Indian Foreign Affairs News & Discussions (non-US & Pakistan related

[Lankan Ranger]

India-Iran ties in focus as 2-day visit begins

In a major push to India-Iran relations, the Indian government is laying out the red carpet for Iranian minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, Seyed Shamseddin Hosseini, who will be in Delhi for a two-day visit, beginning Thursday. He is leading a 30-member delegation to attend the 16th session of the joint commission on July 8-9.

Besides attending the joint commission meeting co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna in the capital, Hosseini will be meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and National Security Adviser Shivshanker Menon during his visit. The delegation will be hosted by all three business chambers — FICCI, Assocham and CII — separately.

The visit comes in the backdrop of US sanctions on Iran, over which New Delhi has already expressed its concern.

India is expecting dividends as the Iranian minister is leading a delegation drawn from various departments straddling sectors from mines to civil aviation, science and technology, power, tourism, handicrafts and small industries.

One of the strong factors for engaging Iran is access to Afghanistan and Central Asia, apart from India’s energy interests. A few agreements in key sectors are expected to be inked. Hosseini is accompanied by Abdulmajid Aqiqi, who heads the International Agreements Department in Iranian President Mohammed Ahmedinejad’s office.

Sources said that the India-Iran Joint commission meeting, which will take place after more than a year-and-half, is showing signs of re-energising business relations.The two countries will also exchange notes on how to play a role in Afghanistan.

India-Iran ties in focus as 2-day visit begins

 

[Lankan Ranger]

India & Iran signs 6 Agreements to boost ties

In a bid to further intensify economic cooperation, India and Iran signed six agreements and MoUs on Friday, the concluding day of the two-day 16th Joint Commission session. These include an agreement on air services and another on transfer of prisoners.

Significantly, for India, agreements aside, Iran has also agreed to hold technical-level meeting over the issue of Chabahar port, which is strategically important for New Delhi. The port can serve as an entry point for India's outreach in both Afghanistan and Central Asia. The Iranians were earlier seen to be dragging their feet over the port's development.

The session was jointly chaired by foreign minister S M Krishna and Iran's minister of economic affairs Syed Shamsheddin Hosseini. The two sides agreed that the next session of the Joint Commission would be held in Tehran.

The air services agreement includes enhancement in the capacity entitlement for the designated airlines of each nation from 23 services per week to 31 per week. Two additional destinations in the respective countries, which will be mutually decided later, have been agreed.

"The agreement has the potential to spur greater trade investment, tourism and strengthen cultural exchanges between the two countries besides bringing it in tune with the developments in the international civil aviation scenario," said a statement.

MoUs have also been signed for co-operation in renewable energy, small scale industries and science and technology. Yet, another MoU for mutual ties between Central Pulp and Paper Research Institute of India and Iran's Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources was also inked.

India, Iran sign 6 deals, MoUs to boost ties - India - The Times of India

 

[jha]

Somehow i think US sanctions are proving to be good for India-Iran ties...good going india ...stand up for Iran..

 

[ejaz007]

Congo rebels seize Indian pilot in attack on plane


GOMA: Congolese rebels took an Indian pilot hostage late on Saturday when they attacked an aircraft on a remote airstrip in a tin mining zone in the country’s North Kivu province, army and mining officials said. Congolese army General Baigwa Dieudonne Amuli said Rwandan Hutu FDLR rebels were to blame for the attack in Walikale. Goma Express, whose aircraft was attacked, said a Russian colleague escaped and flew the plane back to Goma, the provincial capital 150 kilometres away, with a wounded Congolese national on board. The airstrip is often used to export cassiterite, a tin ore partly blamed for funding armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s simmering eastern conflict. “The FDLR attacked a plane with the assistance of the militia. We are pursuing the rebels in the bush,” Amuli told Reuters. “They took money and the co-pilot of the plane,” he added, saying $60,000 in cash had been stolen. Pedro Kadogi, director of Goma Express, confirmed the incident and said the plane had been looted before it returned to Goma. He said food supplies, rather than money, had been on the plane. “Everybody fled the scene into the bush and the co-pilot has been taken hostage,” he said. “After two hours the Russian pilot panicked and refused to wait and flew the plane back to Goma.” reuters

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[SpArK]

India-E.U. trade pact likely this year: Sharma

Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Montek Singh and British Prime Minister David Cameron at a discussion in New Delhi on Thursday.











The India-European Union Free Trade Agreement, under negotiations for the last three years, is expected to be finalised by the end of this year, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said on Thursday.

“In the last India-E.U. summit, a mandate was given that we should conclude it (FTA) this year. I am very optimistic that we — both me and the E.U. Trade Commissioner — will be able to report positively in the next summit,” he said here.

Mr. Sharma said this while participating in a panel discussion, which included British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Negotiators from the two sides have held several rounds of talks and are trying to resolve certain issues, including the insistence of some E.U. members to include non-trade issues such as environmental concerns and child labour, in the pact. However, India has been opposed to this.

India has been negotiating the market-opening pact with the E.U., its largest trading partner, since June 2007. The India-E.U. bilateral trade was valued at $82 billion in the last fiscal.

The two sides want to remove trade barriers in goods and services and investments across all sectors of the economy.

According to a Ficci-Grant Thornton report, bilateral trade is expected to exceed Euro 70.7 billion ($91.4 billion) by 2010 and Euro 160.6 billion ($207.6 billion) by 2015.

 

[SpArK]

Cameron rules out return of Kohinoor

2010-07-29 14:50:00
Visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron has clearly ruled out the return of the Kohinoor diamond to India, saying if such demands were agreed to, it would lead to empty rooms in British Museums.

'I know there is also a great argument about the original provenance of the Kohinoor diamond. I'm afraid this will disappoint viewers, but it's going to have to stay put,' Cameron said in an interview to NDTV news channel.

The issue about the fabled diamond, which was mined in the Deccan and is now part of the British crown jewels, had been raised by British MP of Indian origin Keith Vaz just before Cameron began his two-day visit to India.

Vaz had said in a statement: 'I believe that this is the perfect opportunity for the prime minister to discuss the issue of the Kohinoor. It would be very fitting for the Kohinoor to return to the country in which it was mined so soon after the diamond jubilee of the Indian republic and 161 years after its removal from India.'

Cameron, however, pointed out that the return of the diamond would set a precedent, which could lead to the emptying of museums in Britain.

'What tends to happen with these questions is that if you say yes to one, you suddenly find the British Museum will be emptied,' he asserted.

Greece has also been vocal about its demand for return of the marble frieze looted from the Parthenon by the Earl of Elgin 200 years ago.

India and Britain will be signing a bilateral deal related to culture during Cameron's visit that ends Thursday.

Jeremy Hunt, the British secretary of state for culture, media and sports, pointed out that Cameron's trip was 'to discuss about cultural exchanges and to create a climate for holding several cultural exchange programmes.'

But he parried a question from IANS on whether Britain was open to exhibiting the Kohinoor in India saying, 'it's a controversial issue and (he) would not like to comment'.

 

[navtrek]

Perception of China not a media creation: envoy

Public perceptions in India will always be “coloured” by how China treated India's “core interests,” Indian Ambassador to China S. Jaishankar said on Tuesday.

“If there is an image of China with the broader public, it is tested against what the public believes are the core interests of India,” Mr. Jaishankar said in an interview with China's official State-run broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV).

The Indian Ambassador's comments were made in the context of the increasingly prevalent view in China that the Indian media's reporting of China was entirely to blame for the souring of relations last year. A number of articles in China's official media have in recent months blamed the Indian media for creating negative perceptions of China, as well as of the direction in which bilateral relations were heading. “Indian media hype cross-border spat,” was one typical headline, appearing in May in the official Global Times newspaper.

But Mr. Jaishankar made the point on Tuesday that China needed to understand the independent nature of the Indian media and how it functioned. “We have a fiercely independent media,” he said. “They pride themselves on the fact that they make their own judgment and they are people of great integrity. When people suggest that we can guide the media better, it shows a lack of understanding of the Indian media.” Chinese officials had, last year, called on the Indian government to “guide” the media to give more “positive” coverage of bilateral relations amid the strains.

Respecting each other's core interests was also crucial to creating better public perceptions, Mr. Jaishankar stressed. “Core interests,” he noted, was becoming a fashionable term in China — the phrase has found increasingly regular occurrence in Beijing's diplomacy, usually a coded reference to China's “non-negotiable” interests in Tibet and Taiwan, as well as to its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“India too has its own core interests,” Mr. Jaishankar said. “Public perceptions will always be coloured where another country stands vis-à-vis India's core interests.”

Indian officials have made the point to their Chinese counterparts in recent meetings that Beijing's recent positions on one of India's core interests — Kashmir — has remained a source of tension, and mistrust, in the relationship.

Last year, Indian officials voiced their concern at China's policy of issuing stapled visas to Indian citizens from Kashmir — a move seen as China questioning India's sovereignty. China also recently signed a $525 million deal to help Pakistan build highways in Pakistani occupied Kashmir, another move, Indian officials said, that violated a “core interest” of India's.

The two countries agreed on the need to respect each other's core interests during National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon's recent visit to Beijing as the Prime Minister's Special Envoy. But a clearer understanding of both countries' interests, as well as a mutual acceptance of how legitimate those interests were, was needed, officials said, to deal with any persisting mistrust.

The Hindu : Today's Paper / NATIONAL : Perception of China not a media creation: envoy

 

[navtrek]

India, Russia to step up cooperation in Afghanistan

India and Russia have reiterated their shared positions on Afghanistan and agreed to step up cooperation in the region.

The two sides “agreed to coordinate our policies more closely on Afghanistan,” Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told journalists after talks in Moscow.

Afghanistan and Pakistan dominated Indo-Russian Foreign Ministry consultations on Monday with New Delhi seeking reassurances from Moscow that the two countries were on the same page on the AfPak situation, as the United States presses ahead with the accommodation of the Taliban in the Afghan power structures.

India and Russia “share similar views on the evolving situation in Afghanistan,” Ms. Rao said. “Our cooperation on Afghanistan is well institutionalised and we have reconfirmed our commitment to work jointly for peace and stability in that country.”

During her three-day visit to Moscow, Ms. Rao held talks with her Russian counterpart, First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Denisov, and Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Borodavkin.

The Russian officials reiterated Moscow's continued commitment to the “red lights on the reintegration of the Taliban that were drawn at the London conference on Afghanistan,” Ms. Rao said.

The Russian officials recalled that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had reiterated the same principles in his speech at the Kabul conference last month — the Taliban must renounce violence, stop armed struggle, accept the Afghan Constitution and break up with Al-Qaeda.

The Russian side briefed the Foreign Secretary on President Dmitry Medvedev's forthcoming quadripartite summit later this month in the Black Sea resort of Sochi with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Afghan leader Hamid Karzai and Tajik President Imomali Rakhmon.

Russian officials explained that Moscow would seek to impress upon Pakistan the need “tackle the problem of terrorism in an all-round comprehensive, rather than segmented manner,” the Foreign Secretary said.

The Russian side reiterated its strong support for India's full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. However, the regional security group is still to agree on the rules and procedures for admission of new members and to lift a temporary moratorium on SCO expansion, Ms. Rao said.

Outside the framework of Foreign Ministry consultations, Ms. Rao met with Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Sobyanin to discuss preparations for President Medvedev's visit to India later this year.

Mr. Sobyanin, who co-chairs the Indo-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission with External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, will visit India in October for the annual session of the IGC and the fourth Indo-Russian Forum on Trade and Investment.

During their meeting, Ms. Rao and Mr. Sobyanin discussed ways to triple bilateral trade to $20 billion by 2015 and expand cooperation in hydrocarbons and nuclear energy. However, Ms. Rao said the liability issue in civil nuclear cooperation with Russia was not discussed during her interactions in Moscow and would be taken up by officials of the two countries later.

The Hindu : Today's Paper / NATIONAL : India, Russia to step up cooperation in Afghanistan

 

[navtrek]

It seems soon India and Pakistan will join SCO as members

Good for both our countries

 

[navtrek]

Last year, Indian officials voiced their concern at China's policy of issuing stapled visas to Indian citizens from Kashmir — a move seen as China questioning India's sovereignty. China also recently signed a $525 million deal to help Pakistan build highways in Pakistani occupied Kashmir, another move, Indian officials said, that violated a “core interest” of India's.

China should really take in to consideration India's core interests. Imaging how it would be if people from Tibet are issued stapled visa's.

Some how Indian diplomacy is very weak in terms of defending our national interests.

We have given away too much for too little

 

[ironman]

India launches phase II of African e-network project​

New Delhi, August 19, 2010

India launches phase-II of African e-network project Conceptualized on the vision of former Indian President Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam of connecting India with all the 53 countries of the African Union with a satellite and fibre optic network for sharing India’s expertise in education and health care, the project is being implemented in 47 African countries, of which actual commissioning has been completed in 34 countries.

Union Minister for External Affairs S.M. Krishna, while talking to senior ministers of 12 African countries via videoconference, spoke about the significance India attaches to developing multi-faceted and enduring partnership with the African continent. Speaking after the launch of the e-network in front of African ambassadors, Mr. Krishna said the pan-African e-Network project is one of the finest examples of the growing partnership between India and Africa “I understand that this is the biggest project of distance education and tele-medicine ever undertaken in Africa,” said Mr. Krishna. “Under this Project we have made available the facilities and expertise of some of the best universities and super-specialty hospitals in India to the people of Africa.”

The project is also equipped to support e-governance, e-commerce, infotainment, resource mapping and meteorological and other services in the African countries, besides providing VVIP connectivity among the Heads of State of the African countries through a highly secure closed satellite network,” he said. “I am happy to learn that more than 1700 students from several African countries have already registered with the Indian universities for the various courses being offered by them under the tele-education component of the Project,” he added. “Regular tele-medical consultations have also started between the African doctors and the Indian specialists through this network. Likewise, nearly 700 CME lectures have been held delivered by our doctors from the Indian Super Specialty hospitals,” he further stated.

Taking into account the enthusiastic and encouraging response from our African partners, Mr. Krishna said: “We have decided to offer training at the regional level by conducting workshops in the tele-medicine and tele-education modules for the benefit of African participants to facilitate better utilization of different aspects of this Project. I am confident that at the end, both sides would find themselves enriched through mutual exchanges and interactions.” The e-network aims to bridge the digital divide across the 53-nation African continent and seeks to provide tele-medicine and tele-education through a fibre-optic network. India has signed agreement with 47 countries in Africa, but the infrastructure has been completed in 34 of them.

Mr. Krishna said that it was a matter of deep satisfaction that “the Pan-African e-Network Project has been conferred with ‘The Hermes Prize for Innovation 2010’ by the European Institute for Creative Studies and Innovation for its contribution in the field of sustainable development.” The seven Indian educational institutions associated with the project are Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Amity University, University of Madras, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, University of Delhi and Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur.

Under the project, tele-medicine patient-end locations have been set up in 11 Indian super specialty hospitals. These have been connected to 33 patient-end hospitals in Africa. Regular tele-medicine consultations have already started in some of the countries. Burundi, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Eritrea, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia and Uganda were among other countries that formally joined the network. The 11 countries included in the first phase of the project launched last year were Benin, Burkina Faso, Gabon, the Gambia, Ghana, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Seychelles.

The Hindu : Sci-Tech / Internet : India launches phase II of African e-network project

 

[RPK]

NEW DELHI: The first meeting of the India-Brazil joint defence committee, with a focus on taking advantage of each other's defence production capabilities, will be held here on Wednesday.

While the Brazilian delegation will be led by Admiral Gilberto Max Roffe Hirschfeld, the Indian side will be headed by additional secretary R K Mathur. The meeting aims to build upon the existing bilateral defence cooperation agreement to explore co-development and co-production in aeronautics, ship-building and sub-systems such as software, avionics and ordnance.

The meeting comes ahead of the navies of India, Brazil and South Africa hold trilateral IBSAMAR wargames off the African coast next month -- the first edition of which was held in May 2008 -- to bring together the maritime forces of three dynamic democracies and economies from three continents under one umbrella.

Incidentally, India has been acquiring some aircraft from Brazil, which has a well-developed aeronautical and defence industry, over the years. This includes the procurement of five Embraer 135-BT Legacy executive jets for VVIP travel in a Rs 727-crore contract inked in September 2003.

India is also acquiring three Embraer-145 jets for its mini-AWACS (airborne warning and control systems) project, under which indigenous AEW&C systems developed by DRDO will be mounted on the aircraft.


Read more: India-Brazil defence panel aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation - India - The Times of India India-Brazil defence panel aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation - India - The Times of India

 

[RPK]

India, S Korea sign 5-year defence co-op agreement

India and South Korea today entered into a five-year defence cooperation accord by signing two memorandums of understandings on sharing of military expertise and technology.

Defence Minister A K Antony and his Korean counterpart Kim Tae-Young signed the two agreements in Seoul during the former's two-day official visit there.


"Heralding a new chapter in the history of defence cooperation, India and South Korea today signed two landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to give a huge boost to the Strategic Partnership between the two countries," Defence Ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said in a release from Seoul.

The two MoUs were signed at the end of nearly 90-minute intensive discussions between the delegations of the two countries, he said.

After the signing of the agreements, Antony said New Delhi would be happy to see the defence industry relationship to be "more than a buyer-seller relationship" and its further evolution into Transfer of Technology, joint production and joint Research and Development.

He expressed the hope that his visit would start a new chapter in the already close relationship between the two nations.

Kim, in his address, said the two MoUs would provide a "win-win scenario" for the two countries in a number of areas.

This was the first-ever visit of an India Defence Minister to South Korea.

Antony is accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar, Navy Vice Admiral R K Dhowan, Army Lieutenant General K T Parnaik, DRDO's Dr Prahlada and Adviser to Defence Minister Sundaram Krishna.

The first MoU envisaged exchange of defence-related experience and information, mutual exchange and visits by military personnel and experts including civilian staff associated with defence services, military education and training and conduct of military exercises, exchange visits of ships and aircraft, as jointly decided between the two countries, Kar said.

The MoU also provided for cooperation in humanitarian assistance and international peace-keeping activities.

"The MoU will remain valid for a period of five years with provision for its extension by five more years," he said.

---------- Post added at 03:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:47 PM ----------

PIB Press Release

India and South Korea Sign two Landmark MoUs to Boost Defence Cooperation

Heralding a new chapter in the history of defence cooperation, India and South Korea today signed two landmark Memoranda of Understanding to give a huge boost to the Strategic Partnership between the two countries. The two MoUs were signed at the end of nearly ninety minutes of intensive discussions, marked by warmth, between the delegations of the two countries, led by their Defence Ministers, Mr AK Antony and Mr Kim Tae-young in Seoul. This was the first ever visit of a Defence Minister of India to South Korea. Shri Antony was accompanied by a high-level delegation including the Defence Secretary Shri Pradeep Kumar, Vice Admiral RK Dhowan, Lt General KT Parnaik, Dr Prahlada and Shri Sundaram Krishna.

The first MoU signed by Mr Antony and Mr Kim envisages exchange of defence related experience and information, mutual exchange of visits by military personnel and experts including civilian staff associated with defence services, military education and training and conduct of military exercises, exchange of visits of ships and aircraft, as jointly decided between the two countries. The MoU further envisages cooperation in humanitarian assistance and international peace keeping activities. The MoU will remain valid for a period of five years with provision for its extension by five more years.



The Second MoU was signed by the Chief Controller of Research and Development of DRDO, Dr Prahlada and Vice Commissioner, Defence Acquisition and Procurement Agency (DAPA) of South Korea, Mr Kwon Oh Bong. To be operational under the overarching umbrella of India- South Korea Defence Agreement, the MoU aims at identifying futuristic defence technology areas of mutual interest and pursuing R&D works in both the countries. It also envisages co- development and co-production of defence products with Indian industry through DRDO. There will be joint IPR on all the products developed through this mechanism. Some areas of immediate interest e.g., marine systems, electronics and intelligent systems have been identified as priority tasks.



Speaking at the meeting, Mr Antony said New Delhi will be happy to see the defence industry relationship to be more than a buyer-seller relationship and its further evolution into Transfer of Technology, joint production and joint R&D etc. He hoped that ‘his visit will start a new chapter in our already close relationship’.



Mr Kim said the two MoUs signed today will provide a win-win scenario for the two countries in a number of areas.



The talks covered a wide range of security issues- both regional and global.

Maritime Security

Mr Antony said India and South Korea share common perception of maintaining peace as well as ensuring safety and security of sea lanes of communication in the region. He said regular exchanges towards ensuring maritime security is important to both countries, especially in securing vital energy supplies that pass through the Indian Ocean. ‘ It is of particular importance for like- minded countries working in the Gulf of Aden to coordinate efforts and also exchange information on the happenings in the area. We look forward to continued and enhanced cooperation between the navies of India and South Korea in this regard’, said Mr Antony.

Regional Security Scenario

Talking about the regional security scenario in the Indian subcontinent, Mr Antony said we live in a troubled neighbourhood. ‘ Some call it a fragile region. We have to maintain balance and restraint even in the face of grave challenges to our security. Our intention is to develop friendly and cooperative relations with all our neighbours so that we can focus on our major development needs’, Mr Antony said.

East Asian Architecture

Mr Antony said India looks at itself as an integral part of East Asia. India is a founding member of East Asia Summit and as such, looks at the emerging architecture in East Asia as open and inclusive. ‘That is why we welcome the decision of ASEAN Foreign Ministers to move towards the inclusion of the United States and Russia as members of the East Asia Summit. We look forward to working closely with South Korea in the emerging architecture in this part of the world’, he said.

Earlier in the morning, Mr Antony along with the delegation drove down to the National Cemetery in Seoul and laid a wreath there. He also inspected, amid light drizzle, a traditional colourful inter-services guard of honour presented by the South Korean Armed Forces on arrival at the Ministry of Defence Head quarters.

Sitanshu Kar from Seoul, South Korea.

 

[RPK]

India, Mongolia to cooperate on security and foreign policy, IBN Live News

Ulaanbaatar, Sep 3 (Montsame) India and Mongolia have agreed to widen the collaboration between the security and foreign policy organisations of the two countries. This was agreed during a visit of a high-level Indian delegation led by H Upadhyaya, Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee Secretariat under the National Security Council. During a meeting with Mongolian Minister of Foreign Affairs G Zandanshatar here, Upadhyaya said India is ready to give technical assistance to the National Security Council of Mongolia with an aim to widen the collaboration between the security and foreign policy organisations of the two countries. The Indian delegation visited Mongolia at the invitation of Enkhtuvshin, a Secretary of Mongolia's National Security Council. Zandanshatar underlined importance of keeping a frequency of high level mutual visits and political talks, and expressed his satisfaction with strengthening of the ties between the National security councils and defense organisations. The Mongolian minister said his country supports India's effort to become a member of the UN Security Council. He expressed a willingness to continue the cooperation with India in improving skills of Mongolia for participating in the UN peacekeeping operations and in frames of the multilateral cooperation for regional security.

 

[RPK]

Minister of Republic of Poland Donald Tusk will arrive on a three-day State visit to India on Monday.

On Monday morning, the Poland Prime Minister will arrive in Bangalore by a special Polish aircraft. He will attend a programme in the city.

He will reach the national capital New Delhi in the evening at the Air Force Station of Palam.

On Tuesday morning, Donald Tusk will be given a ceremonial reception at forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan

Half an hour later, at 9.30, the visiting Prime Minister will lay wreath at the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.

Later, the Poland PM will meet External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna at the ITC Maurya hotel.

As per his scheduled programme, he will meet Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj at 11.15 a.m. at the same hotel.

Donald Tusk will then call on President Pratibha Devisingh Patil at the Rashtrapati Bhavan at 12.00 p.m..

Later, he will attend a Business Luncheon meet to be held by FICCI/CII/ASSOCHAM at Hotel ITC Maurya .

Later, he will call on Vice President Hamid Ansari.

At 4.35 p.m. the Poland Prime Minister will meet United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi at 10 Janpath.

Later, at 7.00 p.m., he will be meeting with the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and hold delegation level talks and may sign agreements, if any at the Hyderabad House.

On Wednesday, the Poland PM will leave for Agra city and also attend a programme.

He will return to Delhi on the same day after a few hours and leave for Hanoi at 1.00 p.m. on the same day. (ANI)



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