Major Events Held in 2006-2007

In the recent past, economic liberalization measures adopted by Countries of the CIS Region and India, establishment of institutional mechanisms for mutual interaction and development of fast/direct shipping links to CIS Region have contributed to increased economic interaction between countries of the CIS Region and India. However, the full potential is yet to be realized. Recognizing the need for enhancing trade and to stimulate interest among the businessmen of both the sides, a number of high level visits and a range of initiatives, as mentioned below, have taken place in 2006-07.

Fourth Session of the Indo-Armenian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic Scientific and Technological and Cultural and Eduational Cooperation was held in Delhi on 19th January 2007, under the Co-Chairmanship Shri N. Ravi, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs from the Indian side and Mr. Armen Baibourtian, Deputy Foreign Minister from Armenian side.

An Agreement between India and Azerbaijan for establishing an Inter Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation was signed between Shri Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State (Commerce) and Mr. Heydar Babayev, Minister of Economic Development of the Republic of Azerbaijan during the visit of the former to Baku, Azerbaijan on 11-12 April 2007.

Third session of the India-Belarus Joint Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation was held in Minsk, Belarus from 11 to 13 July 2006 under the Co-Chairmanship Dr. Ashwani Kumar, Minister of State (Industrial Policy and Promotion) from the Indian side and Mr. Anatoly Rusetski, Minister of Industry from the Belarus Side.

Final Protocol on completion of bilateral negotiations was signed between India and Belarus on the accession of Belarus to WTO between Shri Ashwani Kumar, Minister of State for Industry from the Indian side and Mr. Sergei Martynov, Minister of Foreign Affairs from the Belarus side during the bilateral discussions held in New Delhi on 16th April 2007.

Sixth session of the Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Commission on Trade, Economic, scientific, Technical, Industrial and Cultural cooperation was held in Delhi on 12-13 October 2006 under the Co-Chairmanshp of Shri Murli Deora, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas from the Indian side and Mr. Baktykozha Izmuhambetov, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources from the Kazakhstan side.

Fourth session of the Indo-Kyrgyzstan Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, scientific, Technical, Industrial and Cultural cooperation was held in Bishkek on 5 September 2007 under the Co-Chairmanshp of Shri O.P. Arya, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, M/o Commerce and Industry from the Indian side and Mr. Japarov Akylbek Usenbekovich, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan from the Kyrgyz side.

A Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation for setting of the Joint study group and Final Protocol on completion of bilateral negotiations were signed on 6th February 2006 between Shri Kamal Nath, Minister of Commerce and Industry from the Indian side and Mr. G.O. Gref, Minister of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation from the Russian side during the latter’s visit to India.

Shri Kamal Nath, Minister of Commerce and Industry visited St.Petersburg for participation in the 10th St.Petersburg International Economic Forum on 11-12 June 2006.

The first meeting of the Indo-Russian Joint Study Group was held on 28-29 August 2006 in Moscow, under the Co-Chairmanship of Shri S. N. Menon, the then Commerce Secretary from the Indian Side and Mr. M. E. Dmitriev President, Foundation “Centre for Strategic Research”, from the Russian Side.

12th Session of India-Russia Sub-Group on Banking and Financial Matters was held in Moscow on 16-17 October 2006 under the Co-Chairmanship of Mrs. Shyamala Gopinath, Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from the Indian side and Mr. Konstantin Korischenko, Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia) from the Russian side.

The Second meeting of the Indo-Russian Joint Study Group was held in November 2006 in New Delhi, Under the Co-Chairmanship of Shri G. K. Pillai Commerce Secretary from Indian Side and Mr. M. E. Dmitriev, President, Foundation ” Centre for Strategic Research”, from Russian Side.

12th Session of Indo-Russian Working Group on Trade and Economic Cooperation (WGTEC) was held in New Delhi, India on 1st and 14th November 2006, under the Co-Chairmanship of Shri O.P.Arya, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce from the Indian side and Mr. Vyacheslav Trubnikov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation in India from the Russian side.

The 3rd Session of the India-Russia Joint Task Force on settlement of mutual financial obligations was held in New Delhi on 8-9 December 2006 under the Co-Chairmanship of Shri Ashok Jha, Finance Secretary from the Indian side and Mr. S.A. Storchak, Deputy Minister of Finance, Ministry of Finance from the Russian side.

The 12th session of the Indo-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC) was held in Delhi on 8th December 2006, under the Co-chairmanship of Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Minister of External Affairs and Mr. Alexander Zhukov, Deputy PM of Russia.

The Third Meeting of the Indo-Russian Joint Study Group was held in Delhi, on 22-23 January 2007 under the Co-Chairmanship of Shri G. K. Pillai, Secretary, Department of Commerce from Indian Side and Mr. M. E. Dmitriev, President, Foundation” Centre for Strategic Research” from the Russian Side.

The first meeting of the Indo-Russian Forum on Trade and Investment was held in New Delhi on 12 – 13 February 2007 under the Co- Chairmanship of Shri Kamal Nath, Minister of Commerce and Industry from the Indian side and Mr. G. O. Gref, Minister of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation from the Russian side.

Shri Kamal Nath, Minister of Commerce and Industry visited St.Petersburg for participation in the 11th St.Petersburg International Economic Forum on 9-10 June 2007.

4th Meeting of Indo-Russia Joint Study Group (JSG) was held in Moscow, on 9 -10 July 2007, under the co-chairmanship of Shri G. K. Pillai, Commerce Secretary from the Indian side and Mr. M. E. Dmitriev, President, Foundation “Centre for Strategic Research” from the Russian Side.

Third session of the Indo-Tajik Joint Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical cooperation was held in Delhi on 31st July and 1st August 2006 under the Co-Chairmanship of Shri G. K. Pillai, Commerce Secretary and then Special Secretary, Department of Commerce from the Indian side and Mr. Hakim H Soliev, Minister for Economy and Trade of the Republic of Tajikistan from Tajik side.

The first meeting of the Indo-Turkmenistan Inter-Governmental Commission was held in Ashgabat on 2-3 October 2006 under the Co-Chairmanship of Mr. E. Ahamed, Minister of State for External Affairs from the Indian side and Mr. Rashid Meredov, Minister for Foreign Affairs from the Turkmenistan side.

An expert Group from Ukraine visited India in February 2006 to discuss the India-Ukraine Joint Action Plan 2006-2007

Sixth session of the Indo-Uzbekistan Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical cooperation was held at New Delhi on 7th to 8th March 2006 under the Co-Chairmanship Shri Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State for Commerce, Government of India from the Indian side and Mr. Alisher Shaykhov, Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade, of the Republic of Uzbekistan from the Uzbekistan side.

The 7th Session of Indo-Uzbekistan Inter- Governmental Commission (IUIGC) was held in Tashkent, on 13 -14 April 2007,under the co-chairmanship of Shri Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State for Commerce, Government of India from the Indian side and Mr. Abdulla Aripov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan from the Uzbekistan side.