1.   

Chidambaram to boost Qatar, India trade relations

India’s Finance Minister, P Chidambaram, is scheduled to pay an official visit here on May 19, a press statement issued by the Indian Embassy said yesterday. During his visit, Chidambaram will hold meetings with Minister of Economy and Finance H E Yousef Hussain Kamal, and other dignitaries. He will also interact with Qatari business leaders. The visit is aimed at further strengthening bilateral cooperation, the embassy statement said.

2.   

Pak-India trade normalization process needs to be on steady track

Islamabad—Pak India Business Council and Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in a meeting held here on Wednesday expressed the desire for keeping trade normalization process between India and Pakistan on a steady track. Deliberating on at the occasion, Chairman of Pak India Business Council Noor Muhammad Kasuri informed that Pakistan chapter of newly established ‘Pakistan India Joint Business Council’ will have its first meeting in Lahore on 17th May 2013 in which it would discuss the way forward regarding trade integration between India and Pakistan and prepare agenda for joint meeting to be held in July 2013 with Indian counterparts.

3.   

EU Trade Talks on ‘Last Lap’: India Commerce Minister

The free trade talks between India and the European Union (EU), which started in 2007, were close to ending in a deal that would be the "biggest" free trade agreement (FTA) that the EU would have entered into, India's Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said Wednesday. "Every specific wish cannot be fully met..[but we are] almost there…on the last lap. We have to have a middle ground which makes it fair to both sides," Sharma told CNBC in Singapore, adding that since April there have been regular meetings between the representatives of both sides and more are planned up to June.

4.   

India-Israel to set up centre for fruits in Haryana

Having set up a Centre of Excellence for Vegetables in 2011, India and Israel have now joined hands for setting up a Centre of Excellence for Fruits in Haryana, an official said here Wednesday. Set up under an Indo-Israel project, the new centre will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Mangeana village of Haryana's Sirsa district May 21, a state government spokesperson said.