February 2014

INDIA & USA

United States on 29 December 2013 initiated an inter-agency review to look at the lapses that happened in the Devyani Khobragade case that triggered uproar in India and strained bilateral ties. The decision on the
review was taken following a tough stand of India on the arrest of Devyani Khobragade. The US departments involved in the review include the National Security Council of the White House, the State Department and the Justice Department. The matter of the diplomat has now landed up in the judiciary and it mainly depends on the judges for which the two bodies are engaged actively. There was a judgmental error in handling the case and an inter agency team that is led by the State Department is working 24x7 to get resolved the issue as quickly it is possible. Devyani Khobragade a 1999-batch IFS officer is the India’s Deputy Consul General in New York was arrested on alleged visa fraud charges. Devyani, the 39- year-old diplomat was strip searched and held with the criminals on the charges of making false declarations in the visa application of her maid Sangeeta Richard. In respond to it India reacted strongly by downgrading the privileges of certain category of US diplomats among other steps

INDIA & SRI LANKA

Sri Lankan court on 26 December 2013 extended the remand of 111 Indian fishermen, who were caught by the Navy of the country in December 2013. The Trincomalee magistrate’s court has extended the remand on the charges of violating the international maritime boundary. The court has held 6 January 2013 to review the case. The same court, earlier also extended the remand of two groups of 30 fishermen each. Rajitha Senaratne, the Fisheries Minister of Sri Lanka has said that none of the boats or the fishermen of India will be released until the 200 Sri Lankan fishermen, who are in the custody of the India were released. As per the Fisheries Minister of Sri Lanka, the two countries will held a meeting of the representative of the fishermen’s associations of the two countries in January 2013. Also the Senaratne will visit New Delhi in January 2013 to discuss the issue with Sharad Pawar, the Union Agriculture Minister, who also holds the charge of the Indian fisheries department. Maritime Boundaries: India and Sri Lanka The Government of the Republic of India and the Republic of Sri Lanka signed an agreement on 23 March 1976, establishing maritime boundaries in the Gulf of Manaar and the Bay of Bengal. Ratifications were exchanged and the agreement entered into force on 10 May 1976, two years after the two countries negotiated a boundary in the Palk Strait.

Article V of the signed agreement mentions

• (1) Each Party shall have sovereignty over the historic waters and territorial sea, as well as over the islands, falling on its side of the aforesaid boundary.

• (2) Each Party shall have sovereign rights and exclusive jurisdiction over the continental shelf and the exclusive economic zone as well as over their resources, whether living or non-living, falling on its side of the aforesaid boundary.

• (3) Each Party shall respect rights of navigation through its territorial sea and exclusive economic zone in accordance with its laws and regulations and the rules of international law.

INDIA & PAKISTAN

Director Generals Military Operations (DGMO) of India and Pakistan took place on 24 December 2013 along the Wagah-Attari border. The meeting was held to work out a mechanism to ease tension between the two sides and to ensure peace at the Line of Control (LoC). Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia led the Indian side, whereas, Major General Aamer Riaz headed the Pakistani side. A brigadier and three lieutenant colonels also participated in the talks from both each side. The DGMO level talks of the two nations have been held after 14 years. Last time the key army commaders of India and Pakistan met in July 1999 after the Kargil war. The decision of holding the meet between India and Pakistan DGMOs was taken at political level. The DGMOs of the two country discussed major issues that pertains to tension on the LoC. They also discussed issues on the working boundary with a focus to maintain ceasefire and bring normalcy. The two sides met, three months before the proposed meeting of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif to
defuse tensions. Initially Pakistan proposed to include the Foreign  Ministry officials in the meet of themilitary officers, which was rejected by India. In 1949, United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) was established. It was established under the resolution passed by the world body’s council to supervise ceasefire along the LoC.

INDIA & UAE

India and United Arab Emirates on 12 December 2013 signed a Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) that would accelerate fresh capital investments of UAE in India. The BIPPA agreement was signed by Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, the Minister of State for Financial Affairs of UAE and Namo Narain Meena, the Minister of State for Finance of India. At present the Foreign Minister of UAE, Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan is on a visit to India.

The BIPPA has been worked on as an exception to the norm of India to freeze all BIPPA agreements until a new template is in place. UAE wants to explore major infrastructure projects in India but was waiting till the signature of the BIPPA. India and UAE are the largest trading partners of each other with the total bilateral trade of 75 billion dollars. At present, the UAE invests in India about 3 billion dollar. UAE controls the second largest Sovereign Wealth Fund in the world under the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. At present, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) wants to invest 700 million dollars in Himachal Pradesh in the electricity sector, whereas the DP World Operations is aimed at expansion of their footprint in the port sector in India. In February 2013, India-UAE High Level Task Force on Investments that was set up to speed up investment
opportunities met but before proceeding UAE wanted to conclude the BIPPA. This signing of the agreement has opened the possibilities of High Level Task Force meetings in January 2014 to explore investment opportunities. With the signing of the India-UAE BIPPA, India now has such agreements with all GCC countries, which also opened the possibilities of pursuing India- GCC Free Trade Agreement, which has been on the backburner so far.

INDIA & NEPAL

India and Nepal on 22 December 2013 agreed to address each other’s concerns on commerce and transit, including reduction of tariff barriers and checking illegal trade along the border. The decision was made during the two-day Inter- Governmental Committee meeting that concluded in Kathmandu.

The delegations of the two sides were led by the Commerce Secretaries of the two countries namely SR Rao of India and Madhav Prasad Regmi of Nepal. India and Nepal has agreed on a 14-point agenda to enhance trade, promote co-operation and address concerns of the private sector of both the countries. Institutional arrangements will be made to facilitate the third country import and export to build infrastructure in newly identified
customs points. India has also agreed to provide 10000 cows to Nepal in response to the demand of milk and dairy products of the country. India has recognized the necessity of balancing trade to make it sustainable for both the countries. Both sides looked towards trade in goods to increase trade in services and investments for balancing trade. Both the sides were able to sort out important bilateral issues. India will also help Nepal to
reduce its trade deficit.

INDIA & THE ARAB LEAGUE

India and Arab League on 17 December 2013 inked an MoU to elevate the political, trade and cultural relations. The MoU was signed by Salman Khurshid, External Affairs Minister of India and Nabil Elaraby, Secretary General of the League of Arab States during his visit to India.

INDIA & SOUTH SUDAN

India on 23 December 2013 evacuated all its employees from the strife torn South Sudan. It has also shut down all its oilfields amid escalating violence in the country. The 11 employees deputed by ONGC Videsh Ltd. at the Greater Nile Oil Project and Block 5A in Sudan working on 40000 barrels per day have been airlifted. Evacuation has happened in two batches and the airlifted employees have arrived safely to India. The company made all arrangements to evacuate its personnel as rebel forces loyal to deposed South Sudanese Vice President Riek Machar captured Unity state in which most of the oil fields are operating. ONGC Videsh Ltd. is the overseas arm of the stateowned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). Earlier, United Kingdom sent an aircraft to Juba in South Sudan to evacuate Britons amid fighting that followed a reported coup attempt.

Background

At present, South Sudan is facing an ethnic violence, which is led by the former Vice President of South Sudan, Riek Machar. The fighting in South Sudan broke on 15 December 2013 and by now it has claimed about 500 lives, which include a life of an Indian Soldier, who was working as United Nations peacekeeper. President Kiir, who is a member of the majority Dinka ethnic group, sacked the Vice President Machar, who belongs to Nuer community in July 2013. He was sacked on accuse of coup attempt. As per Machar, the President is carrying out the trying to clean of his rivals. Ethnic Nuer is the second largest group in South Sudan. Riek
Machar was appointed as the Vice president in 2005 and has retained the post even after independence of South Sudan in 2011, till the time he was sacked by the President.

INDIA & VENEZUELA

India and Venezuela on 20 December 2013 signed a Programme on Cultural Exchange. The programme was signed by the Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, Ravindra Singh and Minister of State for the
Promotion of Cultural Economy, Ministry of People’s Power for Culture, Venezuela Javier Sarabia after delegation level talks between the two countries. Programme on Cultural Exchange shall be valid for three years. Thereafter, it shall be renewed automatically for a term of three years at a time unless either Party gives in writing an advance notice of its intention to terminate.

According to the Programme of Cultural Exchange both the countries have decided to

• To promote the exchange of bilingual publications (traditional and contemporary stories)

• On a reciprocal basis, participation of India in the Venezuela’s International Book Fair

• To provide the customs and tax condition in accordance with their domestic legislation, in order to provide assistance to the International Book Fairs in their respective countries

• To encourage the participation  of Venezuelan and Indian poets and writers in the literature festivals organized by both countries

• To encourage the participation of India in the Venezuela’s World Festival of Poetry

• Make an issue of the magazine Actualidades (a CELARG publication) on India or on Indian writers

In the field of Film and Media according to the Programme of Cultural Exchange, both the countries have to undertake

• Indian will have to promoted participation of Venezuelan film works at international movie exhibitions organized by India

• To encourage the participation of Indian movies in the National Film Library and community rooms of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

• The diplomatic/consular/ missions of both the countries will organize movie exhibitions

• Fora should be organized with the purpose of exchange in the expertise between the film makers and representatives from both countries

• Invite personalities and new film makers to give lectures at the National Lab of Film and Media in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

• Encourage the institutional links between the Autonomous National Center of Film Making of Venezuela and the Institute of Cinema and Television of India.

• Encourage the acquisition of Distribution Rights of Indian film works by the film distributor Amazonia Films

• To promote the participation of Venezuelan film works at Indian international film festivals and vice versa

In the field of Image and Space Arts, both the countries have to undertake

• To increase the exchange of knowledge with specialists in the field of drawing techniques with natural pigments, specialists in dying with natural inks and the use of enzymes

• Six specialist will have to organize workshops together with the local specialist in the Venezuelan communities as per the interest of the Institute of Image and Space Arts

• Participation of two artists,lecturers and/ or specialists to the events organized by the Institute of Image and Space Arts

• Knowledge exchange with the purpose of training in the two states of the Venezuela with the help of a photographer or specialist from India, a group of thirty people consisting of students, artists, and members
  of the community in general

• For the purpose of encouraging the photographic creation, the community management of photography, the curatorial and museum experience, the use of new means and technologies for the promotion of photography, its preservation or creation of data bank and photo files Fundación Centro Nacional de la Fotografía de Venezuela- FUNDACENAF ( Foundation National Center of Photography in Venezuela), will organize an event and invite one photographer and /or specialist in photography for the purpose to participate in the event

In the field of Stage and Music Arts, both the countries undertake to

• Participation of a Venezuelan theatre company in the New Delhi’s Festival to diffuse the Venezuelan theatre in India

• Exchange of six specialists belonging to a Kathakali theatre group for the purpose of organizing workshops and presentations in the Venezuela for one week

• Participation of one dancer or couple of dancers from India at the International Dance Festivals Solos y Duetos (Solos & Duets)

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