Chilean President Visits India

Ms Michelle Bachelet, President of the Republic of Chile paid a state visit to India from 16-20 March 2009. The visit coincided with the 60th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Chile. President Bachelet held fruitful discussions with President Mrs. Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. Vice President of India, External Affairs Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Chairperson, UPA (United Progressive Alliance) called on her. Both sides reviewed the state of bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction at the pace at which mutually beneficial cooperation is progressing.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and President Bracelet underlined the importance of enhancing trade and economic relations. They noted that the Preferential Trade Agreement [PTA] between Chile and India, in force since August 2007, has facilitated the growth in bilateral trade that reached US$2.3 billion in 2008. They welcomed the growing and dynamic trade relations and agreed that the PTA has opened new avenues for cooperation and investment for Chilean and Indian companies. Both leaders evinced interest in exploring the feasibility of entering into a Free Trade Agreement and expressed satisfaction that the process of broadening and deepening of the existing PTA has already been initiated. It was also agreed to enhance the periodic exchanges of business missions and participation in each other’s trade fairs to facilitate promotion of their respective countries’ products and services. Both sides agreed to endeavour to double bilateral trade in the next five years.

The two sides welcomed the growing interest of Chilean and Indian educational institutions in establishing stronger ties. This was reflected in the two Memoranda of Understanding signed by the Jawaharlal Nehru University with the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and with the Universidad del Desarrollo, on 21st and 22nd October 2008, respectively.

Both sides agreed to pursue cooperation in Antarctica in accordance with the MoU of April 2008. In this context, the Chilean side invited India to join its 2009-2010 Scientific Antarctic Expedition by sending an expert scientist to participate in an Ice Coring research project. India proposes to host a joint scientific conference on Polar Science at a suitable date convenient to both the countries within the framework of the MoU.

EU-India FTA Talks

The sixth round of negotiations related to the EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) took place in New Delhi in the third week of March. The talks witnessed some representatives of public interest groups holding a peaceful protest in front of the office of the European Commission (EC). Trade bureaucrats from the EC and Indian Commerce Ministry deliberated on issues in services, manufacturing, trade facilitation and government procurement till 19 March.

The public interest groups were demonstrating against the negotiations, which include contentious issues such as agriculture, investment, fisheries, intellectual property and government procurement.

Protestors alleged that the FTA may have provisions that will undermine access to medical treatment, not just in India but also across the developing world’. India is recognised as the leading supplier of generic medicines across the developing world. Recent seizures at EU ports of generic drug consignments raised fears of stringent provisions on intellectual property rights in the EU-India FTA.

The EU Ambassador in India Ms. Daniele Smadja met some representatives from the Forum on FTAs and tried to assuage their concerns.

Meanwhile, the European Commission (EC) has committed a further Euro 2 million to assist with rehabilitation activities for the Indian flood victims in Bihar. The EC humanitarian aid for Bihar alone now totals Euro 6.5 million since the Kosi River embankment collapsed in neighboring Nepal in August 2008 caused heavy flooding in the area.

“There is a strong commitment on the part of the European Commission towards India.” said Ambassador Daničle Smadja, the Head of Delegation for the European Commission to India. “We have not only helped with immediate relief in the early stages of the flood crisis, but we are now assisting with pertinent recovery activities which will help the vulnerable population of Bihar to get back to where they were before the floods.”

The floods affected more than four million people in India and Nepal. At least two million people were displaced from their homes and an estimated 150,000 hectares of crops were destroyed.

Bulgaria Deputy Prime Minister in India

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivailo Kalfin paid an official visit to India on 3 March 2009. He met India’s External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and expressed satisfaction at the positive cooperation and partnership.

The Indian Foreign Minister congratulated his Bulgarian guest on the National Day of Bulgaria, 3 March, and wished successes and prosperity to Bulgaria. Pranab Mukherjee referred to the new status of Bulgaria as Member State of the European Union and noted the strategic EU-India partnership. The ministers expressed readiness to work for their further intensification and building a comprehensive Bulgarian-Indian partnership by implementing joint projects.

Bulgaria attaches high priority to the relations in trade and economic sectors, which Mr. Kalfin noted was lagging behind in the matter of high-level political contacts. Bilateral trade has increased more than five times over the past five years. Bulgaria exports unrefined copper, unprocessed lead, seeds, etc., to India, and imports carbon electrodes, yarns, medicines, unprocessed tobacco, etc.

The Bulgarian minister voiced support for the Comprehensive UN Convention on International Terrorism initiated by India. The ministers signed two important documents: Agreement between the Governments of Bulgaria and India on Mutual Visa Waivers for the Holders of Diplomatic and Service Passports, and a Programme for Cooperation between Bulgaria and India in the Sphere of Science, Education and Culture in the 2009-2011 period.

Woos Business
Ivailo Kalfin met with representatives of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), which consist of more than 500 Chambers of Commerce comprising over 250,000 companies. More than 70 Indian businessmen who represented some of the biggest Indian companies in Asia attended the meeting. They showed interest in Bulgaria in the sphere of food processing, agricultural technologies, in the energy sector, in the pharmaceutical industry and in gas distribution. With a view to promoting and intensifying the trade and economic relations between the two countries, the Indian businessmen insisted on the opening of a direct flight between Sofia and New Delhi and updating the agreement between the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

India-Spain Ink Joint Mechanism on Anti-terror

India and Spain on 5 January 2009 set up a joint anti-terror mechanism. It was inked during the visit of Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Ms. Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega to the Indian capital. The anti-terror mechanism would include an exchange of counter-terrorism experts, who would be based in New Delhi and Madrid. The mechanism would also provide support to victims of terrorism in the two countries.

“Spain has considerable expertise in handling terror. We would help India in numerous fields like border surveillance, which we have developed,” Fernandez de la Vega said after holding talks with Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Besides counter-terrorism, the two sides held discussions on a range of issues, including boosting business and cultural ties. The Spanish minister, in her six-day visit to India also travelled to Mumbai, which witnessed gory terror attacks during the year-end.

Spain is no stranger to terrorism and stood up to homegrown terrorism spearheaded by Basque separatists for many decades. Spain was hit by global terrorism four years ago when suspected Al Qaeda terrorists bombed trains in Madrid.