PM ADDRESSES INDIA-SAUDI ARABIA BUSINESS MEET The Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, addressed the India-Saudi Arabia Business Meet here today. The presence of His Majesty King of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud as the Chief Guest at our Republic Day is a manifestation of the new wind of change that is now blowing in our relations with Saudi Arabia, the Prime Minister said. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Singh said that the Indian economy needs massive doses of investment in every conceivable area. He invited the business community of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to take advantage of the opportunity to further establish mutually beneficial Joint Venture projects. Following is the text of the Prime Minister’s address on the occasion: “I am truly delighted to be here in your midst, in the gracious presence of our most Honoured Guest, the custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Majesty King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud. I am equally delighted that we are here to talk about business and the opportunities for business between our two great countries. Saudi Arabia is a country of very special significance for us in India. Our two countries have very close and complementary relations for centuries. We are, in a matter of speaking, civilisational neighbours. Today, we have become an important factor in each other’s strategic neighbourhood. It is a matter of deep satisfaction that our multi-faceted ties are developing steadily. They cover a widening spectrum including economic, commercial, political, educational, cultural and other fields. We have shared interests in peace, stability and economic progress in our region. Trade relations between India and Saudi Arabia go back several centuries. Both countries have always been close and important trading partners. In another time this relationship represented the knowledge economy of the day. Traders from the Arabian peninsula who carried India’s ancient Mathematical science far and wide were the knowledge workers of their age. Today, we have re-discovered and re-invented our bilateral relationship. The presence of His Majesty as the Chief Guest at our Republic Day is a manifestation of the new wind of change that is now blowing in our relations with Saudi Arabia. India is Saudi Arabia’s 4th largest trading partner and the total India-Saudi Arabia bilateral trade reached about US$ 9 billion in 2004. I am sure this visit of His Majesty King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud to India will impart a fresh new dimension and added thrust to enhancing the content and quality of the economic and commercial relations between our two countries. Since 1991, the Indian economy has, undergone profound changes not only in its direction but also in its fundamental structures and underpinnings. Our economic liberalization programme is reflected across the Indian economic landscape and it has led to an economy that is growing faster, with increasingly more stable fundamentals. Our economy has also been able to integrate itself with the global economic mainstream. I am happy that today there are around 49 India-Saudi joint ventures in India and that Saudi authorities have approved 82 fully Indian owned entities or joint ventures in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Similarly, more Indian companies are investing in Saudi Arabia, especially in the fields of Oil, Natural Gas and Petrochemicals, Information Technology, Telecommunications and Science & Technology. I am sure the signing earlier today of the Bilateral Investment and Promotion and Protection Agreement and Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement will be a very important step forward in providing a more favourable legal and institutional framework for the promotion of bilateral investments in our two countries. I believe this would also infuse greater confidence among the members of the business community and that it would encourage them to make further investments. Today, India's economy is rapidly on the move. For three years, we have witnessed growth rates of between 7% and 8.5%. A growing market, with a large middle class, abundant raw materials, highly trained and skilled manpower, especially in the field of science and technology, is eagerly seeking new investment. The Indian economy will now need massive doses of investment in every conceivable area. Our requirements of foreign investment are particularly large in the field of power, telecommnications, roads, ports and housing sectors. Investment needs for the power and telecom sectors alone are estimated at over $100 billion over the next five years! Transportation infrastructure, including airports and railways, will require another $55 billion over the next 10 years. I therefore invite the business community of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to take advantage of these opportunities to further establish mutually beneficial Joint Venture projects. We in India greatly welcome Saudi Arabia’s membership of the World Trade Organization. We hope that this will help in further enhancing and strengthening our bilateral economic ties as I believe this will lead to new opportunities for boosting the commercial and economic interaction between our two countries. The scope for mutually beneficial cooperation is vast. We will be happy to share our capabilities and expertise with Saudi Arabia in the fields of health, Information Technology, small-scale industries. The economies of both countries are undergoing rapid economic liberalisation. Therefore, in this era of globalization, we must encourage our private sectors to establish closer linkages through concerted and sustained interaction aimed at long-term cooperation. I am confident that this historic visit of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Majesty King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud will be a pacesetter, a harbinger for more intensive and wide ranging engagement between our two countries. I wish the participants in this business meet profitable and beneficial interaction. I thank His Majesty from the core of my heart for gracing this function with his august presence. I hope all this will be the start of a very productive and more intensive phase in our bilateral ties. YEMEN: Death toll for smuggled migrants rises SANA, 25 January (IRIN) - The death toll continued to rise on Wednesday after two boats smuggling migrants from the Horn of Africa capsized off the coast of Yemen on 21 and 22 January. According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), 91 bodies have been recovered so far, while 114 people are still described as "missing"."In cooperation with local authorities and citizens, by this morning we had extricated 91 dead bodies and the citizens have already buried them," said Salah al-Aksar, director of the UNHCR Mayfa'a Refugee Reception Centre. The two vessels, illegally carrying 256 Somalis and Ethiopians, capsized off the rocky shoreline of Jabal Riada and Bir Ali Shabwa province, about 760 km southeast of the capital, Sana."The first boat was carrying 128 on board and only five of them survived," said al-Aksar. "The second was also carrying 128 refugees and 46 of them survived." Rescue operations are continuing to search for bodies along the coast.Between 12 and 23 January, at least 27 smugglers' boats carrying unknown numbers of passengers arrived along the coast of Yemen from the Horn of Africa, according to UNHCR.The recent spate of arrivals followed a two-week lull due to inclement weather in the Gulf of Aden. Drought, recent clashes in parts of Somalia and general instability are believed to have prompted people to resort to smugglers, said UNHCR officials. "In many cases trafficking is the only option," said UNHCR spokesman William Spindler. "These people can't afford commercial flights or boats." According to a UNHCR statement, another boat dropped some 120 people ashore at Bir Ali on 21 January. Passengers on that voyage reported that 10 people had died en route, four of whom were reportedly thrown overboard and six who died of dehydration. Another passenger died after reaching the shore.Despite government plans to combat smuggling across Yemen's 2000 km long coast-line, officials expressed exasperation. "We have plans to combat smuggling and we have been implementing them, but our resources are not enough," said one official from the Coast Guard Authority, who requested anonymity. Since 12 January, 1,295 Somalis and 73 Ethiopians have been registered by UNHCR's Mayfa'a reception centre in the capital. Many others, however, fail to register or make contact.Yemen, a party to the 1951 refugee convention, automatically affords refugees status to Somalis.   Jafza howcase infrastructural amenities at Arab Health 2006 January 24, 2006 Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), is showcasing its infrastructural appointments and value-adding services for the medical services and pharmaceutical industry at the Arab Health Exhibition 2006, being held at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre between 22nd –25th Jan, 2006. The exhibition is one of the biggest events for medical, equipment and healthcare services industry in the Middle East, and its 2006 edition is shaping up to be a crucial business development and networking platform to support the burgeoning medical industry and broad-spectrumed health care initiatives in the region. The medical infrastructure and health sector in the UAE is worth several millions of dollars, and is one of the key areas undergoing reform and rapid overhaul to enhance competitiveness in the global economy. Over the past few years, indigenous companies in the sector have gained ground in key markets such as Europe and the United States. Statistical Department of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC) registered trade in medicaments to and via Dubai of AED 669 million in 2004, while instruments and diagnostic reagents added AED 227.5 million and AED 57 million respectively. Trade in medical supplies and instrumentation is fuelled by various initiatives aimed at promulgating world-class standards of accessible healthcare in the Arab World. Jafza’s participation at the exhibition acquires particular significance due to large increases in international pharmaceutical and medical services companies working in free zone, attracted by dedicated infrastructure solutions for pharma, medical supplies and equipment, and state of the art warehousing. In excess of 150 medical and health concerns, including the Red Cross, LABCO, Luxus, Metrix, Gulf Evertech, Henco, Cmax and Callisto conduct operations from the Dubai-based free zone Salma Hareb, CEO of Jafza, “Jazfa’s inception was based on the principle of a knowledge-intensive industry belt furthering innovation and information dissemination in the region by partnering with specialized organizations utilizing cutting edge technologies and ideas. Jafza’s entrenched IT infrastructure, logistical amenities and proximity to both land and sea ports make it ably equipped to cater to the needs of the medical and pharma industry, which has of late shown exponential growth at Jafza. Arab Health will provide us an ideal opportunity to showcase our offerings to potential investors and raise our profile as a strategically located innovator dedicated to providing the highest quality services to the organizations we host.” Arab Health is the largest Healthcare Exhibition in the Middle East, with a 30 year history of offering companies the opportunity to showcase their products and services in one of the fastest growing and most lucrative healthcare markets in the world. There has been unprecedented growth in exhibition space since 2001, with a steady increase of 25 percent year on year. Firmly established as the leading healthcare exhibition in the Middle East, Arab Health attracts senior decision-makers from the region’s healthcare sector due to its emphasis on simultaneous exhibition and education via specialist seminars and conferences. The 2005 edition of Arab Health hosted 1,700 exhibitors, and saw over 28,473 visitors. Enhanced Service Offering- WiFi and Dual Radio handsets Tower (AIM: TWR), the Mobile VoIP provider, with its VYKE products, announce that it is enhancing its service by offering clients both WiFi handsets and dual radio phones from Nokia including the E60, E61 and E70 and the Sony Ericsson 990i.Tower, through VYKE, plans to offer discounted dual radio handsets from both Nokia and Sony Ericsson which will be preconfigured for VYKE Mobile VoIP services. Tower strongly believes that the introduction of dual radio phones by market leaders such as Nokia and Sony Ericsson will dramatically change the playing field for the wireless carriers and VoIP operators. Hans-Arne L’orange, CEO of Tower stated, “We are now already successfully placing calls from WiFi handsets such as Hitachi, UT Starcom and ZyXEL, for both pre- and post- paid billing, and we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of dual radio phones from the larger manufactures including Nokia in the first half of 2006” The existing VYKE mobile products are already widely used by retail customers through distributors and direct sales (Internet) and are currently undergoing testing by several sizeable Norwegian enterprises. The forthcoming introduction of WiFi enabled services from mobile handsets will greatly enhance Tower’s existing service offering. The addition of unlicensed spectrum e.g. WiFi based mobile VoIP, means that users can further reduce their communications expenditures by using the VYKE mobile suite. “The trend in the market has been to replace conventional fixed telephony services with fixed VoIP services and the value proposition has been primarily based on cost reduction,” stated Jan C. Berger, Director of Sales for the VYKE products, “The new VYKE offering with Mobile VoIP, will address the roaming market and the extremely overpriced calls rates that traditional carriers charge, when the user is outside the home service provider’s network. The savings for end users looks to be in the region of 50-70%. He continued, “We do not anticipate that the larger mobile operators will subsidize these handsets, thus we intend to actively market them to both our end-users as well as our enterprise customers. “In addition to this, the new service differentiates itself by targeting the mobile calls that are made from either the home or the office which represent approximately 65% of all mobile calls. Therefore this new service provides an even greater possibility of reducing call charges, while it continues to offer the mobility that users have become accustomed to. “Alongside the new services, the current generation of VYKE Mobile remains an integral part of the total solution by reducing costs on international and roaming calls from the conventional mobile network, as users will not always be within a WiFi hotspot.”Late last year, Tower announced that they have over 2.2 million active user accounts (PIN codes) globally, with close to 50,000 using one of the existing VYKE mobile solutions. Tower looks to increase this number of users by having both end-users as well as enterprises testing the product as early as March 2006, and anticipates releasing the enhanced VYKE products in April.

IRAQ: Violence and threats hamper freedom of expression BAGHDAD, 25 January (IRIN) - Local journalists say they are unable to write freely about politics due to threats from insurgents and unknown sources.Khalid Samim of the Iraqi Journalists Association (IJA) said the association had received more than 80 reports of threats against journalists from confirmed insurgents since the war began, and more than 100 from unknown sources. Threats appeared to target those writing about "government behaviour," Samim noted. "We received 22 reports in January alone, and all of [the threatened journalists] had written about politics during the election period," he said. "They want us to be blind to the ongoing violence in the country; to write about agriculture or culture instead of about car bombings or the hundreds who have been displaced," Samim complained. In some cases, local journalists have been intimidated into leaving Iraq after reporting on politically sensitive issues. "I wrote a story against the government during fighting in the Anbar governorate and the response was a continuous week of threats to my home," recalled Samir Muhammad, a journalist working for a local newspaper in the capital, Baghdad. "I had to leave the country for a month for fear that they might do something to me," Muhammad added. Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jafari, in an interview with the local press last week, encouraged journalists to write freely in order to convey Iraqi suffering to the world and make politicians aware of the country's problems. Despite this official encouragement, though, some reporters express scepticism. "Some people might believe these beautiful words [of the prime minister], but we know full well that speaking against politicians is just asking to be hurt," said Samim. Since it began in March 2003, the war in Iraq has seen a total of 98 people working in the media killed by insurgents and, in a few cases, by the US military, according to the IJA. International press-freedoms watchdog Reporters without Borders has called the conflict the most deadly for reporters since the Vietnam War. The investigative arm of the Interior Ministry has confirmed that most threats it had investigated were from unidentified insurgents. "We understand how difficult it is to write in Iraq, but we warn journalists to be careful," said Hakimat al-Barawi, a senior investigator at the ministry. "At least until the security situation can be better controlled." Al-Barawi also noted that the ministry had information on "links" between some politicians and insurgents, although he declined to elaborate further. Despite the dangers, however, local journalists have continued to work. "Journalists are at continuous risk in Iraq, but if we stop reporting, no one will be responsible for showing the world the disasters here," said Muhammad. "For this reason, we have to take the risk and tell the truth," he added.