arab Emirates have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 11 February, 2016 for establishing a framework for facilitating the participation of UAE institutional investors in infrastructure investments in India. (c) No investment has been received by the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) so far from any overseas sovereign/quasi-sovereign/multilateral/bilateral investors. The initial corpus of NIIF is Rs 20,000 crore, which may be raised from time to time, as decided by the Ministry of Finance. Source: Lok Sabha (Council of People), Unstarred Question No. 5136, asked by Anurag Singh Thakur

10. Official visit of Minister of State for External Affairs, M.J. Akbar to the United Arab Emirates (10-11 April 2017), New Delhi, 7 April  2017

Minister of State for External Affairs, M.J. Akbar is paying an official visit to the UAE from 10-11 April 2017. During the visit, he will be meeting his UAE counterparts and other UAE leadership and hold official discussions covering the entire gamut of bilateral, regional and international matters of mutual interest. He will take this opportunity to also address the annual Forum for the UAE’s Ambassadors being held in Abu Dhabi.

India enjoys close and multifaceted bilateral ties with the UAE, anchored on regular high-level visits and extensive people-to-people contacts. The recent visits of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to the UAE in August 2015 and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to India in February 2016 and subsequently as the Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations during January 2017 have elevated the relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Our well-balanced bilateral trade amounting to around US$ 50 billion makes UAE our third largest trading partner while for the UAE we have been the largest trading partner. The UAE is among the largest investors in India in terms of foreign direct investments. It contributes significantly to India's energy security and has been the fifth largest supplier of crude oil to India in 2015-16.

About 2.6 million strong and vibrant Indian community forms the largest expatriate group in the UAE. Their positive and well-appreciated contribution in the development of their host country has been an important anchor of our excellent bilateral engagement.

This visit will provide a useful opportunity to further cement our mutually beneficial bilateral ties with the UAE. Source: Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi

1 Crore = 10 million. Lakh = 100,000

Note: For Lok Sabha and Press Information Bureau the items can be searched by Date and Ministries concerned.  

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