Australia seeks free trade pact with Gulf states council

October 9th, 2009 ABU DHABI - Bilateral trade between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India was worth $44.5 billion in 2008-2009, WAM news agency reported Friday, citing India's Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor. This accounts for about half of India's total trade in the Gulf region.

October 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Reciprocating Bahrain's support for its UN Security Council (UNSC) aspirations, India Tuesday said it will support the Gulf country's bid for a non-permanent seat in the UNSC in 2026-27. Bahrain reiterated its position that Indias permanent membership in the Security Council would be a stabilising influence in the whole region, the external affairs ministry said here Tuesday, a day after Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor held talks with leaders of the Gulf country.

October 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's free trade agreement (FTA) with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) will not adversely affect the country's fisheries sector, Minister of State for Agriculture K.V. Thomas said here Saturday.

September 12th, 2009 WELLINGTON - Two India-born men have been appointed senior officials of the India-New Zealand Business Council, a body set up to promote trade between the two countries. Prominent Auckland-based businessman Wenceslaus Anthony will be the new chairperson of the council, while Wellington-based New Zealand-India trade specialist Raga D'Silva will be the new deputy chairperson.

August 29th, 2009 EU signs trade pact with southeast African nationsBRUSSELS — The European Union signed a temporary trade pact Saturday with Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe and Madagascar calling for tariffs on European goods to be removed over the next 15 years. The four countries in southeast Africa have had full access to the EU consumer market — the world's biggest — since the start of 2008 for most goods.

August 15th, 2009 BANGKOK - China and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Saturday signed an investment pact that provides guarantees against nationalisation, riots and disputes and is expected to boost investment. "The ASEAN-China Investment Agreement is expected to boost bilateral investments by 40 to 60 percent over the next two years," Thai Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai said after inking the pact with Chinese Commerce Minister Chen De-ming.

August 13th, 2009 BANGKOK - India on Thursday signed the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement in Goods following the meeting of the ASEAN-India Economic Ministers held in Bangkok. Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma and ASEAN Economic Ministers signed the pact on trade in goods under the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).

August 13th, 2009 KOZHIKODE - Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan Thursday once again expressed his concerns over the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between India and ASEAN countries, and said the central government has ignored the pact-related issues the state has raised.

July 21st, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala has sought the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) help to rehabilitate thousands of Gulf returnees who lost their jobs in the wake of the global slowdown. "The economic crisis still continues and the labour class in the GCC countries is struggling hard.

May 22nd, 2009 NICOSIA - The United Arab Emirates announced on Wednesday that it decided to withdraw from a planned Gulf Arab Monetary union, something with has been debated for the last 30 years. The decision does not affect UAE's broader membership in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

May 13th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that India has no connection with the Pak-Afghanistan transit trade pact. Commenting on Pak-Afghan trade pact, the Foreign Minister clarified that India has no connection with the agreement.

April 28th, 2009 China and Peru seal free trade pactBEIJING — China and Peru signed a free trade pact on Tuesday, state media said, part of Beijing's efforts to bolster ties with Latin America. Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping and his Peruvian counterpart, Luis Giampietri Rojas, witnessed the signing following talks at the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

April 27th, 2009 EU approves trade talks with CanadaLUXEMBOURG — The European Union endorsed plans Monday to open negotiations with Canada on a free trade pact that could see easier temporary movement of skilled wokers and reduction in rules and red tape. The negotiations, which could last two years, are to be officially launched at an EU-Canada leaders summit May 6, in Prague.

March 4th, 2009 CANBERRA - The Australian and the Indian government agreed Tuesday to resume the trade of Australian milk products for the first time since the suspension of importing goods in 2003. 'India's changing demographics, particularly its growing middle class and urbanization, is creating real potential for the trade growth and Australia is well placed to provide high-value dairy products,' Trade Minister Simon Crean said in a statement while commenting on the bilateral agreement.

January 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India is working on a multi-faceted cooperation structure with the Gulf nations with that region becoming a key trading partner. India and the Gulf also share the need for continued political stability and security in the region, according to Minister of State for External Affairs E.