Annual Report 2010-2011 Ministry of External Affairs New Delhi Published by: Policy Planning and Research Division, Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi This Annual Report can also be accessed at website: www.mea.gov.in Designed and printed by: Cyberart Informations Pvt. Ltd. 1517 Hemkunt Chambers, 89 Nehru Place, New Delhi 110 019 E mail: [email protected] Website: www.cyberart.co.in Telefax: 0120-4231676 Contents Introduction and Synopsis i-xviii 1 India’s Neighbours 1 2 South East Asia and the Pacific 18 3 East Asia 26 4 Eurasia 32 5 The Gulf, West Asia and North Africa 41 6 Africa (South of Sahara) 50 7 Europe and European Union 66 8 The Americas 88 9 United Nations and International Organizations 105 10 Disarmament and International Security Affairs 120 11 Multilateral Economic Relation 125 12 SAARC 128 13 Technical and Economic Cooperation and Development Partnership 131 14 Investment and Technology Promotion 134 15 Energy Security 136 16 Policy Planning and Research 137 17 Protocol 140 18 Consular, Passport and Visa Services 147 19 Administration and Establishment 150 20 Right to Information and Chief Public Information Office 153 21 e-Governance and Information Technology 154 22 Coordination 155 23 External Publicity 156 24 Public Diplomacy 158 25 Foreign Service Institute 165 26 Implementation of Official Language Policy and Propagation of Hindi Abroad 167 27 Third Heads of Missions’ (HoMS) Conference 170 28 Indian Council for Cultural Relations 171 29 Indian Council of World Affairs 176 30 Research and Information System for Developing Countries 180 31 Library 183 Appendices Appendix I: Treaties/Conventions/Agreements Concluded or Renewed by India with other countries 2010 187 Appendix II: Instruments of Full Powers Issued during the period 1 January 2010 to December 2010 198 Appendix III: Instruments of Ratification/Accession issued during the period 1 January 2010 to December 2010 200 Appendix IV: List of ITEC Partner Countries 202 Appendix V: List of ITEC/SCAAP Empanelled Institutions 204 Appendix VI: Conference/Seminars/Study projects organized/undertaken by Institutions/NGOs, which were funded, partially or wholly, by Policy Planning & Research Division during the period 2010-2011 206 Appendix VII: Statement showing the number of passport applications received and passports issued, miscellaneous applications received and services rendered, No. of Passports issued as well as Revenue under Tatkaal Scheme and total Expenditure of Passport Offices from 1 January - 30 November 2010 207 Appendix VIII: Cadre strength at Headquarters and Missions abroad during 2010-2011 (including Posts budgeted by Ministry of Commerce and those Ex-Cadred etc.) 208 Appendix IX: Data on recruitment through direct recruitment, departmental promotion and Ltd Departmental Examination made in the Ministry along with the reserved vacancies for April 2010 to November 2010 209 Appendix X: Number of IFS Officers with Proficiency in various languages 210 Appendix XI: Finances of the Ministry of External Affairs in 2010-2011 211 Appendix XII: The Major Sectoral Allocations in the 2010-2011 Budget (Revised Estimate) 212 Appendix XIII: Principal Destinations of India’s Technical Cooperation Programmes 214 Appendix XIV: Status of Pending C&AG Audit Paras 215 Appendix XV: ICWA - Seminars/Conferences/Lectures/Meetings: April 2010 - January 2011 216 Appendix XVI: RIS 219 Abbreviations 220 Introduction and Synopsis India’s foreign policy is dedicated to the furtherance of India’s relations with Afghanistan have been deepened our national security and developmental priorities in a through regular dialogue at the highest levels, highlighted globalized and interdependent world. It encompasses the during President Hamid Karzai’s visit to India in safeguarding of domestic priorities of sustained growth April 2010. The mutually beneficial implementation of and inclusive socio-economic development, as well as our development partnership with that country has tackling global challenges such as international terrorism, provided visible and meaningful substance to our climate change, energy security or proliferation of weapons relationship. of mass destruction. It is an undeniable fact that while we India remains committed to discussing all outstanding strive to achieve our domestic goals, we must also ensure issues with Pakistan through a bilateral dialogue in an our dynamic engagement with a rapidly changing scenario environment free of terrorism and violence. In order for in global affairs, and the emerging security and economic the dialogue to be comprehensive, serious and sustained, architectures, given the stakes involved for India. Pakistan must fulfill its stated commitment of not allowing The first step towards achieving our foreign policy territory under its control to be used for fomenting objective is to ensure a peaceful, secure and stable terrorism against India. In pursuance of the mandate given neighbourhood, and it is with this perspective that India by the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan, following is developing a mutually beneficial relationship with her their meeting in Thimphu in April 2010, the Minister of neighbours. India has always regarded the concept of External Affairs of India and the Minister of Foreign neighbourhood as one of widening concentric circles, Affairs of Pakistan had met in Islamabad in July 2010 to around a central axis of historical and cultural review the current state of the bilateral relationship and commonalities. discuss steps to promote trust and confidence between the two countries. The Foreign Secretaries of India and India remains committed in its support for Bhutan’s efforts Pakistan met in Thimphu on 6 February, 2011 to carry towards economic and social development. In keeping forward this process. It was agreed to resume dialogue on all with our unique relationship with Nepal, our engagement issues following the spirit of the Thimphu meeting with it grew as the pace of implementation of enhancing between the two Prime Ministers. cross-border connectivity infrastructure quickened. India Apart from maintaining close ties with her neighbours in continued to work closely with the Government of Nepal the South Asia region, India continued to contribute and political parties with a view to support Nepal’s peace substantially, in an asymmetric and non-reciprocal process and the strengthening of multiparty democracy. manner, to transform SAARC into a meaningful and Our sustained and mutually beneficial dialogue at various dynamic vehicle of regional co-operation. levels with the Bangladeshi leadership has strengthened our relations with Bangladesh. Our Line of Credit of The principle of mutual respect and sensitivity to each US$ 1 billion to Bangladesh for its infrastructure other’s concerns is stressed in our relations with China. development has further energized our bilateral relations. The year 2010 marked the 60 th anniversary of the Relations with Sri Lanka during the period were establishment of diplomatic relations between our two strengthened by the visits of the Sri Lankan President countries. President Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil’s visit Mahinda Rajapaksa to India, and frequent contacts at to China in May 2010, and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s senior levels of Government. India continued to assist visit to India in December 2010, were important the Sri Lankan Government in resettlement and landmarks in bilateral relations. India and China rehabilitation of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) demonstrated their cooperation in regional and in the Northern Province through a number of multilateral fora on global issues, such as climate change developmental projects. and the global financial situation. i Annual Report 2010 - 2011 Relations between India and the United States of America The Indian economy is getting increasingly integrated with are founded on shared values, increasingly convergent those of its East Asian partners. The President of India, interests, enormous opportunities for mutually beneficial Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, paid official visits to Laos bilateral cooperation and a shared commitment to work and Cambodia in September 2010. Laos and Cambodia together to address regional and global issues. These were have been important partners of India in carrying forward evident during President Barack Obama’s visit to India the process of India’s closer integration with ASEAN. in November 2010. Both countries have agreed to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh visited Vietnam for accelerate the deepening of our ties and to work as equal participating in the eighth India-ASEAN Summit and fifth partners in a strategic relationship that will positively and East Asia Summits in October 2010, and to Malaysia, decisively influence world peace, stability and progress. which is India’s second largest trading partner in ASEAN. In November 2010, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh India has a very special strategic partnership with Russia participated in the G-20 Summit held in the Republic of which has stood the test of time over the last five decades. Korea. Indonesian President Mr. Susilo Bambang The relationship, characterized by both sides as a ‘special Yodhoyono was the Chief Guest on India’s Republic Day and privileged partnership’, received a fillip in 2010 with celebration on 26 January, 2011. visits to India by both Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dmitri Medvedev. These visits served to impart Relations with the countries in the Gulf region and a