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MAY 2013
The President of Egypt Dr. Mohamed Morsy visited India from 18 March 2013 to 20 March 2013. He was accompanied by his senior ministers as well as business delegation. It is important to note that bilateral trade between India and Egypt increased in past few years and this stands at 5.5 billion US Dollars. India is also the seventh largest trading partner of Egypt as well as the second largest source of the exports. The cumulative investments of India in Egypt are over 2.5 billion US Dollars. During the visit of the Egypts President, certain deals were signed which are as follows:
The deal is supposed to help build and strengthen links between countries and to build the international partnerships between businesses so vital in todays global economy. Highlights of the Deal As part of the deal, Global Innovation and Technology Alliance (GITA) sponsored by the Indian governments Department of Science and Technology and UKs Technology Strategy Board (TSB) will support UK and Indian businesses and academics in joint R&D and innovation projects over a three-year period. The deal is meant for strengthening the UK-India research and innovation partnership. The latest agreement is the first-ever international partnership the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), Britains government-sponsored innovation agency, has signed outside Europe. About GITA GITA, a not-for-profit PPP company, is promoted jointly by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Technology Development Board of the Indian governments Department of Science and Technology.
MAY 2013
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A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between India and UK to strengthen their cooperation in Earth Sciences and environmental research on 1 March 2013 in New Delhi. The MoU will allow the two countries to share information on meteorology, hydrology and climate variability. Major points of the MoU signed: The MoU inked between India and UK will allow the two to share information on meteorology, hydrology and climate variability. The MoU will also help in promoting exchange of
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India and Sri Lanka signed two agreements for fighting against international terrorism as well as avoiding double taxation. The agreements were signed after 8th India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission meeting which was held in New Delhi. Discussions held during 8th IndiaSri Lanka Joint Commission meeting The agreements were signed after discussions on
A Social Security Agreement (SSA) was signed between India and Republic of Portugal on 4 March 2013 at New Delhi. The agreement was signed by Vayalar Ravi, the Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs and Paulo Sacadura Cabral Portas, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs of Portugal. The bilateral social security agreement would help in taking advantage of the emerging
employment opportunities and strengthening the trade and investments between the two countries. At present about 75000 Indians are living in Portugal and it includes self-employed people as well as working professionals. Benefits that Indian nationals working in Portugal will get with the Social Security Agreement For short term contract of up to 5 year, no social security contribution should be paid under the Portuguese law by the detached workers, in case they are making their contribution of the social security payment in India. In case an employee is sent to Republic of Portugal by an Indian Company from a third company then also the benefits of the agreement will be available to the Indian worker. Indian workers shall be entitled to the export of the social security benefit if they relocate to India after the completion of their service in Republic of Portugal. The self-employed Indians in Republic of Portugal would also be entitled to export of social security benefit on their relocation to India. The period of contribution in one contracting state will be added to the period of contribution in the second contracting state for determining the eligibility for social security benefits. India has signed the Social Security Agreement with 17 countries of the world and they are Belgium, Germany (Social Insurance), Hungary, Switzerland, France, The Czech Republic, Republic of Korea, Germany (Comprehensive SSA), Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Japan, Denmark,
MAY 2013
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India and the UAE agreed to improve their trade and investment relations during the first meeting o f India-UAE High Level Task Force on Investment in Abu Dhabi. UAE decided to invest 2 billion dollars in Infrastructure sector projects in India and the two countries decided to work for and support Strategic Oil Reserve in India. The meeting was co-chaired by the Union Minister of Commerce, Industry and Textiles, Anand Sharma and Sheikh Hamid Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court. As a part of the bilateral agreement, Five high level sub committees will be set up to promote investment in infrastructure and energy, trade and investment, manufacturing and technology, Information and communications technology and aviation sectors. India and UAE also decided to work together for third country projects, including Africa aimed at collaborating in the infrastructure sector and oil and gas exploration. The two countries also agreed to put in place Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement(BIPA). INDIA AND BHUTAN India and Bhutan on 8 March 2013 signed a currency swap agreement for up to 100 million US dollars to strengthen economic cooperation between both the countries. The currency swap
Effects of the Agreement signed It enables RMAB (Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan to make withdrawals of US dollar, euro or Indian rupee in multiple tranches up to a maximum of 100 million dollars or its equivalent. The swap agreement is intended to provide a precaution line of funding for SAARC member countries to meet any balance of payments and liquidity crisis till longer term arrangements are made or if there is need for shortterm liquidity due to market turbulence. The arrangement would be for a three-year period and would help bring financial stability in the region. Earlier, In May 2012, RBI had announced it would offer swap facilities aggregating 2 billion dollars, both in foreign currency and Indian rupee, to SAARC member countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. INDIA-US The India-U.S.Joint Working Group on UN Peacekeeping held its 10th meeting in Washington. At the meeting, India and the United States advanced a number of goals laid out in the Declaration of Principles the Cooperation in the Area of Training UN Peacekeepers and institutional arrangements between their peacekeeping institutions. India and USA welcomed the open and comprehensive nature of the discussions, and agreed the talks helped advance their shared commitment to supporting and strengthening United Nations peacekeeping operations, and their mutual interest in assuring the success of UN peacekeeping missions. Both nations agreed that the 11th meeting of the Working Group will be held in New Delhi in 2014. First Triangular India-US-Africa Partnership at Hyderabad India and the United States inaugurated the first triangular India-US-Africa partnership in agricultural training at the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad, for 30 trainees from three African countries Kenya, Liberia and Malawi. The three-year triangular partnership program aims to improve agricultural productivity, strengthen agricultural value chains, and support market institutions in Kenya, Liberia, and Malawi. Supported by the U.S. Government through the United States Agency for
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MAY 2013
India and Bangladesh held the second Joint Consultative Commission meeting in Dhaka. At the end of the meeting, both countries exchanged one strip map as part of the process of the implementation of the agreement signed to resolve land boundary issues between them. In addition, two MOUs were also signed for the construction of a rail link to connect Akhaura in Bangladesh to Agartala in India and for setting up a thinktank to be called Bangladesh-India
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The Indian delegation was led by DB Venkatesh Varma, Joint Secretary (Disarmament and International Security Affairs), in the Ministry of External Affairs and the Japanese delegation by Mr. Kazuyuki Yamazaki, Deputy Director General (Ambassador), Foreign Policy Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. INDIA & MAURITIUS
India in the month of March 2013 proposed the idea of a hydrocarbon pipeline with Kazakhstan that is intended to bring fuel through a five-nation route. The concept of the pipeline, unveiled
Mauritius celebrated its 45th Independence Day on 12 March 2013. The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee was the chief guest at the 45th Independence Day celebrations of Mauritius. It is important to note that 12 March 2013 is also iconic for India because it is the anniversary of Dandi March as well. Apart from being the Chief Guest at the 45th Independence Day of Mauritius, Pranab Mukherjee also visited the World Heritage Site, the Aapravasi Ghat, where Indian labourers first landed. India as well as Mauritius share a mutual interest in various sectors such as science and technology, renewable energy, investment, education, culture and trade.
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MAY 2013
India and Austria on 5 February 2013 inked a social security pact at Vienna, under which the Indian professionals working in Austria would be exempted from paying the social security contribution of the country, if such payments are already made in India. Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi and Austrian Minister for Labour and Social Security, Rudoulf Hundstorfer signed the pact. The pact of social security between the two countries would also boost cooperation of the labour market expansion in Austria, the country that is a home for more than 17000 Indian professionals. Provisions of the Agreement: Indians working in the country on short-term contracts of up to five years are exempted from making social security
India announced an assistance of 2.5 million US dollars to Syria on 30 January 2013 at the High-level International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria held in Kuwait.
India and France on 14 February 2013 agreed to strengthen counter terrorism and intelligence cooperation between the two countries during the visit of French President Francois Holllande to India. Both nations exchanged views on a number of bi-lateral, regional and multilateral issues. India and France also reviewed progress on the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project and reiterated our commitment to its early implementation as soon as the commercial and technical negotiations, which have made good progress, are completed. Both the nations also concluded negotiations on the short range surface to Air missile to be coproduced in India. They also agreed
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