RIYADH, 12 January 2007 — Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi and Minister of Commerce and Industry Hashim Abdullah Yamani will visit India next week to boost links with the South Asian country. Yamani will lead a 100-member high-profile delegation to New Delhi to attend a Joint Economic Commission meeting on Jan. 18, while Al-Naimi will participate in a four-day energy conference in the Indian capital beginning Jan. 15.
Addressing a news conference here on Wednesday night, Rajeev Shahare, Indian charge d’affaires, said the Joint Commission meeting will be co-chaired by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram. At the Petrotech conference, Al-Naimi will be joined by oil ministers of several countries including Iran, Qatar and Venezuela besides top officials of major global energy companies.
At the press briefing, Shahare also announced plans for “India Week” celebrations starting Jan. 25 to mark the visit of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to New Delhi last year. The celebrations will showcase India as a major investment, tourist and cultural destination.
Shahare said “the embassy will organize this event with great fanfare to commemorate the 58th anniversary of India’s Republic Day and the first anniversary of the visit of King Abdullah to New Delhi.”
There will be a “grand cultural evening” on Jan. 25 to be followed by a flag hoisting ceremony the flowing day at the Indian Embassy. This will be in addition to a three-day food festival at Riyadh Palace Hotel from Jan. 27 and a two-day tourism exhibition entitled “Incredible India 2007” to be staged at the same hotel from Jan. 28.
The embassy will also organize a seminar on Saudi-Indian economic relations on Jan. 29 at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce & Industry. That will be followed by a catalog show of Indian products and services on Jan. 29 and 30 at the chamber premises.
Shahare said a grand Indian bazaar on Feb. 2 at the embassy premises should be of particular interest to Saudi and Indian families. A raffle draw, to be organized on this occasion, will provide opportunity to the visitors to win attractive prizes. A live concert by ghazal singer Talat Aziz on Feb. 1 will conclude the celebrations.
