POLITICAL ISSUES

EGYPT

1. India, Egypt to support each other’s candidates for UNESCO, ICJ

New Delhi, Tuesday, 15 August 2017

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry received a phone call on Sunday from External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and discussed bilateral relations and international coordination.

Source: The Indian Express, New Delhi

IRAN 

2. India hopeful of making Chabahar port operational by 2018

New Delhi, Saturday, 5 August 2017 

Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari was in Tehran on Saturday towards accelerating work at the Chabahar port and to finalize some tenders for installation of key equipment. Ownership of the equipment will be transferred to the Iranian side on completion of 10 years or for an extended period, based on mutual agreement and Iran had requested a credit of US$150 million in accordance with the MoU.

Source: The Indian Express, New Delhi

3. Gadkari reaches out to Iran

New Delhi, Monday, 7 August 2017

After a meeting between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari, who met on the side-lines of the inauguration ceremony, both countries said they remain committed to the Chabahar port project.

Source: The Hindu, Chennai

4. China gains business in Chabahar Port

Mumbai, Friday, 11 August 2017  

A Chinese company banned in India has won the contract to supply cranes to Iran’s Chabahar port.

Source: The Hindu Business Line, Chennai

5. Iran, Iraq clerics want Babri dispute fixed amicably

Lucknow, Tuesday, 22 August 2017

Responding queries from UP Shia Central Waqf Board, Ayatullah Makarem Shirazi of Iran said any action that led to "conflict and contention" was not allowed in Islam and suggested to, "act through legal process or friendly negotiations", Syed Ali Fatemy of Iraq advised he could "try and build another mosque at another location".

Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

6. Iranian envoy decries poor living conditions of Shias in Chittoor

Chittoor, Monday, 28 August 2017 

Promises to improve educational facilities for children Ayatollah Mahdi Mahdavipur, Indian representative of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, on Sunday visited Chittoor town and held a conclave with the Shia community.

Source: The Hindu, Chennai

IRAQ

7. Around 39 Indians missing from Mosul

New Delhi, Wednesday, 26 July 2017

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj informed the Lok Sabha that the whereabouts of 39 Indians who were working in the war-torn Iraqi city Mosul are unknown for the last three years.

Source: The Hindu, Chennai

ISRAEL

8. The missile system for Indian Army produced by DRDO in collaboration with the Israel

New Delhi, Friday, 21 July 2017

The Indian Army will finally get an advanced medium-range surface to air missile (MRSAM) system from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) by 2020, which will be able to shoot down ballistic missiles, fighter jets and attack helicopters from a range of around 70 km.

Source: The Business Standard, New Delhi

9. Israel-made fence systems, QRT troops at Pak, Bangladesh borders: BSF DG

New Delhi, Sunday, 13 August 2017

India is deploying along its border with Pakistan a smart Israel-developed fencing system having a 'quick response team' mechanism, which strikes when the CCTV-powered control room detects an infiltration attempt.

Source: The Business Standard, New Delhi

QATAR

10. Qatar Waives Visa for 80 Countries, Including India, Amid Gulf Crisis

New Delhi, Thursday, 10 August 2017

Nationals from dozens of countries including India only need present a valid passport to enter the country, which hosts the soccer World Cup in 2022.

Source: NDTV, New Delhi

11. Qatar reaches out to India as move to restore ties with Iran infuriates UAE

New Delhi, Saturday, 26 August 2017

Amidst the crisis in the Gulf Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani visited New Delhi and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.

Source: Deccan Herald, New Delhi

12. Qatar carrier continues Indian feeder expansion

New York, Tuesday, 29 August 2017

Qatar-based Milaha Maritime and Logistics is continuing to add capacity and services between Indian Subcontinent and Persian Gulf ports to capitalize on rapidly growing transhipment trade as it works around an economic embargo imposed on it by Arab neighbours.

Source: The Journal of Commerce, New York

13. Indian Expats Will Not Lose Their Jobs Due to Blockade, Says Qatar Foreign Minister

New Delhi, Wednesday, 30 August 2017

Qatari Foreign Minister assured the Indian workers that the Gulf crisis would not affect their employment. There are over 6 lakh Indians in Qatar with a majority from the state of Kerala.

Source: CNN India, New Delhi

SAUDI ARABIA

14. India brings ‘Al-Qaeda man’ back

New Delhi, Thursday, 10 August 2017

Indian agencies on Wednesday succeeded in bringing back alleged al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) fugitive Syed Mohammed Zishan Ali from Saudi Arabia.

Source: The Hindu, Chennai

15. There are 7,620 Indian nationals lodged in foreign jails, highest in Saudi Arabia

Chennai, Thursday, 10 August 2017

As many as 7,620 Indian nationals are lodged in foreign jails, with the highest number in Saudi Arabia.

Source: The Times of India, Noida

16. Saudi Arabia's Nitaqat scheme favouring locals to hit migrant workers from India

New Delhi, Thursday, 24 August 2017

Saudi Arabia revised Nitaqat or Saudization scheme which could affect thousands of Indian migrant workers in the Kingdom.

Source: The Business Today, Noida

SYRIA

17. Indian IS recruiter killed in Syria

New Delhi, Wednesday, 23 August 2017

The Islamic State (IS) on Monday claimed that an Indian suicide bomber had killed a “number” of people in an attack in Syria’s north-west Raqqa, the de-facto capital of the terror group.

Source: The Hindu, Chennai

TURKEY

18. Turkish envoy: Erdogan remarks on J&K issue wrongly translated

New Delhi, Saturday, 15 July 2017

Almost two-and-a-half months after Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stirred a hornet’s nest by advocating a “multilateral dialogue” to settle the Kashmir question, Turkey’s ambassador Sakir Ozkan Torunlar on Friday said that Erdogan’s comments were “wrongly translated” from Turkish to English, which gave a different meaning to his remarks.

Source: The Indian Express, New Delhi

UAE

19. Any military escalation between India and China would be “potentially very disruptive”, says Emirates Foreign Minister

New Delhi, Thursday, 10 August 2017 

Any military escalation between India and China would be “potentially very disruptive” for the region, said Anwar Gargash, the visiting Minister of Foreign Affairs from the United Arab Emirates. Among others he met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in Delhi on Wednesday.

Source: The Hindu, Chennai  

ECONOMIC

BAHRAIN

20. Bahrain woos Indian fintech start-ups

New Delhi, Sunday, 13 August 2017

Bahrain plans to set up a Fintech Centre next year to provide accelerators and co-working spaces for Fintech companies. Simon Galpin, Managing Director, Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) said Bahrain offered better terms for Indian companies to set up base in the GCC market.

 Source:  The Hindu Business Line, Chennai

EGYPT

21. Government imports 2,400 tonnes of onion from Egypt amid price rise concerns

New Delhi, Thursday, 31 August 2017 

Concerned over the onion price rise, the government has imported about 2,400 tonnes of onions, from Egypt to boost supply. Government also indicated facilitating more imports if rates go up unreasonably high.

Source: The Business Standard, New Delhi

QATAR

22. Qatar firm on India airline plan

Prague, Monday, 28 August 2017

Qatar Airways not interested in bidding for Air India, the group CEO Akbar Al Baker informed the media and the Airways is firm to start an airline in India despite facing business challenges because of sanctions imposed on Qatar by some Gulf countries.

Source: The Hindu, Chennai

23. UAE keen on investing in Telangana

Hyderabad, Saturday, 12 August 2017

The UAE Exchange has evinced keenness in investing in pharmacy city and the upcoming medical devices park in the city.

Source: The Hindu, Chennai

CULTURAL

BAHRAIN

24. Rouble Nagi to host country’s inaugural India-Bahrain Art

New Delhi, Friday, 18 August 2017

Award winning sculptor Rouble Nagi is looking forward to welcoming and hosting international Bahraini artist over an evening at a multi-cultural affair.

Source: DNA, New Delhi

25. Bahrain Tourism eyes wedding travellers from India

New Delhi, Thursday, 31 August 2017

Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) has come up with a strategy to focus on different segments of travellers to increase tourism from India.

http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/Outbound-News/bahrain-tourism-eyes-wedding-travellers-from-india-34018

ISRAEL

26. Israel eyes 1 lakh tourists from India by 2018

Mumbai, Monday, 21 August 2017

Looking at the steady increase in tourist arrivals from India, Israel is eyeing one lakh Indian travellers to visit the country by the next year.

Source: The Hindu, Chennai

OMAN

27. Sultanate of Oman announces scholarships for Indian students

New Delhi, Wednesday, 16 August 2017

Sultanate of Oman has announced scholarships for Indian Nationals under the Omani Programme for Cultural and Scientific Cooperation for the academic year 2017-18.

Source: NDTV, New Delhi

MISCELLANEOUS

28. ‘Yalla Kerala’ in West Asia to woo Arab tourists

Thiruvananthapuram, Tuesday, 22 August 2017

Kerala Tourism’s ₹. 7-crore campaign to woo the travellers from GCC countries is by highlighting the proximity, “just four hours away” by flight, to the three international airports here.

Source: The Hindu, Chennai

29. Arab-Indian Ties, Monsoon Session of Parliament

New Delhi, Thursday, 3 August 2017

Sushma Swaraj told parliament that all is well with ties with the Arab world and cited top civilian award by Saudi monarch to Prime Minister Modi and visit of Emirati Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as chief guest during R-Day. She also added, “The successful Yemen evacuation is a victory to our foreign policy.”

Source: The Hindu, Chennai

COMPILED BY CHETNA KUANR

Chetna Kuanr is a Research Intern at IDSA, New Delhi. Email: ck.knr5@gmail.com

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