Month: February 2024

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PoK activist raises concerns over worsening conditions

Talking about the economic condition of the country, the political leader said that” nothing can be said about the country’s economic condition with surety….reports Asian Lite News

An exiled political activist from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir has shown his anger and resentment at the degrading economic and political situation in Pakistan and its occupied territories of PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan.

In an interaction with Mirza Shafiq Aleem, a citizen journalist, the Chairman of the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP), Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, raised concerns over the atrocities and torture committed against the people who dare to stand against the Pakistani regime.

While explaining the situation Kashmiri narrated an incident when security forces used force against the peaceful protestors. He said, “There has never been a rule of law in Pakistan. Sometime back, the members of UKPNP were joined by several Baloch women who protested against the atrocities inflicted upon them by the Pakistani regime. At that time, the police forcefully snatched away their blankets amid peak harsh winters, and anyone who tried to help the protestors was stopped and threatened. All this was not happening on the outskirts of Balochistan. It took place in the middle of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, and the whole world was watching silently.”

Recalling his own case of torture at the hands of Pakistan’s administration, Kashmiri said, ” I myself have suffered through these atrocities, and I know about the hardships that the family of any abductee has to go through. Every day for them is very difficult. It is quite possible that abductions of people by the authorities may happen in other countries too, but the level at which this happens in Pakistan is a different story. And till the time these heinous acts are not stopped, expecting justice, peace, and democracy in Pakistan is not sensible”.

Talking about the economic condition of the country, the political leader said that” nothing can be said about the country’s economic condition with surety. Pakistan is surviving because of financial help from the World Bank. And if just one tranche of this bailout package gets late, the country’s economic condition gets worse than it already is in Pakistan.”.

“On the other side, there is also an elite class in Pakistan that has every luxury imaginable at their disposal. These elite classes keep getting richer by the day, and the provinces that have no production capacity and contribute nothing to the GDP of the country get the majority of the bailout packages received from the World Bank. The common man becomes even poorer and is not able to afford even the most basic of necessities, like most essential medicines. In such conditions, hoping for a miracle that will improve the condition overnight is not possible” according to the political activist. (ANI)

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Myanmar hands over three Chinese warlords to Beijing

This is the latest twist in the stunning downfall of the military-backed Chinese mafia in Myanmar….reports Asian Lite News

Myanmar has handed over three Chinese warlords to Beijing, who were notorious for trafficking thousands of foreign nationals to forcibly run scams, a media report said.

Bai Suocheng, Wei Chaoren and Liu Zhengxiang led three of four families which ruled Laukkaing on Myanmar’s north-eastern border with China, BBC reported.

They were were taken to China on a chartered flight, with seven others, the report said. This is the latest twist in the stunning downfall of the military-backed Chinese mafia in Myanmar.

And it’s yet another blow for Myanmar’s military regime, whose power is waning, BBC reported. Myanmar’s army, which had been locked in a brutal stalemate since it sized power in early 2021, is now losing as it battles well-organised ethnic armies on more than one front.

General Min Aung Hlaing is known to have supported the Chinese mafia in Laukkaing. For years, China had been pressing his regime to rein in the scam centres, where people are trapped and forced to run telephone and online scams targeting victims everywhere, BBC reported.

China’s unease at what was happening across its border encouraged three insurgent armies to launch coordinated attacks against the military in late October last year – and it hastened the fall of the mafia families.

The four families took over control of Laukkaing in 2009. Liu Guoxi, who led the fourth family, died in 2020. Over the years, their reign turned a poor Burmese border town into a den of criminal activity, especially for lucrative scam centres. The UN estimates that hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked into these centres across South East Asia, BBC reported.

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Chinese soldiers clash with Indian shepherds in Ladakh

Over the past three years, nomads in eastern Ladakh had stopped grazing animals in several areas near the LAC….reports Asian Lite News

A group of Ladakh shepherds bravely stood up to Chinese soldiers who tried to stop them from grazing sheep near the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Local shepherds had stopped grazing animals in this area following the 2020 Galwan clash. A video of them arguing with PLA troops and asserting that they were on Indian territory has won hearts on social media.

Over the past three years, nomads in eastern Ladakh had stopped grazing animals in several areas near the LAC. This is the first time they have asserted their grazing rights in the area and forced PLA soldiers to retreat.

The LAC is a demarcation line that separates Indian and Chinese territories. Differing perceptions have led to disputes between the forces of both sides, escalating to violent clashes in some cases. In this instance, however, violence was averted.

Chushul councillor Konchok Stanzin hailed the resistance shown by the local shepherds and praised the Indian army for supporting them. “It is heartening to see the positive impact made by @firefurycorps_IA in Border areas of Eastern Ladakh in facilitating the graziers and nomads to assert their rights in traditional grazing grounds along the north bank of Pangong,” he said in a post on X, adding, “I would like to thank #IndianArmy for such strong civil-military relations & looking after the interests of the border area population.”

In another post, Stanzin shared a link to the Instagram video of the incident, which reports say took place earlier this month.

“See how our local people are showing their bravery in front of the PLA claiming that the area they are stopping is our nomad’s grazing land. PLA stopping our nomads from grazing in our territory. Seems it is never a never-ending process due to different lines of perceptions. But I salute our nomads, who always stand to protect our land and stand as the second guardian force of the nation,” he wrote.

The video shows at least three Chinese armoured vehicles and several soldiers on the spot. The vehicles blare an alarm, apparently signalling the shepherds to leave. But they stand their ground and are seen arguing with the PLA troops. The shepherds insist that they are grazing on the Indian territory. On a couple of occasions, when the altercation escalates, some shepherds appear to pick up stones. But the video does not show violence breaking out. The Chinese soldiers seen in the video are not armed.

The Chushul councillor said the shepherds could bravely face the PLA troops because of the support of the Indian forces. “No doubt that our forces are always with civilians resolving the grazing issues with the PLA, it’s all because of their support that our nomads could bravely face the PLA,” he said.

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India to help Bhutan develop Gelephu airport

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The initial work for domestic airport of Gelephu was completed in 2012 but the airport faced several financial and operational challenges over the years….reports Asian Lite News

India and Bhutan are in talks to expand and develop Gelephu airport, located near Bhutan’s boundary with India, according to persons aware of the matter. The plan assumes importance given the Himalayan kingdom’s plans to make Gelephu a hub for economic investments in South Asia.

According to media reports in Bhutan, a master plan for the expansion of the airport has been prepared which proposes developing the airport, which currently stands at over 500 acres, by expanding its size as well as the length of the existing runway. The Airports Authority of India is in talks with Bhutan to help develop the airport, an Indian official confirmed. Talks are currently in early stages, they added.

Queries mailed to the ministry of external affairs and the Airports Authority of India went unanswered.

Gelephu has become the focus of Bhutan’s efforts to reach out to the global economy. During last year’s National Day Address, Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk laid out plans for the new Gelephu Mindfulness City.

“South Asia is experiencing an unprecedented economic transformation. This is a period of growth and a period of immense opportunities for our region, which is home to around two billion people. The land connection from Gelephu or Samdrup Jongkhar through Assam and Northeast Indian states, to Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore is a vibrant economic corridor linking South Asia to Southeast Asia,” King Wangchuk had said in the course of his remarks.

The Gelephu project requires greater physical connectivity with India, through road and railway linkages. The plan to expand and develop Gelephu airport with support from India is believed to be in line with these ambitions.

The proposed Special Administrative Region (SAR) in Gelephu could reshape Bhutan’s economic landscape. The SAR will have autonomy and legal independence to secure investments and develop the 1,000 sq. km project.

Bhutan is seeking Indian investments for essential physical infrastructure, including an airport and roads, to develop the SAR. Mint had earlier reported that Bhutan is in discussions with GMR to develop the SAR, complete with infrastructure required to push the region to becoming a key economic centre.

Bhutan has four airports including Paro, Gelephu, Bathapalathang, and Yongphulla airports. Currently, the country operates all its international flights from Paro airport via state carrier Druk Air. In fact in 1968, the Indian Border Roads Organisation built an airstrip in the Paro valley, which was initially used for on-call helicopter operations by the Indian Armed Forces on behalf of the Royal Government of Bhutan.

The initial work for domestic airport of Gelephu was completed in 2012 but the airport faced several financial and operational challenges over the years. Recently, the airport received aerodrome certificate from the Bhutan Civil Aviation Authority in September 2023 for international flights.

The Airports Authority of India has provided its services in supporting aviation in other countries as well in the recent past. In 2021, the AAI had agreed to assist the Bangladesh aviation regulator in enhancing its capacity in terms of infrastructure and skilled manpower.

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Court permits Hindus to offer prayers at Gyanvapi mosque complex

The court has asked district administration to make the necessary arragments in the next seven days….reports Asian Lite News

A Varanasi court on Wednesday allowed Hindu devotees to offer prayers inside the ‘Vyas Ka Tekhana’ area inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex.

The court has asked district administration to make the necessary arragments in the next seven days.

Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side said, ” …Puja will start within seven days. Everyone will have the right to perform Puja. Hindu side allowed to offer prayers at ‘Vyas Ka Tekhana’. The District Administration will have to make arrangements within 7 days.”

The mosque has four ‘tahkhanas’ (cellars) in the basement out of which one is still in possession of the Vyas family who used to live here. Vyas had petitioned that as hereditary pujari he be allowed to enter the tahkhana and resume pooja.

Meanwhile, working President of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and senior advocate Alok Kumar expressed his happiness regarding the Varanasi district court’s decision allowing the Hindu side to offer prayers at the Gyanvapi complex.

In an official statement, Kumar said, “We are happy that today the court has said that the plaintiff in that suit, along with the Kashi Vishwanath Trust, shall appoint a ‘Pujari’ to ensure regular ‘Puja Archna’ and performance of other rituals in that basement temple. This restores the status quo ante. This gives us the right to offer worship to the Lord at that place.”

He further expressed confidence that the final judgement in the main suits would also be in their favour, and the Hindus would get back the Gyanvapi place.

“We hope that this will be a precursor to the expeditious decision of the main suit. Based on available evidence and our understanding of the law, we do hope that the final judgement in the main suits will also be in our favour, and the Hindus shall get back the Gyanvapi place for the Temple of Adi Visweshwara for the good and welfare of humanity,” Kumar said in the statement.

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Opposition criticises President Murmu’s speech, BJP defends it

New Delhi, Jan 31 (ANI): President Droupadi Murmu addresses the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha at the new Parliament building on the first day of the interim Budget Session, in New Delhi on Wednesday. (ANI Photo/SansadTV)

Bahujan Samaj Party MP Danish Ali criticised the President’s speech and said that there was nothing special in the speech of President….reports Asian Lite News

Responding to President Droupadi Murmu’s address in the Parliament today, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that it was an election speech and was a one-sided narrative that leaves out several important omissions.

“They have written an election speech for the President to deliver. They have not talked about the things which they have not done. They claimed that they pull people out of poverty but they also talked about giving 81 crore people food grains. This is a one-sided narrative that leaves out several important omissions, which I believe, people will have to think about then they go to vote in Lok Sabha elections,” Tharoor told ANI.

Another Congress MP from Assam, Gaurav Gogoi told ANI that it appears that the government tried to hide the truth.

“It appears that the government tried to hide the truth. The way democracy was crushed in Chandigarh mayor elections, in the same way, economic and social issues were crushed in the President’s speech. I think the way those close to the PM are being benefitted will continue to get benefits with this year’s budget,” he said.

Bahujan Samaj Party MP Danish Ali too criticised the President’s speech and said that there was nothing special in the speech of President.

“There was nothing special in the speech of the President. The government said that they have given employment, but to whom? Yes, some of the friends of the government have got employment. The government has nothing to tell,” he said.

While BJP MP Dilip Ghosh defended his government and said that the youth should be asked about the speech, not the opposition.

“The youths should be asked about today’s speech of the President in the Parliament and not the opposition. The youths of the country are talented and they are setting up several startups. Till now everyone (INDIA alliance) was ready to fight PM Modi, but now after their captain is gone, they are fighting among themselves,” he said.

In opposition calling the President’s address an election speech, Union Minister Ajay Misra Teni said that the Opposition parties have no issues left to raise now after the way the Modi government worked for the development of the country.

Meanwhile, the government has kept the inflation under control despite global challenges and did not allow the burden on people to increase, President Droupadi Murmu said on Wednesday.

“The world has faced two wars and Covid-19 in the past few years. Despite the global crises, my government kept inflation under control across the country and did not put the burden on the citizens,” the President said in her address to the joint sitting of Parliament.

The President said 2023 was a historic year for the country when it maintained the momentum to be the fastest-growing major economy.

“The year 2023 was a historic year for India when it grew the fastest among major economies despite the global crisis. India grew about 7.5 per cent for two consecutive quarters,” she said. (ANI)

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Soren quits as Jharkhand CM as ED arrests him

Champai Soren, the state transport minister and a loyalist of Hemant Soren, will step into his role as the Chief Minister. …reports Asian Lite News

Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Chief Hemant Soren resigned on Wednesday evening after over six hours of questioning by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the alleged land scam case.

Champai Soren, the state transport minister and a loyalist of Hemant Soren, will step into his role as the Chief Minister. 

“Hemant Soren has resigned from the post of CM. We have the support of 47 MLAs and have proposed to form a new government. Champai Soren will be our new Chief Minister. We have not been given time for swearing in…” Jharkhand Minister Alamgir Alam said while speaking to media.

In the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led alliance, which includes Congress and RJD ruling has 47 MLAs, including 29 of JMM, 17 of Congress, and 1 of RJD. The BJP has 25 members and the AJSU party has three MLAs. The NCP and CPI (ML)L have one member each, apart from 3 Independents.

Hemant Soren met Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhawan and submitted his resignation. Meanwhile, the JMM leaders confirmed that Soren is in ED custody.

“The CM is in ED custody. The CM has gone to the governor with the ED team to submit his resignation. Champai Soren will be the new Chief Minister… We have enough numbers,” JMM MP Mahua Maji told reporters.

Champai Soren, the state transport minister, is a seven-time MLA and he represents the Seraikella constituency in Jharkhand. Before joining the JMM, he was an independent MLA.

He actively participated in the movement for the separate statehood of Jharkhand and rose to prominence during that movement. Later, Champai came to be known as the ‘Tiger of Jharkhand.’

“We have chosen Champai Soren as the leader of the Legislative Party. We came to the Raj Bhawan to request the governor for the oath ceremony,” JMM leader and state minister Banna Gupta told reporters.

Earlier in the day, a team of ED officials arrived at the residence of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren for questioning in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.

As per sources, the ED had issued a fresh summons to Soren, asking him to be available for questioning on January 29 or 31, or else the agency itself will go to him for questioning. This is the tenth summons issued to the Jharkhand Chief Minister, by the ED.

According to the ED, CM Soren was questioned as a part of the probe into the ‘huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia’.

The probe pertains to huge amounts of proceeds of crime generated by forging official records by showing ‘fake sellers’ and purchasers in the guise of forged or bogus documents to acquire huge parcels of land having value in crores.

‘Blow to Federalism

Reacting sharply to the resignation of Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that forcing Hemant Soren to resign is a blow to Federalism.

In a post on ‘X’, Mallikarjun Kharge said, “One who will not go with PM Modi will go to jail. Imposing ED against Jharkhand Chief Minister, Hemant Soren and forcing him to resign is a blow to Federalism. Intimidating opposition leaders by making the provisions of PMLA draconian is part of the BJP’s tool kit.”

He further said that the BJP’s work of destabilising the opposition governments one by one as part of a conspiracy was continuing.

“Whoever went into the BJP’s washing machine is clean as white; who didn’t go was tainted. If democracy has to be saved from dictatorship, then the BJP will have to be defeated. We will not be afraid, Will continue to fight from Parliament to the streets,” he added.

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav also sharply reacted to the ED’s move: “Bihar, Chandigarh and now Jharkhand! BJP has ruined democracy and federalism in a single week. It is not hidden from anyone what the central government is doing by destroying the impartiality of the investigating agencies due to the fear of electoral defeat and by making the agencies cells of the BJP,” he said.  (ANI)

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10,000 Indian workers to reach Israel amid war

These 10,000 workers will reach in batches of 700 to 1,000 a week, a source in the Israel’s Builders Association …reports Asian Lite News

With Israel’s construction sector suffering a severe manpower crisis post the October 7 conflict with Hamas, some 10,000 workers from India are to make their way starting next week, industry sources said on Wednesday.

These 10,000 workers will reach in batches of 700 to 1,000 a week, a source in the Israel’s Builders Association (IBA) said.

With Israel’s latest conflict with Hamas in Gaza a little short of four months, and a ban on the entry of Palestinian workers and the departure of several thousand other foreign workers, the Israeli construction industry has been facing a deep crisis and several ongoing projects are getting either stalled or delayed.

Following the conflict, Israel has banned the entry of Palestinian workers. The departure of several thousand other foreign workers, the Israeli construction industry has been facing a deep crisis.

Israeli business daily The Calcalist in a report in Hebrew last week said that the quota of foreign manpower for the construction industry has been increased from 30,000 to 50,000 and that the Israeli government last month approved the arrival of 10,000 workers from India.

The IBA source confirmed to PTI that the details in the Calcalist report were correct.

When asked about the arrival of the first batch of workers, the source said, “We hope they’ll come next week.” The workers to arrive in Israel would be part of the private recruitment track, which was approved by the government in parallel with the bilateral (inter-governmental) track to enable rapid recruitment of workers into the construction industry.

The IBA is looking to hire workers also from other countries such as Mexico, Kenya and Malawi. Screening of workers is said to have begun three weeks ago in India, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan.

“To date, out of about 8,000 workers examined, about 5,500 have been found suitable for work in Israel – the vast majority Indian,” The Calcalist had reported.

“The Indian construction workers are at a high professional level. Many of them were previously employed in the Gulf countries, so these are skilled manpower. Most of them are fluent in English, and those who have worked in the Gulf also know Arabic, which is a great advantage,” an industry source was quoted by the business daily as saying.

The selection process is led by IBA’s CEO Igal Slovik and Izchak Gurvitz, who heads the association’s division dealing with workers’ issues and the selection team.

Israel’s Ministry of Housing and Construction is currently said to be working on a proposal to increase by another 10,000 the hiring of workers through the private track.

This will increase the total quota of foreign workers employed in the industry from 50,000 workers today to 60,000.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a telephonic conversation with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in December had “discussed advancing the arrival of foreign workers from India to the State of Israel.” Israel’s Minister of Economy, Nir Barkat, during his trip to India in April last year, had spoken to officials and his counterpart in New Delhi about hiring Indians in various sectors, including the construction sector.

The discussions then revolved around bringing in almost 160,000 people in various sectors.

About 18,000 Indians are working in Israel, mostly as caregivers. Most of them decided to stay back in Israel and did not leave the country during the war because “they felt quite secure” and “also because the salaries are quite attractive”.

Israel and India also signed a pact in May last year during the then Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen’s visit to New Delhi that will allow 42,000 Indian workers to work in the Jewish state in the fields of construction and nursing, a move that was then seen “to help deal with the rising cost of living and assist thousands of families waiting for nursing care”.

A statement released by the Israeli Foreign Ministry then said that 34,000 workers will be engaged in the construction field and another 8,000 for nursing needs.

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Canada’s politics gave space to extremism, says Jaishankar


Jaishankar criticised Canada’s political landscape, citing the infiltration of extremist elements as the primary reason for Canada’s recent actions toward India….reports Asian Lite News

Canada ignored India’s request for sharing information about any concerns they may have, and instead made allegations in public against India over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told NDTV in an interview.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had kicked up a massive diplomatic row between the two countries over the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which Trudeau said was allegedly shot dead by “Indian government agents” outside a gurdwara in Surrey city.

Jaishankar faulted the condition of Canada’s politics in which extremist elements have got themselves embedded, as the major factor behind Canada’s recent behaviour towards India.

“Canada, for some years, has been giving space to extremists and terrorists in their politics. I believe this is a weakness in their politics. A lot of problems have happened there because of this. It should not have happened,” Jaishankar said.

“Their Prime Minister made an allegation against us in public. Before that, both Prime Ministers met, and I was also there. Our position then was that if there is anything in your mind that’s worrying you, any information you got, please tell us. Even if you don’t want to tell us everything, at least say something, so that we can investigate from our side,” he said.

“They did not share anything, but made allegations in public. In comparison, see the example of the US. The US told us that they have some information about criminals, and they will give us some information to look into from our side, and we will compare the information, investigate the matter,” the Eternal Affairs Minister said.

“Separatism, extremism, and violence have been given space in Canada’s politics. There is no such problem in the US. Yes, they have other issues, but there is a difference between Canada and the US in their politics, their approach, and how they handle bilateral relationships,” Mr Jaishankar said, referring to the row over an alleged plot to murder US-based Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

India had rejected Trudeau’s allegation as “absurd”. Canada shared no specific information regarding its charges, India had said, flagging “politically condoned hate crimes and criminal violence” in that country.

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India, Oman Cement Defence Ties

The agreement was signed during the 12th Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMCC) meeting in Muscat….reports Asian Lite News

 India and Oman on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) pertaining to procurement of defence material and equipment which would provide a framework for a new area of defence collaboration.

The agreement was signed during the 12th Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMCC) meeting in Muscat.

India’s Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and Oman’s Defence Ministry’s Secretary General Mohammed Bin Naseer Bin Ali Al Zaabi co-chaired the meeting, during which the two countries reviewed and appreciated the “robust defence cooperation” between India and Oman, the Defence Ministry (MoD) said in a statement.

According to the MoD, the meeting delved into many new areas of cooperation in the fields of training, joint exercise, information sharing, oceanography, and ship building, that would build mutual trust and interoperability between militaries of both nations.

They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of shared interest.

Both sides discussed “effective and practical” initiatives to further boost bilateral defence engagements with focus on defence industries collaboration.

Last month, India and Oman had adopted the India-Oman joint vision document titled ‘A Partnership for the Future’ the visit of Oman’s Head of State Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik. The MoU signed on Wednesday was towards implementing the same.

The MoD said that during the two day (January 30-31) visit to Oman, the Defence Secretary also held bilateral talks with the Secretary General.

Aramane highlighted the potential of domestic defence industry with capacity, capability and looked forward to a fruitful partnership with the Armed Forces of Oman. Oman expressed confidence in the capability of Indian defence industry.

The Defence Secretary also invited the Secretary General and his delegation to visit India to witness the defence industrial capability, especially in aerospace and maritime sectors.

Oman is one of India’s closest defence partners in Gulf region and defence cooperation has emerged as a key pillar of the strategic partnership between India and Oman. The two countries are committed to work under the vision of strategic partnership, the MoD said.

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