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Published by the Press, Information & Culture Wing, Embassy of India |
In this Issue Opinion - Arundhati Ghose Feature: Tiger Conservation
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India-Yemen Foreign Office Consultations Joint Press Statement Pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding signed between India and Yemen in Sana'a on 18th February, 1993, India-Yemen Foreign Office Consultations were held in New Delhi on 4-5 March, 1999, between officials of the Ministry of External Affairs of India and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Yemen. The delegations were led by Secretary (East), Shri Nareshwar Dayal, in the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Under Secretary for Political Affairs and Deputy Minister in Yemen Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Ghaleb Ali Jameel. H.E. Mr. Ghaleb Jameel called on Smt. Vasundhara Raje, Minister of State for External Affairs, during his visit. The consultations were held in a spirit of friendship, understanding and cooperation, and covered bilateral, regional and international issues. Ways and means to expand and diversify areas of mutually beneficial cooperation in political and economic fields were discussed. Both sides agreed to further strengthen and diversify cooperation in various sectors, particularly in the areas of energy, power, small scale industry, water management, civil aviation and construction. It was also agreed that cooperation in scientific, technical, educational and cultural fields would be enhanced. The two countries agreed to closely consult with each other at the UN, the Indian Ocean Rim Association and other regional and multilateral fora. Following is the text of the message sent by the Prime Minister of India to Commonwealth Secretary General on the Occasion of Commonwealth Day: " We are happy to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the modern Commonwealth. We have always attached importance to our association with the Commonwealth. India in fact, played a catalytic role in the transformation of this organisation from a colonial institution to a cooperative association of free and sovereign nations, united by their mutual interests and common goals. It was this vision which resulted in the London Declaration of 1949 and a wholly new basis for membership. The Commonwealth has come a long way in the last 50 years. It has grown to encompass 54 countries from all the continents and 1.7 billion people of every region, religion and race. It has made a mark on international affairs through its championship of the causes of anti-racism, democracy and sustainable economic development. Its tradition of non-interference in the bilateral disputes between its members has also contributed to its harmonious working. India is mindful of its standing in the commonwealth above all as a country which epitomises its fundamental principles. India is also happy to be the largest provider among developing Commonwealth countries, of technical expertise and assistance for socio-economic development. We in India are confident that the Commonwealth will adapt to retain its importance for its member nations. We welcome the emphasis on addressing the issue of sustainable development by the organisation and look forward to working with other member countries in this context. We look forward to the CHOGM Summit in South Africa in this Golden Anniversary Year of New Commonwealth. I, on behalf of the Government of India, convey our felicitations on the occasion of Commonwealth Day." New Delhi Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran visits India H.E. Dr. Seyed Kamal Kharrazi, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, visited India on February 23 - 25, 1999. He was accompanied by Mr. M. Waezi, Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Relations; Mr. Abbas Keshawarz, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Head of Agriculture Research, Education and Promotion Organization, and other senior officials. In New Delhi, Dr. Kharrazi was received by the President of India H.E. Mr. K. R. Narayanan, and the Prime Minister of India H.E. Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee. He had detailed discussions with External Affairs Minister, H.E. Mr. Jaswant Singh; Minister of Commerce, H.E. Mr. Rama Krishna Hegde and the Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, H.E. Mr. K. Ramamurthy. He also co-chaired the Tenth Meeting of the Indo-Iran Joint Commission and addressed the Second Meeting of the Indo-Iran Joint Business Council with the Indian Minister of External Affairs. He will be attending a meeting of industrialists in Mumbai organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry. During his meetings with the Indian leaders, bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest were discussed. These discssions were held in a warm, cordial and friendly atmosphere which has traditionally characterised bilateral interaction. Prime Minister of India, H.E. Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, referred to the age-old and special ties between India and Iran and reiterated India's commitment to further expand and intensify them. H.E. Dr. Kharrazi reciprocated these sentiments and conveyed the greetings of President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, H.E. Mr. Seyed Mohammad Khatami, to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister of India lauded the initiative on dialogue of civilizations proposed by President Khatami for the year 2001. Both sides reviewed the progress in bilateral relations which have developed steadily during this decade. High level exchange of visits, such as the one by Dr. Kharrazi, has contributed to greater mutual understanding and trust. Both sides agreed that the momentum of such exchanges is required to be maintained. Both sides also agreed to closely coordinate their positions on issues of concern in the UN and Non-Aligned Movement as is being done presently. H.E. Dr. Kharrazi and H.E. Mr. Jaswant Singh during the Joint Commission meeting surveyed the whole range of economic, technical and commercial cooperation between India and Iran. While expressing satisfaction at the progress achieved in some sectors of bilateral cooperation, the two Ministers agreed that more vigorous efforts were required to realise the full potential in commercial and economic areas. To overcome constraints in increasing bilateral trade, the Export-Import Bank of India has arranged a line of credit of US $ 20 million for a period of one year to facilitate import of diverse products from India. Both sides expressed interest to expand cooperation in the field of Liquefied Natural Gas for which, facilities including pipelines are required to be set up jointly. New areas of bilateral cooperation were identified including electronics and information technology, joint development of telecom equipment, computer software, astrophysics, biotechnology, solar energy, food processing and setting up of enterpreneurial parks. Indo-Iran Agreement of Maritime Commercial Navigation signed earlier has come into force after instruments of ratification were exchanged on February 24, 1999. Necessary formalities were also completed to implement the provisions of the Tripartite Agreement on International Transit of Goods signed between India, Iran and Turkmenistan. These would give a further fillip to commercial exchanges between India, Iran and Central Asian Republics. A Cultural Exchange Programme for the years 1999-2001 covering bilateral exchanges in the fields of education, culture, science & technology, radio, television & films was also finalised during the visit. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by H.E. Dr. Kharrazi and H.E. Mr. Jaswant Singh, which reviewed the already on-going bilateral cooperation and identified new areas of cooperation between the two countries. It was also agreed between the two sides to hold regular and structured foreign office consultations on bilateral relations and wide-ranging regular and international issues of mutual interest. New Delhi |