The President's 3 Nations Visit

Dear Readers,

Recently our President, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee returned from three nation tour. This becomes more important from Current Affairs point of view. Looking at the pattern of GA in recent IBPS examinations, we have seen that they have been concentrating on the country, currencies and Head of the states of the nations in news. So it is better to prepare them beforehand and we might get an edge. So let us start discussing the topic in detail.

The visits to Jordan, Palestine and Israel were first ever visits by an Indian President. They reflect the importance that India places on enhancing our partnership with countries of this region, which is our extended neighbourhood. He got the opportunity to brief the leaderships of these countries on the initiatives of our Government in various fields and to explore possiblities of enhanced cooperation in bilateral, regional and international context.

Jordan and India on Sunday signed six agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoU) in various fields of cooperation.

The agreements were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour and Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, covering cooperation in the maritime transportation sector and a memorandum between the Jordan Institute of Diplomacy and the Indian Foreign Service Institute.

Another deal was signed between the Jordan News Agency, Petra, and the Press Trust of India, in addition to signing the executive programme for cultural exchange between the Jordanian and Indian governments.

Also, an MoU was signed between the ICT Ministry and its Indian counterpart to cooperate in ICT and electronics fields, and another between the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organisation and its Indian peer to cooperate in assessment techniques.

In a related development, India’s Ambassador to Jordan Anil Trigunayat told The Jordan Times that India has extended a line of credit of $100 million to the Kingdom for promoting trade and economic cooperation. 

The ambassador made the remarks on the sidelines of a ceremony held at the University of Jordan to award the Indian president an honorary doctorate.The Indian president outlined the democratic experience in India, its constitution, parliamentary government, as well as the council of state, which consists of 245 members, and the 552-strong parliament. 

During the meeting, Mukherjee and Judeh discussed the importance of seizing the available opportunities to boost economic cooperation, increasing trade exchange, which currently stands at $1.89 billion and is planned to be upped to $5 billion in five years, in addition to establishing joint projects in various fields.

Judeh and Mukherjee reviewed recent developments in Palestine, with focus on the continuous Israeli provocations. The minister stressed that the solution lies in implementing the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Discussions also covered developments in several countries, including Libya, Yemen, Iraq and Syria, with Judeh highlighting the importance of finding political resolutions that preserve the security and stability of these countries.

Mukherjee praised the role Jordan is playing, under the leadership of King Abdullah, in achieving security and stability in region, voicing India’s support for such endeavours.

An important road and a roundabout here have been named after India, coinciding with the tour of President Pranab Mukherjee, the first Indian head of state to visit Palestine. The Sharia-e-Al-hind (India road) and Midan-e-Al-hind (India roundabout) in Ramallah were named at a ceremony attended by Mukherjee and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and hundreds of Palestinians. The new road, which is close to the Mahatma Gandhi Road that houses the Indian mission, was unnamed so far and a Palestinian official said that it was given its name in honour of Mukherjee "whose visit reflects the strong bonding between the two people".

"The visit of the Indian President, the highest official to visit Palestine from New Delhi, is a historic moment and the naming and inauguration gives it a sense of history," an official of the Beitunia municipality, Yazan, said. A lotus structure mounted on a raised platform at the roundabout was laid with the Indian national flower in mind, he said.

Earlier, Mukherjee laid a wreath on the mausoleum of iconic Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Delegation-level talks were also held between the two sides to review bilateral issues.

In the first-ever official visit by an Indian head of state to Israel, President Pranab Mukherjee arrived in Jerusalem this week to discuss a wide range of issues including the negotiation of an extensive free-trade agreement, bilateral cooperation in agricultural and other technologies, and expanded counter-terrorism coordination. Israel President Reuven Rivlin described the visit as deepening “the friendship between our states in the fields of economy, science, medicine and agriculture.” Relations between India and Israel have recently undergone a major shift. In 1947, India voted against Israel joining the United Nations and did not establish official relations with Israel until 1991. This was mainly out of concern over how this would affect India’s diplomatic relations with Muslim countries, as well as India itself hosting “the world’s second-largest Muslim population in raw numbers,” according to a 2013 report by the Pew Research Center.

During Mukherjee’s visit, India and Israel signed a double taxation avoidance pact as well as a number of accords promoting cultural and technological exchange between the two nations. Mukherjee and his delegation reserved 70 rooms in Jerusalem’s King David Hotel and another 30 rooms in the nearby Dan Panorama. Celebrity chef Reena Pushkarna was hired by the King David Hotel to prepare Indian dishes for the delegation and some 300 members of Israel’s Indian community.

Further illustrating the growing ties between the two countries, Israel is India’s second-largest arms supplier after Russia. But relations are not limited to military ties and a mutual commitment to fight terrorism. Vijeta Uniyal, founder of Indian Friends of Israel, described how Israel’s commitment to developing the desert “extends to the Thar Desert, Gangetic Plain and Wetlands of Bengal.” 

Bilateral trade between Israel and India grew from $200 million in 1992 to $4.39 billion in 2013, with both countries importing and exporting precious stones, metals, machinery, minerals, plastics, chemical products, textiles, agricultural products, and transport equipment. 

Ties between the two countries are expected to strengthen considerably as a result of Mukherjee’s visit, signifying the solidification of a strong alliance between India and Israel.

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