P.M. wraps up maiden Gulf visit with security, investment deal By Ammar Zaidi

Doha, Nov 10 (PTI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday
wrapped up his maiden visit to the Gulf on a successful note
that saw him inking agreements for defence cooperation with
Qatar and investments with Oman, and more crucially making a
pitch for stepping up energy imports.

The highlight of the November 8-10, two-nation visit was
the signing of defence and security cooperation agreement with
Qatar that lays the framework for collaboration on maritime
security, sharing intelligence and information on extremist
threats, money laundering and smuggling of narcotics.

"The agreement is just short of stationing troops (in the
region)," a top Indian official said.

India also sought an additional 5 million tons of
liquefied natural gas from Qatar to meet its growing energy
needs and has proposed to set up a gas-fired fertiliser plant
in the Gulf nation to meets its urea needs.

"We had an excellent one-hour meeting. (Qatar's Deputy
Prime Minister Abdullah bin Hamad al) Attiyah is a great
friend of India and promised to look into our LNG needs,"
Petroleum Minister Murli Deora told PTI Monday.

At Qatar and earlier in Oman, Singh sought to leverage
surplus funds in the region for investment in infrastructure
sector to boost economic growth that is slowing due to the
global financial crisis.

New Delhi and Muscat also put together a USD 100-million
fund for financing multi-sector projects in the two countries.

The two sides also signed an agreement for protection of
rights of about five lakh Indians working in Oman.

The India-Oman Joint Investment Fund, with a seed money
of USD 100 million, would eventually grow to USD 1.5 billion,
for investments in infrastructure, tourism, health, telecom,
utilities, urban infrastructure and other sectors.

A free trade agreement with the six-nation Gulf
Cooperation Council, which will be headed by Oman next year,
was also discussed with Omanese leadership, who gave Singh a
reception that is normally reserved for the heads of state.

The nation's Deputy Prime Minister, the highest ranking
official after the Sultan, and his entire Cabinet received him
at the Royal Airport on the evening of November 8 and were
present again when he left for Doha 24-hours later. On both
occasions, he was presented a guard of honour.

In Oman, the Prime Minister had a four-hour audience with
the Sultan where bilateral economic, social and financial
relations were discussed in depth.

Singh arrived in Doha on the evening of November 9 on the
second leg of the visit and within hours of his arrival
agreements on defence and security cooperation were signed.

Joint training exercises, training of personnel and
maritime cooperation were highlights of the defence pact
signed by Defence Secretary Vijay Singh and his Qatari
counterpart last evening after Singh held delegation level
talks with his counterpart Jabor al Thani.

Another pact on law and security enforcement deals with
money laundering and transnational crimes. It lays out the
framework for sharing information and database on threats
posed by extremists, and other security and legal matters.

The Prime Minister this afternoon called on the Emir of
Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani to discuss wide-
ranging issues to further economic, commercial and energy
ties between the two countries. The Emir also hosted a private
lunch for the Prime Minister and his wife Gursharan Kaur. PTI
A.N.Z.