India, Qatar ink key defence cooperation pact

[Sam Dhanraj]

India, Qatar ink key defence cooperation pact​

Doha (PTI): Taking bilateral ties to a new high, India and Qatar have signed a landmark defence cooperation pact, described by officials as an agreement "just short of stationing troops" in the oil-rich Gulf region.

Within hours of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's touchdown here on Sunday evening on the second leg of his three-day maiden visit to the Gulf, the two sides signed agreements on defence and security, dealing with key areas like maritime security, intelligence sharing on terrorism, money laundering and transnational crime.

The defence cooperation pact addresses security concerns of Qatar and seeks to safeguard India's interest, officials said.

"The agreement is just short of stationing troops (in the region)," a top Indian official said.

Joint training exercises, training of personnel and maritime cooperation are highlights of the landmark pact inked by Defence Secretary Vijay Singh and his Qatari counterpart last evening after Singh led delegation-level talks with his counterpart Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al Thani.

The defence pact lays out a structure for joint maritime security and training as well as exchange of visits.

Another agreement on law and security enforcement was signed by Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed and his Qatari counterpart.

The pact deals with issues such as money laundering and transnational crimes. It lays out framework for sharing of information and database on threats posed by extremists and other security and legal matters, officials said.

The Hindu News Update Service

Now ...what exactly does the bold and underlined part ("just short of stationing troops") means ?

 

[Imran Khan]

Pakistan marks Defence Day
Web posted at: 10/15/2008 4:5:59
Source ::: The Peninsula


Staff Brigadier General M Ahmad Khalifa Al Sulaiti (centre) cuts the cake with Zahid Nasarullah Khan. Pakistan Defence Attache Kalim Shaukat (left) and other guests seen at the event to mark Pakistan Defence Day. (ABDUL BASIT)
DOHA • The Pakistan Embassy observed the Defence Day of Pakistan yesterday. The event was graced by Staff Brigadier General M Ahmad Khalifa Al Sulaiti and Kalim Shaukat, Pakistan Defence Attache.

Qatar and Pakistan enjoy strong ties based on mutual understanding and respect. "The relations between the Armed Forces of the two countries are of special significance. A large number of veterans of Pakistan Armed Forces are rendering useful services in Qatar Armed Forces (QAF) while QAF officers and personnel regularly avail of training in Pakistan. Visits by senior military leadership of both countries in the last few years have been instrumental in cementing the ties," said Shaukat in his speech during the event.

The visit by the Pakistan Navy Chief Admira Afzal Tahir to Doha during of DIMDEX-2008 and the participation of four Pakistan Navy ships and a submarine in the maritime exhibition highlights the importance of this bilateral relation, he said.

Pakistan will be holding its third International Defence Exhibition and seminar IDEAS 2008 next month. Participation of senior QAF personnel in this exhibition would open new vistas of co-operation," he said.

"Pakistan strives for peace in the region and supports resolution of all disputes through peaceful means. Pakistan Armed Forces have been making significant contributions towards the UN peace-keeping operations, providing humanitarian assistance globally in case of natural disasters and are playing an active role in the war on terror for the sake of peace. The geo-strategic environment in our region poses serious challenges and places extra responsibilities on our shoulders."

 

[Imran Khan]

QATAR, PAKISTAN STAGE NAVAL EXERCISEABU DHABI [MENL] -- Qatar and Pakistan plan a naval exercise as part of increasing military cooperation between the Islamic states.

Pakistan has sent four combat vessels to the emirate for training exercises. Officials said the PNS Larkana, PNS Shujaat, PNS Kalmat and the submarine, PNS Saad were scheduled to arrive on Wednesday and remain for three days.

"During the stay in Doha, the crew will participate in a number of activities and interact with the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces to enhance relations between the two countries," the Pakistan embassy said in a statement.

Pakistan has offered Qatar and other Gulf Cooperation Council states defense and military cooperation. Islamabad has held regular exercises with Saudi Arabia, regarded as the closest ally of Pakistan in the Gulf.

http://www.menewsline.com/stories/20...y/02_15_3.html

 

[Imran Khan]

QEWC employees celebrate Pakistan Independence Day
Source: Gulf Times
August 15, 2008


PAKISTANIS in Qatar celebrated the 62nd Independence Day of their country with enthusiasm and zeal. To mark the occasion, phone calls and hundreds of SMS and e-mails were made to exchange the day’s greetings.
A large number of community members and their families thronged the embassy courtyard yesterday morning to witness the flag hoisting ceremony.
Pakistani Ambassador Mohamed Asghar Afridi hoisted the ‘green and white’ at the chancery building with the national anthem playing in the backdrop.


Speaking on the occasion, Afridi congratulated the compatriots and urged them to work hard.
He read out messages of President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minster Yousaf Raza Gilani issued on the occasion.
Musharraf, in his message reminded Pakistanis to practise egalitarian Islamic values in all spheres of life and urged them to count the collective failures and achievements, while moving forward.
“While today is undoubtedly an occasion of rejoicing, it is also a day of introspection, a day to ponder over our failures and achievements,” the message said.
“This day calls upon us to take stock of how far we have been able to achieve the ideals and objectives set forth by founders of this great nation.”
“Those objectives cannot be achieved unless we eradicate the evils of terrorism, extremism and intolerance from our society” the message said.
Gillani, in his message, while felicitating countrymen in Pakistan and abroad, reaffirmed that the coalition government led by him is committed to bring relief to the common man, steer Pakistan out of the current political and economical issues by making it a developed, progressive, self-reliant democratic Islamic welfare state.
“Let us renew our pledge on this auspicious day to follow the motto of unity, faith and discipline in all walks of life and make our country a worthy place to live for our coming generations,” he stressed.
Earlier, community welfare attaché, Dr Hashim Popalzai, while compering the proceeding, welcomed the audience.
Embassy’s deputy head of mission and counsellor Zahid Nasrullah, first secretary Shozab Abbas, Counselor Rashida Khalid, defense attaché Kaleem Shaukat, Pakistan International Airlines manager Mohamed Shafiq, heads of Pakistani institutions, school representatives and socio-cultural organisations, were present.
The guests were served with a traditional Pakistani breakfast of ‘halva’ and ‘puri’.
Today, as part of the Independence Day celebrations, Pakistan Cultural Forum is organising a seminar on humour and satire at the embassy auditorium at 8.30pm.
Ambassador Afridi will preside over the seminar while UAE-based writer Kabir Khan will speak as chief guest. - RC
Pakistanis mark I-Day at QEWC: Meanwhile, the Pakistani expatriates working at the Qatar Electricity & Water Company (QEWC) celebrated the country’s Independence Day yesterday with traditional fanfare at Ras Abu Fontas Power Stations.
Ambassador Afridi was the chief guest on the occasion. He hoisted the Pakistani national flag at the station.
The event was attended by a large number of Pakistanis and other nationals employed with QEWC, including senior management of the company.
Embassy’s Dr Popalzai, QEWC’s general manager Fahad al-Mohannadi, production manager Hasan al-Muftah, maintenance manager, Mubarak al-Nasr, senior public relations administrator, Rashid al-Hajree, and head of stores, Arif Iqbal and others were present on the occasion.
Nadir Shah welcomed the audience, while Rao Aftab compered the proceedings.
Speaking on the occasion Afridi said: “Every year celebration of Pakistan’s Independence Day at QEWC exhibits the unique kind of relation Pakistan has had with Qatar. This reflects the traditional relation between the two brotherly countries.” He further greeted his country’s citizens and thanked QEWC’s management for organising the event on a regular basis.
Al-Mohannadi, in his speech, congratulated the Pakistani community and praised their sincerity, loyalty and dedication towards QEWC.
Abdul Haseeb presented the vote of thanks. A cake was cut to commemorate the occasion, while gifts were exchanged as well.

 

[Ahassan]

India, Qatar ink key defence cooperation pact​

Doha (PTI): Taking bilateral ties to a new high, India and Qatar have signed a landmark defence cooperation pact, described by officials as an agreement "just short of stationing troops" in the oil-rich Gulf region.

Within hours of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's touchdown here on Sunday evening on the second leg of his three-day maiden visit to the Gulf, the two sides signed agreements on defence and security, dealing with key areas like maritime security, intelligence sharing on terrorism, money laundering and transnational crime.

The defence cooperation pact addresses security concerns of Qatar and seeks to safeguard India's interest, officials said.

"The agreement is just short of stationing troops (in the region)," a top Indian official said.

Joint training exercises, training of personnel and maritime cooperation are highlights of the landmark pact inked by Defence Secretary Vijay Singh and his Qatari counterpart last evening after Singh led delegation-level talks with his counterpart Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al Thani.

The defence pact lays out a structure for joint maritime security and training as well as exchange of visits.

Another agreement on law and security enforcement was signed by Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed and his Qatari counterpart.

The pact deals with issues such as money laundering and transnational crimes. It lays out framework for sharing of information and database on threats posed by extremists and other security and legal matters, officials said.

The Hindu News Update Service

Now ...what exactly does the bold and underlined part ("just short of stationing troops") means ?

bro!!! it simply means irritating pakistan.....
Pakistan should look into this mattr seriously..........

 

[sunny_aus]

India, Qatar ink key defence cooperation pact


Ammar Zaidi
Doha, Nov 10 (PTI) Taking bilateral ties to a new high, India and Qatar have signed a landmark defence cooperation pact, described by officials as an agreement "just short of stationing troops" in the oil-rich Gulf region.

Within hours of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's touchdown here last evening on the second leg of his three-day maiden visit to the Gulf, the two sides signed agreements on defence and security, dealing with key areas like maritime security, intelligence sharing on terrorism, money laundering and transnational crime.

The defence cooperation pact addresses security concerns of Qatar and seeks to safeguard India's interest, officials said.

"The agreement is just short of stationing troops (in the region)," a top Indian official said.

Joint training exercises, training of personnel and maritime cooperation are highlights of the landmark pact inked by Defence Secretary Vijay Singh and his Qatari counterpart last evening after Singh led delegation-level talks with his counterpart Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al Thani.

The defence pact lays out a structure for joint maritime security and training as well as exchange of visits.

Another agreement on law and security enforcement was signed by Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed and his Qatari counterpart.

The pact deals with issues such as money laundering and transnational crimes. It lays out framework for sharing of information and database on threats posed by extremists and other security and legal matters, officials said. PTI

India, Qatar ink key defence cooperation pact

Serve as bridge of friendship between India, Qatar, PM tells expatriates


DOHA: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called upon the vast Indian community in Qatar to continue to act as a bridge of friendship between this Gulf nation and India.

"India and Qatar have several complementarities. I would like to see each one of you serving as a bridge of friendship between our two countries," Singh said while addressing representatives of the 420,000-strong expatriate Indian community in Qatar on Monday, the concluding day of his three-day Gulf tour.

Observing that their hard work contributed to mutual prosperity, he said: "Your annual remittances of $700 million to India are an invaluable contribution not only to our loved ones at home, but also to society at large," he said.

He added that the Indian government was committed to the welfare and safety of the expatriate Indian community.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...Qatar_to_promote_ties/articleshow/3697470.cms

 

[sunny_aus]

India, Oman planning ‘mighty strategic’ tie-up


MUSCAT: India and Oman will work to turn their current bilateral relationship into a “mighty strategic partnership”, according to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

“The political leadership of Oman and India are united in our resolve to cement our relationship into a mighty strategic relationship,” Singh said in comments to the media on Saturday night, the first day of his three-day tour of Oman and Qatar, after a meeting with Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud al-Said.

The visiting prime minister said the two sides discussed ways to boost ties between the countries.

“We discussed the relationship between India and Oman. We discussed our economic relationship and also our security and defence relationship,” he said. He added that India’s close relations with the Gulf region were also reviewed.

This is Singh’s first visit to the Gulf during his tenure as prime minister and the first to Oman by an Indian prime minister in a decade since Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s visit in 1998.

In his talks with Omani Deputy Prime Minister Fahd, Singh hailed the impressive development Oman has witnessed under the leadership of Sultan Qaboos bin Said.

The talks covered a wide range of issues from bilateral co-operation, exploring investment opportunities and role of the private sector in the development process to providing Omani youth with training opportunities in Indian universities and vocational institutes.

In a statement to reporters after the talks, Fahd said the two sides discussed ways by which Oman can benefit from the Indian expertise in science and technology.

He added that the talks also dwelt on how to minimise the effect of the global financial crisis on India and Oman. *Singh yesterday lauded the contribution of the expatriate Indian community for its contribution to the development of Oman.

“You represent close to 500,000 Indians in Oman, the largest expatriate group in the country,” Singh told a gathering at the Indian embassy.
“You are a vibrant and industrious community. You are a microcosm of the multicultural and multi-religious diversity of India,” he said.

Stating that traders and merchants travelled the seas between India and Oman for centuries, he said: “Today, you are employing your skills to build a prosperous Oman and a new life for yourselves and your families... The Omani leaders have expressed appreciation to me for your qualities of hard work, for your civic sense and for your discipline. The nation is proud of you.”

He described the contribution of Indians in Oman to India’s development as invaluable. “Annual remittances from Oman to India are more than $780mn,” he said. - IANS

Gulf Times ? Qatar?s top-selling English daily newspaper - Gulf/Arab World

 

[sunny_aus]

India, Oman planning ‘mighty strategic’ tie-up


MUSCAT: India and Oman will work to turn their current bilateral relationship into a “mighty strategic partnership”, according to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

“The political leadership of Oman and India are united in our resolve to cement our relationship into a mighty strategic relationship,” Singh said in comments to the media on Saturday night, the first day of his three-day tour of Oman and Qatar, after a meeting with Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud al-Said.

The visiting prime minister said the two sides discussed ways to boost ties between the countries.

“We discussed the relationship between India and Oman. We discussed our economic relationship and also our security and defence relationship,” he said. He added that India’s close relations with the Gulf region were also reviewed.

This is Singh’s first visit to the Gulf during his tenure as prime minister and the first to Oman by an Indian prime minister in a decade since Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s visit in 1998.

In his talks with Omani Deputy Prime Minister Fahd, Singh hailed the impressive development Oman has witnessed under the leadership of Sultan Qaboos bin Said.

The talks covered a wide range of issues from bilateral co-operation, exploring investment opportunities and role of the private sector in the development process to providing Omani youth with training opportunities in Indian universities and vocational institutes.

In a statement to reporters after the talks, Fahd said the two sides discussed ways by which Oman can benefit from the Indian expertise in science and technology.

He added that the talks also dwelt on how to minimise the effect of the global financial crisis on India and Oman. *Singh yesterday lauded the contribution of the expatriate Indian community for its contribution to the development of Oman.

“You represent close to 500,000 Indians in Oman, the largest expatriate group in the country,” Singh told a gathering at the Indian embassy.
“You are a vibrant and industrious community. You are a microcosm of the multicultural and multi-religious diversity of India,” he said.

Stating that traders and merchants travelled the seas between India and Oman for centuries, he said: “Today, you are employing your skills to build a prosperous Oman and a new life for yourselves and your families... The Omani leaders have expressed appreciation to me for your qualities of hard work, for your civic sense and for your discipline. The nation is proud of you.”

He described the contribution of Indians in Oman to India’s development as invaluable. “Annual remittances from Oman to India are more than $780mn,” he said. - IANS

Gulf Times ? Qatar?s top-selling English daily newspaper - Gulf/Arab World

India, Oman ink investment agreement

India and Oman have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up an Indo-Oman Joint Investment Fund (IOJIF) with an equity contribution of US$ 100 million to fund the multi-sectoral projects. The MoU for the Fund was signed by State Bank of India and State General Reserve Fund, Sultanate of Oman.

The fund will take up the mutually agreed various projects viz.

tourism, health, telecom and utility and urban infrastructure and other sectors. The IOJIF isn’t the first major joint initiative between the two countries as the $969-million Oman-India Fertilizer Company had initiated production in 2005.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is on a two-day maiden visit to Gulf countries—Oman and Qatar from Nov 8-10, held a bilateral meeting with Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Fahd Mahmoud Al Said on various issues and later signed an agreement for the protection of the rights of nearly five lakh Indians employed in gulf countries. According to the agreement, no Omanese companies could alter the service conditions of their employees without their consent.

The talks between the two leaders mostly centred on increasing trade and economic cooperation.

Calling upon the Oman’s industry and financial companies to invest surplus liquidity into key infrastructure sectors in India, the Prime Minister Singh said: “We are determined to create a hospitable climate for investment, particularly foreign investment from friendly countries like Oman.”

“We will take all the necessary steps to facilitate greater trade and investment between India and Oman,” he added.

Singh said the two countries need to work in collaboration as there is vast potential for cooperation in the energy, fertilisers, IT, tourism and education sectors. The total non-oil trade, which was less than US$ 200 million in 2000, has stepped up seven fold to US$ 1.4 million this year. Singh said this figure could soon surpass US$ 2 billion.

With the initial investment of 10 crore dollars, the Joint Investment Fund will be enhanced to 1.5 billion dollars and the fund will be invested on the mutually agreed sectors. Both the countries will contribute equal amount of wealth. This fund is being believed to help both countries in tackling with the global financial crisis.

The MoU shall be valid and effective for a period of two years and may be extended on mutual consent for another similar period. The purpose of this agreement is to increase the expenditure into various sectors and to lessen the global financial slump.

India, Oman ink investment agreement

 

[sunny_aus]

Serve as bridge of friendship between India, Qatar, PM tells expatriates


DOHA: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called upon the vast Indian community in Qatar to continue to act as a bridge of friendship between this Gulf nation and India.

"India and Qatar have several complementarities. I would like to see each one of you serving as a bridge of friendship between our two countries," Singh said while addressing representatives of the 420,000-strong expatriate Indian community in Qatar on Monday, the concluding day of his three-day Gulf tour.

Observing that their hard work contributed to mutual prosperity, he said: "Your annual remittances of $700 million to India are an invaluable contribution not only to our loved ones at home, but also to society at large," he said.

He added that the Indian government was committed to the welfare and safety of the expatriate Indian community.

Serve as bridge of friendship between India, Qatar, PM tells expatriates-Indians Abroad-The Times of India

Qatar to invest $5 billion in India


ON BOARD PRIME MINISTER’S SPECIAL AIRCRAFT: Fresh from inking a pact on a joint investment fund with Oman, India has also secured an understanding from Qatar for investing $5 billion in energy-related sectors.

The discussions with the top leadership of both the countries on channelling their surplus funds to India is part of the government’s strategy to ensure that the needs of the infrastructure sector continue to be met despite the global credit squeeze.

“We discussed the modality of Qatar investing about $5 billion in India. In the next two to three months, we will work out the modalities to identify projects in the areas of energy, power, fertilizer and other related activities to enable the government of Qatar take firm decisions about the areas these investments could be directed,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said after wrapping up his three-day visit to the Gulf countries of Oman and Qatar.

The joint India-Oman fund, with a contribution of $50 million from each side with the scope of raising the amount to $1.5 billion, could become a major vehicle for channelising investments from Oman to India, noted the Prime Minister.

Dr. Singh termed the climate as highly favourable to widen and deepen India’s relationship with the Gulf countries.

“At a time when the global economy is hit by crises, there are opportunities for the countries of the Gulf and India working together to promote economic trade and investment cooperation,” he felt.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the visits were in the pipeline for a long time and important not only from the point of India’s economy and security but also because 50 lakh Indians were working in the Gulf.

Remittances from Oman and Qatar alone averaged $800 million. “So our effort has been to ensure that our workers get a fair treatment, that they are well looked after besides exploring the possibility of expanded economic, trade and investment cooperation with Oman and Qatar,” he added.

In both countries, the objective was to ensure the well-being of Indian workers. In Oman, India signed an MoU on manpower which was a “significant step” in ensuring that workers from India would be treated fairly.

“This is not to say that they are not being treated well. We are grateful to Oman and Qatar for creating a hospitable environment for our workers to earn their livelihood but there is always scope for improvement,” the Prime Minister said.

Since India had been trying to negotiate a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Prime Minister felt it would be a good idea to visit the Gulf countries to request for the support of Oman and Qatar in the negotiations.

On the liquefied natural gas front, both sides agreed to consider enhancing the allocation in the next year or two.

India had earlier signed an agreement with Qatar for 7.5 million tonnes per annum of LNG of which five million tonnes are being currently made available and 2.5 million tonnes will be available by the last quarter of 2009.

The Prime Minister said the two sides also discussed the possibility of expanding cooperation in regard to supply of fertilizers and investing in fertilizer plants in India or expanding production in existing plants in Qatar with an assured market in India.

The Hindu : Front Page : Qatar to invest $5 billion in India

 

[sunny_aus]

India, Saudi Arabia initiate key economic measures to boost relations


Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement ratified

Steps to promote cooperation in the field of defence


RIYADH: India and Saudi Arabia have adopted key measures to propel an economic partnership and pave the way for a strong multifaceted relationship.
Talks between the visiting External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee and his Saudi counterpart, Saud Al Faisal, resulted in an agreement on establishing a Saudi-India investment fund. This corpus would help kick-start investments in major projects, diplomatic sources said.

Mr. Mukherjee reiterated that India required an investment of around $500-600 billion to build its infrastructure. This included construction of roads, railways, ports, airports as well as petrochemical plants.

Keen to encourage movement of business travellers, a decision has been taken to issue long-term visas to businessmen. The application of these visas would be routed through the apex chambers of commerce of the two countries. The External Affairs Ministry spokesman said the participation of the chambers would ensure that only “genuine businessmen” availed this facility.

A major legal impediment to closer business ties was also removed on Sunday when the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement was ratified.

The spokesman said that a legal regime is now in place and the stage has been set for the economic relationship to take-off. “I think we have now regained the momentum to push forward the Indo-Saudi relationship. Both countries are now impatient to translate the goodwill into concrete mega-projects,” a diplomat who did not wish to be named said.

Acknowledging India’s efforts to acquire energy security, Prince Saud invited Indian companies to identify specific projects in Saudi Arabia, following an interaction with major Saudi oil majors including the State-run Aramco.

Both leaders agreed that private sector participation should be encouraged. So far, India’s Reliance industries has reportedly expressed an interest in establishing the proposed Jizan refinery in south-west Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has established several “economic cities” in the Kingdom mainly to promote domestic and foreign investments.

The talks covered the security situation in the region in detail. Discussions covered the volatile situation in Iraq, the developments in Iran, Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories. Mr. Mukherjee also apprised Prince Saud about India’s perception about Pakistan following the recent parliamentary elections. He added that he would be visiting Islamabad later in May.

Both countries have also taken early steps to promote cooperation in the field of defence.

The Hindu : Front Page : India, Saudi Arabia initiate key economic measures to boost relations