 |
|
Uzbekistan offers oil exploration
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
India, Pak agree to finalise draft India’s Additional Secretary of External Affairs Ministry K.C. Singh along with his Pakistani counterpart Tariq Usman Haider during a joint news conference in Islamabad on Wednesday. — Reuters
Lebanon to resist pressure to disband Hezbollah
British Deputy PM admits affair
Indian dies in Bahrain freak mishap
|
|
Uzbekistan offers oil exploration to India
Tashkent, April 26 Addressing a joint press conference along with Uzbek President Islam Abduganiyeich Karimov after one-to-one and delegation level talks, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, “Both of our countries face the common threats of terrorism, fundamentalism and religious extremism and the two have resolved to continue to work together to combat these dangers”. Responding to a question about concrete steps that Uzbekistan would undertake to facilitate India’s entry into the oil and gas exploration sector in his country, Mr Karimov said New Delhi would be offered gas and oil blocks on the same basis as they had been given to China, Russia, South Korea and European Union countries. He added that the two countries would share the extracted gas or oil on equal basis. The way was facilitated after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the National Holding Company, Uzbekneftegaz, for cooperation in the field of oil and natural gas. Another memorandum was signed between Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) and Uzbekneftegaz. Uzbekistan is estimated to have 594 million barrels of proven oil reserves. Uzbekistan is also the second largest gas producer in the erstwhile Soviet Republics and one of the top 10 natural gas producing countries. It also has huge resources of mineral wealth, which includes gold, sliver, copper, uranium, lead, zinc, tungsten, molybdenum, coal and iron. The two countries took a further step when they signed a MoU on cooperation between the Ministry of Coal and Mines and the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Geology and Mineral Resources. This would facilitate mineral wealth exploration and mining for India. Another MoU was initialled for establishing the Uzbekistan India Entrepreneurship Development Centre in Tashkent. India had offered such a centre, which would be an important training ground for young businessmen and would lead to generation of employment. In this direction, the Prime Minister today inaugurated the Jawaharlal Nehru India Uzbekistan Centre for Information Technology, which would fulfil a long felt need for the Uzbek people. To a question about the menace of drug trafficking, the Uzbek President launched an indirect attack on the USA saying that ever since the foreign forces had been stationed in Afghanistan production of heroin instead of decreasing had gone up, which was a grave danger. Dr Manmohan Singh said India would offer all assistance to Uzbekistan in the field of tele-education and tele-medicine.
|
|
|
Tashkent Diary The media party accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the Uzbek festival was in for a pleasant surprise when it was treated to a mix of Indian and Uzbek food at the dinner hosted by External Publicity Division of the Ministry of External Affairs. While an enthralling dance performance by young and pretty Uzbek damsels was a treat for the eyes, Indian food was possibly a great relief for many mediapersons. The secret of the Indian food was Indian chef Deshveer Singh, who arrived here five months back from New Delhi, where he had worked at Hotel Ashok in Chankayapuri. The young Indian Sardar, an expert in Italian food, had been winning the hearts of Uzbeks and the international community staying here. Uzbeks extended a warm welcome to the Prime Minister and big hoardings in Hindi had been put up. Streets were illuminated and Indian and Uzbek flags were on display on the main street. The CNBC showed Richard Attenborough’s famous film ‘Gandhi’ and Uzbek television channels had been showing India-related programmes. The University of Tashkent was particularly enthused with the visit and students and teachers said relations between the two countries would get a definite push. A big hoarding in Hindi welcoming the Prime Minister had been put up on the main gates of the university. The launch of the Jawaharlal Nehru India-Uzbekistan Centre for Information Technology today created enthusiasm among the youth here as they had been waiting for it for a long time.
|
|
India, Pak agree to finalise draft
Islamabad, April 26 India assured Pakistan it would not be the first to use nuclear weapons even as the two neighbours failed to finalise the draft agreement on ''reducing risk of accidental or unauthorised use of nuclear weapons." A joint statement issued after the conclusion of the fourth round of India-Pakistan expert-level dialogue on nuclear CBMs here today said the two sides expressed satisfaction on the signing of the agreement on pre-notification of flight testing of ballistic missiles and operationalisation of the hotline link between their respective Foreign Secretaries. These measures are intended to prevent misunderstanding and reduce risks relevant to nuclear issues. Mr K.C. Singh, Additional Secretary (International Organisations) in the External Affairs Ministry, led the Indian side at the two-day talks which concluded today. The Pakistani delegation was led by Mr Tariq Osman Hyder, Additional Secretary (United Nations), Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to the joint statement, the two sides held discussions in a ''cordial and constructive atmosphere'' in the framework of the Lahore MoU of 1999. As mandated by the Foreign Secretaries, the two sides continued consultations on security concepts and nuclear doctrines to develop measures for confidence building. Both sides discussed modalities for further securing the Foreign Secretaries hotline and agreed that future periodic expert level talks on nuclear CBMs would discuss, review and monitor the implementation of nuclear CBMs as called for by the Lahore MoU. Mr K.C. Singh said there should be absolutely no danger (about first use of nuclear weapons by India) to friends in Pakistan. ''We have a positive approach of engagement and friendship with Pakistan,'' he said. He also dispelled the impression that his country's security policy was Pakistan-centric. ''Ours is a large country, whose concerns are wider than those of Pakistan,'' he added. Mr K.C. Singh described the talks as ''one more step'' towards promoting stability in the region. The two countries are also scheduled to hold talks on conventional confidence-building measures (CCBMs) on April 27 here. —UNI
|
Lebanon to resist pressure to disband Hezbollah
Lebanon will resist international pressure to disband Hezbollah, a militia, because it gives the Shias a voice in the nation’s inequitable political system, U.S.-based analysts say. Hezbollah maintains it provides resistance against a strip of the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, known as the Shaba Farms. However, Marina Ottaway, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, told Emirates Today that Shaba Farms is “an excuse” for Hezbollah. “I don’t think they will disarm even if this issue is settled,” she said. Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, on a visit to the U.S. last week, urged both the Bush administration and the United Nations to help restore the region to Lebanon. The U.N. says Shaba Farms is part of Syria, but that the two nations are free to change the border. Contrary to Mr. Siniora's expectations, the U.S. has not agreed to put pressure on Israel, a close ally, to resolve the situation. “It is a pointless issue that causes friction without achieving anything … it has certainly achieved nothing for Israel,” Ms. Ottaway said. On the other hand, she added, the Shias don’t want Hezbollah to disband since the group gives them “more of a say in Lebanon’s confessional system that does not give a good representation to Shias. They see Hezbollah as a counterbalance.” For Hezbollah to disarm some “comprehensive peace agreement will be needed,” Julia Choucair of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace told Emirates Today. “The Lebanese government is not strong enough to disarm Hezbollah … that issue is related to Iran, Syria and the Arab-Israeli conflict.” Mr. Siniora’s visit to the White House on April 18 was his first meeting with President George W. Bush and it gave him an opportunity to build a relationship with the American leader and preserve the legacy of his slain predecessor, Rafik Hariri. However, Mr. Siniora’s meeting with Mr. Bush is unlikely to boost the tenuous support he has at home. Besides discussing Shaba Farms in his meetings in the U.S., Mr. Siniora sought the establishment of an international tribunal in Mr. Hariri’s assassination trial, American financial aid and help to curb Syrian influence in his country. U.N. Security Council resolution 1559, issued in September 2004, called for Syria to withdraw from Lebanon and for Lebanon to disarm militias so the Beirut government could control the entire country. But even while Syrian troops have withdrawn, its “security elements” continue to operate in Lebanon. Noting that Syria will not stop being a player in the region, Ms. Ottaway said, “Essentially the idea that there might be a point that Syria stops being deeply involved in what happens in Lebanon is not very realistic. It’s like saying the U.S. will be not be interested in what’s happening in Mexico – that's impossible, it will certainly not happen.” In a report released this week, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged Syria to take up Beirut's offer of establishing diplomatic relations as well as demarcating the entire 250-kilometer boundary between the two countries.
|
|
British Deputy PM admits affair
London, April 26 Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said he regretted the relationship, which ended some time ago. His admission was an embarrassment for Blair ahead of local elections on May 4. ''I have discussed this fully with my wife Pauline who is devastated by the news,'' Prescott said in a statement. ''I would be grateful if Pauline and I can now get on with our lives together,'' he said. Prescott is one of the most colourful figures in Blair's cabinet. A former cruise ship steward, he is known for his blunt language and no-nonsense approach to politics.
— Reuters
|
|
Indian dies in Bahrain freak mishap
Dubai, April 26 According to a report in the Bahrain Tribune, Shaikh Mohammad Jani, a worker in Bahraini company A.A. Bin Hindi, was crushed to death by a truck cabin that tilted into his chest in a freak accident. Though the incident took place on April 22 morning, company officials did not inform the Indian Embassy in Bahrain about it, the report quoted Indian community members as saying.
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
