1 January 2018

POLITICAL

EGYPT

India to set up IT centre in Egypt's Al Azhar University

New Delhi, Thursday, 21 December 2017

India will establish a Centre of Excellence in Information Technology (CEIT) at Al Azhar University. All the equipment and course material has reached Egypt and premises are being prepared for CIET, which will provide high-tech education and skills to the country's youth, India's Ambassador to Egypt, Sanjay Bhattacharyya, said. 

Source: Economic Times

ISRAEL

India-Israel business and defines partnership

New Delhi, Thursday, 28 December 2017

India's UN vote against Jerusalem as the capital of Israel notwithstanding, New Delhi is preparing a grand welcome for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his visit to India next month.

Source: Times of India

India, Israel hold talks on cooperation in defines, security

New Delhi, Tuesday, 26 December 2017

Ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to India next month, the two countries on Tuesday reviewed their cooperation in strategic areas such as defines and homeland security during the foreign office consultations in which the Indian delegation was led by Secretary Economic Relations in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Vijay Gokhale while the Israeli side was headed by Director General of Israel's Foreign Ministry Yuval Rotem. Source: Times of India

LIBYA

India ready to help in Libya’s reconstruction

Dubai, Wednesday, December 20 2017

Ambassador Trigunayat said that India can chart out the contours of democratic institutions in Libya, including the conduct of elections and contribute to the failing health-care sector and developing a modern IT infrastructure.

Source: Gulf News

OMAN

Oman Air co-pilot found without flying license, stopped at Delhi airport

New Delhi, Friday, 8 December 2017

Indian aviation authorities did not permit a Muscat-bound Oman Air flight to take off from Delhi as the pilot could not show his flying license during a random check. The plane was allowed to depart only when the airline faxed the cockpit crew member's commercial pilot license (CPL) to Delhi and the same was found to be in order by the regulator.

Source: Times of India

ECONOMIC

IRAN

Sushma makes Iran stopover on eve of Chabahar port inaugural

New Delhi, Saturday, 2 December 2017 

Indicating continued commitment to build strong bilateral ties, India and Iran held talks on Saturday as preparations got under way for the Sunday inauguration of the port of Chabahar which will open Afghanistan and Central Asia to Indian commerce. Saturday’s talks were held in Tehran where External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj made an unannounced stopover on her way back from Sochi, Russia, after attending Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Council of Heads of Governments meeting.

Source: The Hindu

Iran inaugurates Chabahar port

New Delhi, Sunday, 3 December 2017

The port is expected to make Chabahar, Iran’s closest sea link to the Indian Ocean and the construction of the Chabahar port will contribute to regional trade and provide Afghanistan with “alternate access” to global markets. The first phase of the Shahid Beheshti Port in the Sistan-Baluchestan province was inaugurated by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday.

Source: The Hindu

IRAQ

Iraq replaces Saudi as India’s lead oil supplier

Manama, Tuesday, 19 December 2017

Iraq has overtaken Saudi Arabia to become India’s top crude oil supplier in the current fiscal, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan informed Lok Sabha. Saudi Arabia traditionally has been India’s top oil source but during April-October 2017-18, Iraq supplied 25.8 million tonnes (MT) of oil as against 21.9 MT from Saudi Arabia. 

Source: News of Bahrain

MOROCCO

India and Morocco sign MoU for enhanced cooperation in healthcare

New Delhi, Thursday, 14 December 2017

India and Morocco signed a MoU in New Delhi for enhanced cooperation in the health sector. Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare J P Nadda and Dr. Abdelkader Amara, Ministry of Health of Morocco signed the MoU in the presence of senior officials from both the countries. Source: DD News

OMAN

Indian exports to Oman hit three-year high

Muscat, Sunday, 24 December 2017

Indian exports to Oman have touched a three-year high, according to data disclosed by the Indian embassy. After taking a hit in 2014 due to a crash in oil prices there is a modest recovery, in the financial year ended March 2017.

Source: Times of Oman  

India Inc's US$1.5-billion Oman investment proposals likely to take off in 2018

New Delhi, Monday, 25 December 2017

A sum of US$7.5 billion has been invested in more than 2,900 Indo-Omani business establishments. Speaking to Business Standard Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) Chief Executive Officer Hilal Hamad Al-Ahasani said investments worth around US$1.5 billion from India are in the pipelines and are expected to take off in 2018. PEIE is responsible for clearing investment proposals.

Source: The Business Standard

QATAR

India-Qatar ties poised to scale new heights: Envoy

Doha, Friday, 15 December 2017

Ambassador of India to Qatar, P Kumaran, has conveyed warmest greetings on the occasion of Qatar National Day on behalf of the government and the people of India.

Source: The Peninsula Qatar

Would like to add more flights to India in future: Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker

St Petersburg, Wednesday, 20 December 2017

Qatar Airways today said it would like to add more flights to India and addressing a press conference, Qatar Airways group CEO Akbar Al Baker said Indians can take the flight to St. Petersburg from Doha as most flight from India arrives at Qatar's capital in about two hours. 

Source: The Economic Times

MISCELLANOEUS

SAUDI ARABIA

Market for Malayalam films unfolding in Saudi

Kozhikode, Wednesday, 13 December 2017

The lifting of ban on movie has excited the Keralites, one of the largest expatriate communities in the kingdom who feel that they would be able to watch Malayalam films, possibly the same day when they are released in Kerala in the Saudi cinema.

Source: The Hindu

BAHRAIN

Indian culture centre set up in Bahrain

Manama, Thursday, 14 December 2017

A new BD58000 Indian cultural centre could soon be built in Bahrain for the Kannada community, a government official from India said and would cater to the Kannada community and will help bring together over 50 official and unofficial Kannada groups in the kingdom . 

Source: The News of Bahrain

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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