India, Qatar Poised to ink Defence, Security Pacts

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Doha: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on his maiden visit to the oil-rich Gulf region, arrived here on Sunday on the second leg of the two-nation tour during which India and Qatar will sign landmark defence and security agreements.

Singh, accompanied by a high-level delegation, flew from Muscat where he held wide-ranging discussions with the Omanese leadership on enhancing trade, economic and energy ties.

In a departure from protocol, Singh was given a warm send-off by Oman's Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud bin Mohammed Al Said, who is the highest-ranking official after the Sultan and the entire Council of Ministers at the Muscat royal air base.

Like on his arrival yesterday, Singh was presented a guard of honour.

In Doha, the Prime Minister was received by Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmad Bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud and the Council of Ministers. He was also presented a guard of honour.

Singh will meet Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al Thani for delegation-level talks on enhancing trade, defence and energy cooperation.

The defence cooperation agreement would include issues of maritime security, while the pact on security and law enforcement would cover issues like common threat perceptions and sharing of data.

Singh would tomorrow call on the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani, who is also hosting a private lunch for the Prime Minister and his wife Gursharan Kaur.

The delegation includes Overseas Indian Affairs Minister V Ravi, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwali and Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed.

India is keen on buying an additional 2.5 million tonnes of LNG from Qatar to meet the growing energy needs of industry.

Co-op with Gulf nations

Concerned over criminal and terrorist activities in India and the oil-rich Gulf, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the two sides should work closely to ensure "a stable and prosperous region".

"Piracy, criminal activities and terrorism on our seas and land threaten the Gulf countries and India as well," Singh, on his maiden visit to the region, said addressing the Indian expat community here on the second day of his three-day visit to Oman and Qatar.

The Gulf region is part of India's "extended neighbourhood," and the largest source of the country's energy supplies, Singh said.

"The Gulf region is an area of great importance to India. It is part of our extended neighbourhood, and home to five million Indians. It is the largest source of our energy supplies," he said.

The Prime Minister, whose first stop on the visit was Oman, last evening held delegation level talks with Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Fahd Mahmoud Al Said. He met the nation's Sultan Qaboos bin Said this afternoon.

He said "there are many reasons for us to work closely together with Oman to ensure a stable and prosperous region." Lauding the contribution of the Indian expat community, Singh said annual remittances from Oman to India were more than USD 780 million.

The Government, he said, was alive to the welfare of the non-resident Indian community citing the memorandum of understanding with Oman on labour mobility, protection and welfare of workers signed yesterday.

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs is in the process of establishing Overseas Indian Community Welfare Funds in all Indian Missions in the Gulf, besides the Overseas Workers Resource Centre, a toll free helpline, has been established for Indian workers in the Gulf, Singh said.

An Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre provides opportunities for expats to invest in India.

Oman urged to invest in infrastructure

Grappling with economic slowdown as a result of global financial crisis, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked energy-rich Gulf countries to invest their surplus funds in the nation's key infrastructure sectors.

Asia's third largest economy is looking at boosting spending to prevent the economy from going under.

"I would call upon captains of Oman's industry and financial companies to invest surplus liquidity into key infrastructure sectors in India. We are determined to create a hospitable climate for investment, particularly foreign investment from friendly countries like Oman," Singh said addressing Omanese business community here.

The global financial crisis is likely to slow the pace of economic growth in India to 7.5 per cent in the year ending March 31, 2009 and it may record a rate of between 7 and 7.5 per cent next fiscal. The growth rate comes on back of 9 per cent acceleration in 2007-08 fiscal.

"Against the background of the current international economic and financial situation, I suggest there is an even greater need for us to join hands to shape counter-cyclical growth strategies by focusing on real economy," he said.

"India and Oman are well placed to convert this challenge into an opportunity. We count on you to be the architects of this magnificent change," he added.

The two nations yesterday evening signed an agreement to set up India-Oman Joint Investment Fund with an initial seed money of USD 100 million, that would eventually go up to USD 1 billion, for investments in infrastructure, tourism, health, telecom, utilities, urban infrastructure and other sectors.

Singh, on his maiden visit to the energy-rich Gulf region, is targeting USD 2 billion non-oil trade with Oman soon, up from USD 1.4 billion this year. "I see enormous potential for a substantial strengthening of our trade and economic ties based on growing complementarities of our two countries."

The meeting was attended by Oman Oil Co CEO Ahmed Salim Al Wahaibi, MB Holding Co Chairman Mohammed Ali Al Barwani, W J Towell Group Chairman Hussain Jawad Sultan, Oman Arab Bank CEO Abdul Kader Ahmed Askalan, Lima LCC Director Khaula Hamoud Al Harthy.

It was also attended by Bank Muscat Chairman Abdul Malik Bin Abdullah Al Khalili, Oman Mobile Managing Director Amer Al Rowas, Oman Shipping Co Managing Director Adel Abdullah Al Raisi and Zubair Corp Director Ziyad Bin Mohammed Al Zubair among others.



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