Relations Political: Good till Arab Spring-High level visits by Murli Deora and Pranab Mukherjee in !!

" #cono$y: %otal trade o& 'S( )**+, Million &or the year !!--.!+ %he bilateral trade began sho/ing signi&icant up/ard trend since !!*-!01 peaking to 'S ( .12,,+,0 Million in the year !!"-!) 3ndia4s oil i$port &ro$ 5ibya is just one $illion tonnes out o& the annual i$port o& .,! $illion tonnes+Projecting into the &uture1 analysts believe that 5ibya has reserves to sustain its previous level o& production o&.+, $illion barrels per day6 78 output o& high 9uality crude &or )! years+ 3ndian co$panies especially in Hydrocarbon1 Po/er1 :onstruction and 3% sector have several ongoing projects in 5ibya+ 3ndian ;il $ajors -3ndian ;il1 ;il 3ndia and ;<G: =idesh 6;=58 are increasingly involving the$selves /ith 5ibyan hydrocarbon sector-both in 'pstrea$ as /ell do/nstrea$ :ulture:A :ultural :ooperation Agree$ent 6::A8 /as signed in !!" during the #>ternal A&&airs Minister4s visit to 5ibya+ Diaspora: <R3?P3; population in 5ibya /as esti$ated to be .)1!!! prior to the recent con&lict in 5ibya+A &e/ hundred 3ndians still re$ain in 5ibya1 $ainly /orking in various universities and hospitals+ :urrent status: 3ndia abstained last /eek &ro$ a '+<+ vote on the no-&ly @one in 5ibya that also authorised $ilitary action1 but since then it has been $ore vocal in its rejection o& airstrikes1 joining :hina and Russia in criticising the coalition o& Aestern po/ers and the Arab league and its actions against the 5ibyan govern$ent+ <e/ Delhi o&&icially endorsed the A&rican 'nion4s 6A'4s8 stand o& calling &or an i$$ediate cease&ire and a political solution through peace&ul $eans and dialogue &or peace in 5ibya Rebel leaders had already $ade clear that countries active in supporting their insurrection B notably Critain and Drance B should e>pect to be treated &avourably once the dust o& /ar had settled+ :hinese and Russian co$panies also had a signi&icant presence in the country but could &ace di&&iculties a&ter being e9uivocal early on about the rebel plan to unseat Gadda&i+ %he ne/ govern$ent clearly /ants to get the oil industry back up and running as 9uickly as possible1 and they kno/ that can be best done /ith the help o& the &oreign co$panies that previously operated the$+3t $ight not break any previous contracts

Reconstruction: in&rastructure essentials such as roads1 schools1 and health clinics1 all o& /hich /ill be in short supply in post-Gadda&i 5ibya+%here is a need &or substantial &unding+ %here&ore it is too early to count :hina out &ro$ the raceEthey do not co$e burdened by colonial history1 and they co$e /ith deeper pockets than all their co$petitors and they have the necessary technology+