📝 India’s Focus In West Asia
🔸The region is significant for India’s energy security, people to people ties, trade and investment and security relations.
🔸Key actors from India’s perspective in this region are the regional organizations such as the Gulf Cooperation Council, States such as: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, and Israel.
🔸 India has a historic and abiding interest in the Palestinian issue.
🔸In this diverse region India’s policy is to seek regional stability which is threatened by regional rivalries (Iran-Saudi Arabia; Israel-Iran etc) and emergence of non state extremist groups such as the ISIS.
🔸The region is significant for India’s energy security, people to people ties, trade and investment and security relations.
🔸Key actors from India’s perspective in this region are the regional organizations such as the Gulf Cooperation Council, States such as: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, and Israel.
🔸 India has a historic and abiding interest in the Palestinian issue.
🔸In this diverse region India’s policy is to seek regional stability which is threatened by regional rivalries (Iran-Saudi Arabia; Israel-Iran etc) and emergence of non state extremist groups such as the ISIS.
📝 India and the Indian Ocean
🔸India has a coastline of 7,500 km and is surrounded by Oceans and Seas in three sides of its international boundaries.
🔸Independent India was a typical continental power, mostly due to its difficult land border disputes with China and Pakistan.
🔸During the Cold War days, India wanted that the major world powers should withdraw themselves from the Indian Ocean, presence of whom was actually a threat to India’s ideological inclination to the non-aligned movement.
🔸 Approximately 80 percent of India’s energy imports traverse through the Indian Ocean and its different channels.
🔸India has a coastline of 7,500 km and is surrounded by Oceans and Seas in three sides of its international boundaries.
🔸Independent India was a typical continental power, mostly due to its difficult land border disputes with China and Pakistan.
🔸During the Cold War days, India wanted that the major world powers should withdraw themselves from the Indian Ocean, presence of whom was actually a threat to India’s ideological inclination to the non-aligned movement.
🔸 Approximately 80 percent of India’s energy imports traverse through the Indian Ocean and its different channels.
📝 Energy Security between India and Gulf Countries
🔸 The IEA defines Energy Security as uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price.
🔸 India is a net importer of energy resources.
🔸 Much of this import is sourced from West Asia, specifically the Gulf countries.
🔸 In 2001, the region accounted for 66 percent of oil imports and in 2016 it accounted for 64 percent. Saudi Arabia has been the largest oil supplier to India over the years.
🔸The Gulf Arab states 85 percent of its natural gas requirements
🔸 India is the third largest export destination for gas from Qatar (behind Japan and South Korea). Qatar is the largest supplier of LNG to India, accounting for over 65 per cent of India’s global import and 15 per cent of Qatar’s export of LNG.
🔸 The IEA defines Energy Security as uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price.
🔸 India is a net importer of energy resources.
🔸 Much of this import is sourced from West Asia, specifically the Gulf countries.
🔸 In 2001, the region accounted for 66 percent of oil imports and in 2016 it accounted for 64 percent. Saudi Arabia has been the largest oil supplier to India over the years.
🔸The Gulf Arab states 85 percent of its natural gas requirements
🔸 India is the third largest export destination for gas from Qatar (behind Japan and South Korea). Qatar is the largest supplier of LNG to India, accounting for over 65 per cent of India’s global import and 15 per cent of Qatar’s export of LNG.
📝 People to People Ties between India and Gulf Countries
🔸 GCC countries are host to the over 8 million strong and growing Indian expatriate community
🔸This is also refelcted in about US$ 35 billion annual remittances.
🔸Hajj- In 2017 India's Haj quota increased from 1,36,020 to 1,70,520.
🔸 The Indian workers in Gulf countries face various issues:
▫️ Delayed or non payment of Wages;
▫️ Exit Visa issues;
▫️ non-fulfilment of contracts;
▫️ filing of false police cases etc
🔸 India has signed Labour Agreements with multiple GCC countries including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
🔸 GCC countries are host to the over 8 million strong and growing Indian expatriate community
🔸This is also refelcted in about US$ 35 billion annual remittances.
🔸Hajj- In 2017 India's Haj quota increased from 1,36,020 to 1,70,520.
🔸 The Indian workers in Gulf countries face various issues:
▫️ Delayed or non payment of Wages;
▫️ Exit Visa issues;
▫️ non-fulfilment of contracts;
▫️ filing of false police cases etc
🔸 India has signed Labour Agreements with multiple GCC countries including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
📝Security Ties between India and Gulf Countries
🔸 Security Challenges: Radicalisation and terrorism, regional wars and maritime security remain key security challenges in the region.
🔸Wars in Syria and Yemen ,emergence of ISIS, difference between Iran and Arab States as well as political transition, marks different aspects of current conflicts in WestAsia.
🔸 India’s maritime doctrine of 2009 and 2015 state that the Gulf and Arabian Sea are vital to India’s interests, including securing choke points.
🔸 In recent years, India has signed security and defense agreements with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, and Qatar.
🔸 The naval engagement with Oman has been most notable. While India and Oman entered into a “strategic partnership” in 2008, naval cooperation has been on since 1993 in the form of a biennial exercise, Naseem Al-Bahr.
🔸 Security Challenges: Radicalisation and terrorism, regional wars and maritime security remain key security challenges in the region.
🔸Wars in Syria and Yemen ,emergence of ISIS, difference between Iran and Arab States as well as political transition, marks different aspects of current conflicts in WestAsia.
🔸 India’s maritime doctrine of 2009 and 2015 state that the Gulf and Arabian Sea are vital to India’s interests, including securing choke points.
🔸 In recent years, India has signed security and defense agreements with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, and Qatar.
🔸 The naval engagement with Oman has been most notable. While India and Oman entered into a “strategic partnership” in 2008, naval cooperation has been on since 1993 in the form of a biennial exercise, Naseem Al-Bahr.
📝 India-Saudi Arabia Relations
▫️Background
🔸Visit of King Abdullah to India in 2006 resulted in signing of ‘Delhi Declaration’ imparting a fresh momentum to the bilateral relationship. The visit provided the framework for cooperation in all fields of mutual interest.
🔸The reciprocal visit by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to Saudi Arabia in 2010 raised
the level of bilateral engagement to ‘Strategic Partnership’ and the ‘Riyadh Declaration’ signed during the visit captured the spirit of enhanced cooperation in political, economic, security and defence realms.
🔸The visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Riyadh from April 2-3, 2016 could be seen as a taking forward the momentum.
▫️Background
🔸Visit of King Abdullah to India in 2006 resulted in signing of ‘Delhi Declaration’ imparting a fresh momentum to the bilateral relationship. The visit provided the framework for cooperation in all fields of mutual interest.
🔸The reciprocal visit by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to Saudi Arabia in 2010 raised
the level of bilateral engagement to ‘Strategic Partnership’ and the ‘Riyadh Declaration’ signed during the visit captured the spirit of enhanced cooperation in political, economic, security and defence realms.
🔸The visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Riyadh from April 2-3, 2016 could be seen as a taking forward the momentum.
🔸 Saudi Arabia today is India’s 4th largest trade partner (after China, USA and UAE) and
🔸The value of India Saudi Arabia bilateral trade during 2016-17 decreased to USD 25.079 billion, a slight decrease from USD 26.71 billion in 2015-16, as per figures provided by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
🔸During this period, our imports from Saudi Arabia reached USD 19.94 billion, registering a decline of 1.85% over previous year (USD 20.32 billion) whereas our exports to Saudi
Arabia reached USD 5.13 billion registering a decline of 19.70% over previous year (USD 6.39 billion). The current bilateral trade (April-May 2017) is valued USD 4.063 billion.
🔸Saudi Arabia is the 8th largest market in the world for Indian exports and is destination to more than 1.86% (2016-17) of India’s global exports. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia is the source of 5.19% (2016-17) of India’s global imports.
📝 People to People ties between India and and Saudi Arabia
🔸 The 3.2 million strong Indian community in Saudi Arabia is the largest expatriate community in the Kingdom and is the ‘most preferred community’ due to their expertise,
sense of discipline, law abiding and peace loving nature.
🔸 Saudi Arabia continues to be among the most preferred destinations for Indians seeking jobs abroad, resulting in the Gulf kingdom becoming among the highest sources of remittances to India, according to official data. According to figures provided by the Embassy of India in Riyadh, the number of expatriate Indians in Saudi Arabia increased from 3,039,193 in March 2017 to 3,253,901 in October 2017, a rise of over 200,000 within seven months.
🔸However, there are issues pertaining to employment and living conditions, that the two countries engage in to resolve bilaterally
🔸Agreement on Labour Cooperation for Domestic Service Workers Recruitment, was signed in 2014.
🔸 The 3.2 million strong Indian community in Saudi Arabia is the largest expatriate community in the Kingdom and is the ‘most preferred community’ due to their expertise,
sense of discipline, law abiding and peace loving nature.
🔸 Saudi Arabia continues to be among the most preferred destinations for Indians seeking jobs abroad, resulting in the Gulf kingdom becoming among the highest sources of remittances to India, according to official data. According to figures provided by the Embassy of India in Riyadh, the number of expatriate Indians in Saudi Arabia increased from 3,039,193 in March 2017 to 3,253,901 in October 2017, a rise of over 200,000 within seven months.
🔸However, there are issues pertaining to employment and living conditions, that the two countries engage in to resolve bilaterally
🔸Agreement on Labour Cooperation for Domestic Service Workers Recruitment, was signed in 2014.
📝 Security status between India and Saudi Arabia
🔸The 2010 Riyadh Declaration has been termed as ‘a new era of strategic partnership’ between the two countries. The visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Riyadh from April 2-3, 2016 could be seen as a taking forward the momentum in India’s growing engagement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has taken an upward strategic direction.
🔸Terrorism is an important issue on which cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia is crucial. Collaborating with each other in combating terrorism has become necessary
keeping in view the transnational nature of terrorist funding, operation and ideology.
🔸 In 2015 the Saudis deported Abu Jundal, who was wanted in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks,making counter terrorism a key area of cooperation between the two countries.
🔸 The visit of A. K. Antony to Saudi Arabia on February 13-14, 2012 was the first ever visit by an Indian Defence Minister to the Kingdom
🔸The 2010 Riyadh Declaration has been termed as ‘a new era of strategic partnership’ between the two countries. The visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Riyadh from April 2-3, 2016 could be seen as a taking forward the momentum in India’s growing engagement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has taken an upward strategic direction.
🔸Terrorism is an important issue on which cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia is crucial. Collaborating with each other in combating terrorism has become necessary
keeping in view the transnational nature of terrorist funding, operation and ideology.
🔸 In 2015 the Saudis deported Abu Jundal, who was wanted in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks,making counter terrorism a key area of cooperation between the two countries.
🔸 The visit of A. K. Antony to Saudi Arabia on February 13-14, 2012 was the first ever visit by an Indian Defence Minister to the Kingdom
📝 Recent Momentum In Relations of India-UAE
🔸The visit Prime Minister of India to UAE on 16-17 August 2015 marked the beginning of a new comprehensive and strategic partnership.
🔸Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE armed forces, visited India twice — once in February 2016 and then as chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations in 2017.
🔸P.M. Modi visited UAE in February 2018. This was his second visit to the UAE, which has emerged as a key strategic partner of India. After their talks, the two sides signed five agreements related to energy sector, railways, manpower and financial services.
🔸The visit Prime Minister of India to UAE on 16-17 August 2015 marked the beginning of a new comprehensive and strategic partnership.
🔸Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE armed forces, visited India twice — once in February 2016 and then as chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations in 2017.
🔸P.M. Modi visited UAE in February 2018. This was his second visit to the UAE, which has emerged as a key strategic partner of India. After their talks, the two sides signed five agreements related to energy sector, railways, manpower and financial services.
📝 Strategic Partnership between India and UAE
🔸India and UAE signed an agreement to upgrade the relations to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, apart from 13 other MoUs, in 2017.
🔸 the first Strategic Dialogue meeting between the two Foreign Offices was held in New Delhi on January 20, 2017. The second Meeting took Place in October 2017 in Abu Dhabi
🔸 India and UAE see each other as important players in maintaining peace and stability in their respective regions and have reinforced their partnership in countering terrorism,combating radicalization and preventing terror finance through intelligence sharing and close contacts between their National Security Councils.
🔸India and UAE signed an agreement to upgrade the relations to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, apart from 13 other MoUs, in 2017.
🔸 the first Strategic Dialogue meeting between the two Foreign Offices was held in New Delhi on January 20, 2017. The second Meeting took Place in October 2017 in Abu Dhabi
🔸 India and UAE see each other as important players in maintaining peace and stability in their respective regions and have reinforced their partnership in countering terrorism,combating radicalization and preventing terror finance through intelligence sharing and close contacts between their National Security Councils.
📝 Key areas to Work on
🔸UAE also has the large sovereign wealth fund that India IS looking for investments. There is an agreement that UAE will invest nearly $75 billion in India over the next few years
🔸 In 2017, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority became the first institutional investor in the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund’s Master Fund, with an investment of $1 billion.
🔸 In January 2018 Dubai Ports (DP) World, the top port operator in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), announced that has partnered with NIIF to invest in India's infrastructure projects.
🔸UAE also has the large sovereign wealth fund that India IS looking for investments. There is an agreement that UAE will invest nearly $75 billion in India over the next few years
🔸 In 2017, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority became the first institutional investor in the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund’s Master Fund, with an investment of $1 billion.
🔸 In January 2018 Dubai Ports (DP) World, the top port operator in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), announced that has partnered with NIIF to invest in India's infrastructure projects.
📝 India-Iran Relations
◽ Background
🔸 India-Iran relations span millennia marked by meaningful interactions. The two countries shared a border till 1947 and share several common features in their language, culture and traditions.
🔸 Independent India and Iran established diplomatic links on
March 15, 1950. In addition to the Embassy in Tehran, India has two Consulates in Iran, one in Bandar Abbas and other in Zahedan.
🔸 In recent times Iran has emerged as a key location for India’s
connectivity initiatives for Afghanistan and Central Asia.
🔸Thus, connectivity, commerce, culture, and energy are key pillars of India Iran relation in the current context.
◽ Background
🔸 India-Iran relations span millennia marked by meaningful interactions. The two countries shared a border till 1947 and share several common features in their language, culture and traditions.
🔸 Independent India and Iran established diplomatic links on
March 15, 1950. In addition to the Embassy in Tehran, India has two Consulates in Iran, one in Bandar Abbas and other in Zahedan.
🔸 In recent times Iran has emerged as a key location for India’s
connectivity initiatives for Afghanistan and Central Asia.
🔸Thus, connectivity, commerce, culture, and energy are key pillars of India Iran relation in the current context.
📝 Recent Momentum In Relations of India and Iran
🔸The trend was enhanced at the turn of the millennium with the visit of Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Tehran in April 2001 wherein the two countries signed the “Tehran Declaration” which set forth the areas of possible cooperation between the two countries.
🔸 President Mohammad Khatami visited India from January 24-28, 2003 as the Chief Guest at the Republic Day parade. Both sides signed “The New Delhi Declaration” which set forth the vision of strategic partnership between India and Iran.
🔸 Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh visited Iran to attend the 16th NonAligned Movement (NAM) Summit held in Tehran from August 28-31, 2012.
🔸 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi paid a bilateral visit to Iran from May 22- 23, 2016. 12 MoUs/Agreements were signed between India and Iran.
🔸The trend was enhanced at the turn of the millennium with the visit of Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Tehran in April 2001 wherein the two countries signed the “Tehran Declaration” which set forth the areas of possible cooperation between the two countries.
🔸 President Mohammad Khatami visited India from January 24-28, 2003 as the Chief Guest at the Republic Day parade. Both sides signed “The New Delhi Declaration” which set forth the vision of strategic partnership between India and Iran.
🔸 Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh visited Iran to attend the 16th NonAligned Movement (NAM) Summit held in Tehran from August 28-31, 2012.
🔸 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi paid a bilateral visit to Iran from May 22- 23, 2016. 12 MoUs/Agreements were signed between India and Iran.
📝 Economy: Energy Trade between India and Iran
🔸India-Iran commercial ties have traditionally been dominated by Indian import of Iranian crude oil.
🔸 India is the second largest buyer of Iranian crude after China and Iran was the third largest supplier of crude to India (April-Sep 2016).
🔸 The India-Iran bilateral trade during the fiscal year 2015-16 was USD 9.054 billion. India imported USD 6.2 billion worth of goods mainly crude oil and exported commodities worth USD 2.7 billion.
🔸 Major Indian exports to Iran include rice, tea, iron and steel, organic chemicals, metals, electrical machinery, drugs/pharmaceuticals, etc.
🔸 Major Indian imports from Iran include petroleum and its products, inorganic/organic chemicals, fertilizers, plastic and articles, edible fruit and nuts, glass and glassware etc.
🔸India-Iran commercial ties have traditionally been dominated by Indian import of Iranian crude oil.
🔸 India is the second largest buyer of Iranian crude after China and Iran was the third largest supplier of crude to India (April-Sep 2016).
🔸 The India-Iran bilateral trade during the fiscal year 2015-16 was USD 9.054 billion. India imported USD 6.2 billion worth of goods mainly crude oil and exported commodities worth USD 2.7 billion.
🔸 Major Indian exports to Iran include rice, tea, iron and steel, organic chemicals, metals, electrical machinery, drugs/pharmaceuticals, etc.
🔸 Major Indian imports from Iran include petroleum and its products, inorganic/organic chemicals, fertilizers, plastic and articles, edible fruit and nuts, glass and glassware etc.
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