India-EU News & Analysis

[JE Menon]

Rajesh,

I was responding to Sanjay. I think he was under the impression that the coins would be minted for use across the EU by all Eurozone countries...

[Sanjay M]

Full report pdf.

I find this negative view of Germans for India quite intriguing.
Actually reading together with the recent visa denial to Modi, things are looking omnious on the indo-german front.

Any theories to explain this negativity?

Of course - the predatory Kaangress has ensured that their political opponent is labeled a fascist. We all know how strongly the Germans feel motivated to denounce fascists - real or imagined.

Doesn't anybody wonder how Advani's picture ended up on the wall of infamy at the Weisenthal Center's Holocaust Museum?

http://www.sabrang.com/cc/comold/nov99/obvat.htm

http://www.free-press-release.com/news- ... 96070.html

This is why I feel it important that the Kaangress be exposed for the predatory organization that they are. They'll stop at nothing to demonize and smear those who challenge them, especially nationalists.

[Neshant]

Why dont the Indian govt take up the cause of the Romas in Europe ? After all the Danish and other euros always poke their nose in India's internal affairs.During Indira Gandhi's time, India did maintained excellent relations with the European Romas.

Hindus ask Denmark to stop Roma deportations

Hindus are asking for immediate end to reportedly forcible mass deportations of Roma from Denmark.

Absolutely. Take it up.

To start with, Denmark is a country giving shelter to that terrorist Niels Christian Nielson alias Kim Davy, mastermind of the 1995 Purulia arms-drop.

[Sanjay M]

So it's even smaller. It's just the Vatican doing this.

Well the Pope is not just the head of a religious order, but he is also the sovereign of a sovereign state. It is natural that a sovereign state would like the face of their head on the coins they mint, especially as the head is such a focal point of the state's life.

It's clear that this sovereign state doesn't meet any requirement for separation of church and state.
Does the EU even have any requirement for separation of church and state?

[Neshant]

It's clear that this sovereign state doesn't meet any requirement for separation of church and state.
Does the EU even have any requirement for separation of church and state?

they have a requirement for separation of church and mosque - hence the reason Turkey is kept out of their union.

[Lisa]

It's clear that this sovereign state doesn't meet any requirement for separation of church and state.
Does the EU even have any requirement for separation of church and state?

Strictly speaking EU has no such requirement. In the UK it is virtually
enshrined in law that the Sovereign is defender of the faith and all who
serve in her government swear an allegiance to her with that knowledge.

So much so that when a Muslim sued on a matter pertaining to blasphemy
the Appeal Court ruled that no such action could succeed as this was a
Christian nation.

In Denmark for example the state levies a Church Tax for the upkeep of the
Church which by definition propogates the faith. Denmark is not unique in
this matter.

[Gerard]

It's clear that this sovereign state doesn't meet any requirement for separation of church and state.

That is an American concept.

Three European countries have Catholicism as their state religion. Six others give special place to the Catholic faith in their constitution. Two have the Orthodox faith. One has a special relationship with the Orthodox faith. Three have the Lutheran faith as state religion with another having special relations with it. One country has the Anglican faith as state religion.

[RajeshA]

Well the Pope is not just the head of a religious order, but he is also the sovereign of a sovereign state. It is natural that a sovereign state would like the face of their head on the coins they mint, especially as the head is such a focal point of the state's life.

It's clear that this sovereign state doesn't meet any requirement for separation of church and state.
Does the EU even have any requirement for separation of church and state?

All these 'ideals' like secularism, socialism, republicanism, federalism, democracy, etc. are only 'ideals' only if they are considered pragmatic for a state. What is practical for one state, may not necessarily be so for another one. That depends on the history, size, location & ethnic and religious make up of the population. In Switzerland it may be possible to have direct democracy, where everything is decided by the people through referendums. In the rest of the world, that may not be practical.

The main requirements are that a country and its people should prosper and be in peace with themselves and their neighbors. Any system of government could enable it, depending on the people, their traditions, their ambitions, and the checks and balances in the system.

Indian Foreign Policy does not believe in passing judgments on other countries based on their system of government.

[chetak]

It's clear that this sovereign state doesn't meet any requirement for separation of church and state.
Does the EU even have any requirement for separation of church and state?

they have a requirement for separation of church and mosque - hence the reason Turkey is kept out of their union.

The turks are worse than the worst bangladeshis who park their backsides in India.

EU is alive to the fact that the turks will flood into all of rich EU countries as free movement is permitted between all EU countries to all EU citizens.

turks are genetically incapable of separating the mosque and the state as are the rest of the ummah. It's an integral part of their charm.

[Carl_T]

Is Italy too Italian?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/busin ... ral&src=me

[shyamm]

Photographs of the Voyage of Imperial German Naval ship SMS Gneisenau to India and the Far east, circa 1910-11

http://www.thefrankes.com/wp/?page_id=1596

[Sudip]

France rounds up hundreds of Roma

[krisna]

Italian Politicians Complain Gadhafi Trying to Convert Christians

Following his arrival Sunday he gave a lecture on Islam to a few-hundred Italian women and urged them to convert, handing them copies of the Koran.His behavior irritated pro-Vatican politicians like the head of the Union of Christian Democrats, Rocco Buttiglione. He said he was certain he would not be able to go to Libya and persuade Muslims to convert to Christianity and come back in one piece.

Ties between Italy and Libya have flourished since a 2008 deal in which Mr. Berlusconi agreed to pay $5 billion in reparations for Italy's colonial rule over Libya in the early 20th century. Italy is now Libya's biggest trading partner.

wow Italy actually paid Libya money for the colonisation.
wonder what will Indian govt do get back whatever we lost due to colonisation.

[Sanjay M]

EU to Defend IMF Clout as U.S. Seeks Wider Emerging-Market Role

Sept. 6 (Bloomberg) -- European finance ministers this week will try to protect their clout at the International Monetary Fund after the U.S. unexpectedly forced a debate on which countries sit on the institution’s board of directors.

Meeting today and tomorrow in Brussels, European officials are under pressure to reduce the number of their seats to give emerging economies more voice. They’re rushing to respond to a U.S. decision last month to block a proposal to maintain the IMF board in its current 24-seat form.

[krisna]

Polish PM discusses trade, defence on India tour

India and Poland discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relationship especially in the fields of defence and trade and investment during a series of meetings between Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Indian leadership here.

Mr. Tusk, who arrived in Bangalore on Monday, held delegation level talks with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh and called on President Pratibha Patil. Mr. Tusk is a first non-communist Polish Prime Minister to visit India on an official trip.
After his meeting with Mr. Singh, the two sides inked a pact to enhance cultural exchanges between India and Poland.

Besides, the economic relations, Indo-Polish military cooperation has also witnessed manifold increase after the visit of then Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee in December 2004 when the two countries set up a joint working group on defence cooperations.
Negotiations are on between the companies from India and Poland for joint ventures in defence field.

[RajeshA]

Krisna wrote:

wonder what will Indian govt do get back whatever we lost due to colonisation.

The loot by Brits during Brit Raj runs into trillions of dollars....

They can start by making entry into Britain visa-free for Indians. Then they could turn over all UK-Government owned land over to India. Then there are the crown jewels. Also I would like the Queen to scrub and clean Jallianwala-Bagh everyday. ....

[krisna]

French 'anti-Gypsy policy' denounced by European parliament

Liberal resolution with 337 majority rebukes Nicolas Sarkozy for deporting Roma and destroying their camps

Nicolas Sarkozy has been accused by the European parliament of stirring up racism through his anti-Gypsy campaign in a highly unusual vote against a leading EU country that has humiliated the centre-right dominating the politics of Europe.

Eric Besson, the French immigration minister, who was in Romania today pressing Bucharest to do more to integrate its large Roma/Gypsy minority, dismissed the parliament's attack. Paris would not bow to its "political diktat", he announced. "France has taken no specific measures against the Roma," he said.
Last month French police expelled 977 Roma, mostly to Romania, and demolished 128 camps, according to official French figures. The Gypsies from Romania are EU citizens and enjoy the right of freedom of movement in the union.

The French policy's contradictions were highlighted by the case of three Roma from Romania expelled from northern France. They received a deportation order, crossed the border into Belgium, walked a few metres, then turned around and legally walked back into France under the watching eyes of a French official.

But it represents a big blow to French prestige, not least because the parliament sits in France, in Strasbourg. It is rare for the parliament to single out a big founding member of the EU for such a reprimand.

[krisna]

EU threatens action over French Roma 'disgrace'

The European Commission threatened legal action against France on Tuesday over its crackdown on Roma minorities, drawing a parallel between their treatment and World War II-era deportations.

The procedure gives EU states the opportunity to conform with the union's laws, but any failure to do so can lead to a case before the EU Court of Justice, which can impose fines.

No member state can expect special treatment, especially not when fundamental values and European laws are at stake."This applies today to France. This applies equally to all other member states, big or small, which would be in a similar situation. You can count on me for that."

EU commission is mightily pissed with the french.

[krisna]

French senate approves burqa ban

The French senate approved Tuesday a law banning any veils that cover the face -- including the burqa, the full-body covering worn by some Muslim women -- making France the first European country to plan such a measure.

The legislation was overwhelmingly approved by the lower house of parliament in July and will go into effect next spring.

Some 82 percent of people polled approved of a ban, while 17 percent disapproved. That was the widest support the Washington-based think tank found in any of the five countries it surveyed.
Clear majorities also backed burqa bans in Germany, Britain and Spain, while two out of three Americans opposed it, the survey found.

The law imposes a fine of 150 euros ($190) and/or a citizenship course as punishment for wearing a face-covering veil. Forcing a woman to wear a niqab or a burqa will be punishable by a year in prison or a 15,000-euro ($19,000) fine, the government said, calling it "a new form of enslavement that the republic cannot accept on its soil."
The French Council of State has warned that the ban could be incompatible with international human rights laws and the country's own constitution. The council advises on laws, but the government is not required to follow its recommendations.

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life estimates that France has about 3.5 million Muslims, or about 6 percent of the population.
France does not keep its own statistics on religious affiliation of the population, in keeping with its laws requiring the state to be strictly secular.

France is sure pissing everyone. One more trigger point for clashes with ROP.

[RajeshA]

What Americans, Europeans, and Turks think about China and India [Chart 10]

Transatlantic Trends: The German Marshall Fund of the United States (pdf)

[RajeshA]

Published on Sept. 22. 2010
By Ahto Lobjakas
Hand To Mouth: Radio Free Europe - Radio Liberty

The EU suffered something of a rude awakening last week when the UN General Assembly refused (at least for a year) to grant it collective speaking rights at UN debates.

The bloc wanted its representatives -- the president of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy, and High Representative for Foreign Policy Catherine Ashton -- to be able to address the world like any leader of a sovereign state.

Wheels came off that plan when a coalition of mostly developing countries, led by the Caribbean nation of Suriname, submitted a competing motion of "non-action."

The EU's representative will now address the 65th UN General Assembly in New York today as an "observer," relegated to the end of the speaker roster.

"Europe Humiliated," the Belgian daily "Le Soir" summed up on September 21 what had happened

The Belgian daily observed that there is an increasing number of "big mouths" in the G77 group of developing states -- Venezuela, Libya, China, India, Iran, Brazil -- keen on scoring points against the developed world.

A report by the European Council for Foreign Relations released on September 21 notes that the EU is steadily hemorrhaging allies in the world: "One hundred twenty-seven out of 192 members of the UN typically vote against EU human rights positions, up from 117 last year."

[Manishw]

^ Hope the 'big mouths' from India increase onlee.

[ramana]

And the French want to ban the Burqa after this service!

French spy escapes from Dubai

[Karan Dixit]

Germany makes a strong pitch for India's UNSC candidacy

http://www.calcuttanews.net/story/692367

[Ameet]

India eyes $27.5-bn trade with Germany

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/In ... ny/691918/

[RajeshA]

X-Posting from Managing Chinese Threat Thread

Published on Oct 11, 2010
By B. Raman
India & China in Europe: Sri Lanka Guardian

17. EU-India trade doubled from €28.6 billion in 2003 to over €50 billion in 2007. EU investment in India more than tripled since 2003 from €759 million to €2.4 billion in 2006. Trade in commercial services more than doubled from €5.2 billion in 2002 to €12.2billion in 2006. The figures for 2009 were as follows:

Trade in goods
• EU goods exports to India : €27.5 billion
• EU goods imports from India : €25.4 billion
Trade in services
• EU services exports to India : €8.6 billion
• EU services imports from India : €7.4 billion
Foreign Direct Investment
• EU outward investment to India : €3.2 billion
• Indian investment to EU : €0.4 billion

18. During the first eight months of this year, China-EU trade exceeded 300 billion U.S. dollars---- a growth of 36.2 percent compared with the same period last year. The total value of India-EU trade in 2009 was about one-fourth of China-EU trade. According to China's Ministry of Commerce, 5.8 percent of Chinese overseas direct investment in 2007 was directed at Europe, behind Asia at 62.6 percent, Latin America 18.5 percent and Africa 5.9 percent, but ahead of North America at 4.3 percent. There were 252 investments by Chinese companies in Europe in the 10 years up to 2007, according to the international business consultancy firm Ernst & Young. Of these, the largest number, 101, went to the UK followed by 40 going to Germany, 24 to France and 15 to Sweden.

[SriSri]

India, Germany to Focus on Growing Defence, Trade Relations

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and his Indian counter part S.M. Krishna will hold wide ranging talks focusing on defence, trade and United Nations reforms. The German Foreign Minister arrives in New Delhi on 18th October 2010.


* The two sides are also likely to impart fresh impetus to trade ties and hold discussion for expansion of defence cooperation

* Senior External Ministry official was quoted saying "there is room for improvement" and that India is interested in acquisition of equipment as well as transfer of technology

* India and Germany have been recently elected as non-permanent members in UN for two years till 2012 and both countries have strong cases for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council

* Germany is the largest trading partner of India in Europe -- bilateral trade crossed nearly 13 billion Euros in 2009

* First five months of 2010 have shown an increase of 26 per cent compared to 2009 -- both countries are well on the way of targeted trade worth 20 billion Euros by 2012

* "Counter-terrorism and working jointly to deal with threat of terrorism is very much part of our strategic cooperation and could take many forms-- whether it was real time information sharing or close interaction of agencies handling such issues," said the senior official

[hnair]

Merkel says German multi-cultural society has failed

Merkel weighed in for the first time in a blistering debate sparked by a central bank board member saying the country was being made "more stupid" by poorly educated and unproductive Muslim migrants.

"Multikulti", the concept that "we are now living side by side and are happy about it," does not work, Merkel told a meeting of younger members of her conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party at Potsdam near Berlin.

"This approach has failed, totally," she said, adding that immigrants should integrate and adopt Germany's culture and values.

"We feel tied to Christian values. Those who don't accept them don't have a place here," said the chancellor.

"Subsidising immigrants" isn't sufficient, Germany has the right to "make demands" on them, she added, such as mastering the language of Goethe and abandoning practices such as forced marriages.

Merkel spoke a week after talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in which they pledged to do more to improve the often poor integration record of Germany's 2.5-million-strong Turkish community.

The hypocrites around europe, north america and oz are slowly losing their cool.

Next demand from the us to europeans: Stop preaching hatred. While you are at it, banish the evil of monarchy. Embrace modernity and equality

[Sen_K]

Sarkozy for UN expansion

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Saturday that it was a "scandal" that Africa was not given a permanent seat on the UN Security Council as he outlined his aims for France's presidency of the G20 and G8 nations.

Sarkozy also supported places for India, South America and economic powers Japan and Germany on the UN's powerful decision-making body, and vowed to begin tackling reform of the international monetary system.

"We are in the 21st century, we are no longer in the 20th century," Sarkozy said, outlining the need for major changes to international political and economic governance at the opening of the 13th summit of francophone nations.

Sarkozy told the 37 other heads of state and government that he wanted to deal with three major issues when France takes over the helm of the Group of 20 rich and emerging nations on November 12, and the Group of Eight industrialised nations next year.

They included a multilateral approach to the monetary system, volatile commodity prices and transparency in oil markets, as well as broadening the UN Security Council to developing nations and other economic powers.

"One billion inhabitants, in 30 years two billion inhabitants who have no permanent representation -- it's a scandal," he exclaimed, also underlining the legitimacy of a place for India as one of the world's most populous nations.

[Murugan]

And then there were two

Portugal And Spain Next?

FEARS that the infamous PIGS — Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain — would spell trouble for the world at large have resurfaced. When the sovereign debt crisis first hit Greece about six months ago, the global economy tottered. But it recovered after an initially-reluctant Germany agreed to a bailout package. That helped Greece tide over the worst of the crisis and, for a while, it seemed that raised the spectre of governments defaulting on sovereign borrowing had been banished and the global economy recovered. But as the rapidlydeveloping crisis in Ireland shows, the bailout was not a solution. It only succeeded in buying some time. The problems of Europe, and indeed of most of the Western world, are structural. Bailout packages cobbled together by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union can at best provide breathing space, within which countries have to push through austerity packages that are politically difficult but yet are not excessive to the point of depressing demand and aborting recovery. Monday’s rescue package is not the first, and will not be the last, of many. In Ireland’s case, its bailout of five domestic banks, that cost the exchequer €45 billion, proved too much for its already enfeebled public finances and triggered fears of sovereign default all over again!

The biggest worry on investors’ minds now is: who’s next. Portugal? Spain? And after that, who? Will the contagion spread or can it be contained? Greece needed €110 billion ($145 billion) in May 2010, Ireland is set to get €90 billion. For now, Portugal seems better placed than Ireland. So does Spain. Both have rubbished talk of a rescue package. But remember, it was not so long ago that Ireland was feted as the Celtic tiger. Spain was lauded for its strong banks, as was Portugal. Agreed, budget deficits of the remaining PIGS are much less worrisome at 9.5% and 9.3% of GDP, compared to Greece’s 15.4% and Ireland’s 14.3%. Agreed, quantitative easing by the US Federal Reserve should provide enough global liquidity. But, for now, one can only wait and watch. And, of course, urge the G20 to shed the sense of complacency that the grouping seems to have acquired after their initial frenetic moments of coordinated action, to work faster for a solution to global economic woes.

[ramana]

Why are we not following the Irish story. Its a blueprint for how the PIGS will be roasted.

[Ambar]

Blasts in Stockholm:

One person has been killed and two others injured in two explosions that rocked the centre of the Swedish capital, Stockholm.

A car blew up near the busy shopping street of Drottninggatan and another blast followed nearby minutes later.

Swedish press attributed the second blast to a suicide bomber but police said no cause had yet been determined.

Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said a "terrorist attack" which could have been "truly catastrophic" had failed.

Tweeting on the blasts, he described them as "most worrying".

A local news agency, TT, said it had received a threatening e-mail shortly before the blasts, which called for "mujahideen", or Islamist fighters, to rise up in Sweden and Europe.

Attacking the country over caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed drawn by Swedish artist Lars Vilks as well as Sweden's military presence in Afghanistan, the e-mail promised Swedes would "die like our brothers and sisters".

Sweden has 500 soldiers deployed in Afghanistan as part of the international peacekeeping force.

In November, the country raised its terror alert level from low to elevated because of a "shift in activities" among Swedish-based groups that could be plotting attacks.
'Pipe bombs'
A police forensics officer examines the area around the man killed in Stockholm, 11 December Police forensics officers examined the area around the body

Both blasts hit central Stockholm as the streets were busy with people out Christmas shopping.

The car exploded at 1700 (1600 GMT) and the second blast occurred 10 to 15 minutes later on a street about 300m (300yds) away, police spokesman Kjell Lindgren said.

A man was found dead near the site of the second explosion and two people with minor injuries were also found nearby.

Asked if the dead man had somehow blown himself up, Mr Lindgren said: "It is possible."

Unconfirmed reports in Sweden's Aftonbladet newspaper said the man was carrying pipe bombs, as well as a backpack full of nails.

Another police spokesman, Ulf Johansson, told the BBC police would not rush to judgement.

"We need more investigation and of course we need more witnesses to give us the information of what actually has happened," he said.

He said the car had contained gas canisters and had "exploded with a series of minor explosions".

The identities of the dead man and those injured have not been released.
'Stomach injury'

A former employee of the Associated Press news agency, Gabriel Gabiro, was close to the second blast.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote

There was a man lying on the ground with blood coming out in the area of his belly”

End Quote Gabriel Gabiro Witness

"I saw some people crying, perhaps from the shock," he told the agency.

"There was a man lying on the ground with blood coming out in the area of his belly, and with his personal belongings scattered around him."

A trained medic named only as Pascal also said the man appeared to have a stomach injury.

"It looked as if the man had carried something that exploded in his stomach," he said on the website of newspaper Dagens Nyheter.

"He had no injuries to the face or body in general and the shops around were not damaged."

I am not surprised. Unless native europeans wake up from their 'multi-cultural','radically liberal' drug induced sleep, the entire Europe is gonna go up in blazes thanks to the Islamists. What's more worrying is that with more and more islamist terrorist plots failing in US, they might be compelled to pick on easier targets : Europe/Canada are sitting ducks in my opinion.

[Vipul]

India, EU kick off fresh talks on free trade agreement.

India and the European Union moved closer to sealing an ambitious free trade agreement, with talks between the chief negotiators of the accord kicking off in Brussels, headquarters of the European Union. Sources say after years of discussion (the negotiations were launched in 2007), the broad parameters are finally in sight.

John Clancy, spokesperson for the European Commission’s trade directorate, told Business Standard this week’s talks would focus on “tariffs and services”. India and the EU have already agreed to eliminate tariffs on 90 per cent of all tradable goods and the current talks involve a proposal to raise this figure. India has asked the EU to abolish tariffs on 95 per cent of its goods, while the EU wants New Delhi to slash tariffs on 98 per cent of its goods.

India has argued that as its current tariff levels are far higher than those of the EU, it will feel a greater pinch on goods and is, therefore, asking Brussels to accept an asymmetry in the level of reduction. A senior EU official told Business Standard this was acceptable as long as the composition of the list of items on which tariffs were scrapped was “satisfactory.”

The auto industry will be in the spotlight this week, since a reduction of tariffs on European cars (which currently face import duties of 110 per cent) is a key demand of the EU. Indian auto makers are opposing the move, claiming it would hurt the domestic industry. However, Clancy made it clear Brussels was going to stand firm on the matter. “We are aware of the position of the Indian car industry with respect to the negotiations,” he said, “But it is clear that in order for the EU to support this agreement, access to India’s car market must be improved significantly.” A middle ground on the issue of cars is reportedly being worked out, with the most likely solution being the abolition of tariffs on high-end, luxury cars, while small and medium car makers retain a degree of protection.

The EU is also pushing for India to slash tariffs on wine and spirits and dairy products.

On services, India has asked for facilitation of visas for Indians with job offers in the EU. Brussels has said visas are a member-state issue, rather than one concerning the EU at large. However, recent media reports in the UK suggested New Delhi was trying to secure a guaranteed 50,000 extra visas for the EU under the accord.

Clancy clarified that although Mode 4 (as defined by the World Trade Organisation’s General Agreement on Trade in Services) issues relating to the temporary stay on the number of highly skilled Indian services providers in the EU were being discussed, Brussels had no ability to negotiate on visas or immigration.

However, there are a couple of immigration-related directives being pushed by the European Commission, independent of the FTA, that might address some Indian requirements. One deal with a so-called ‘blue card directive’, the European equivalent of the American green card, to come into effect later this year. It grants a blue card holder the same access to pensions, housing and healthcare as given to an EU citizen and also opens the possibility of job mobility between EU member-states

Another proposal is related to intra-corporate transferees (ICTs), aimed at making it easier for non-European employees of multinational companies to be temporarily transferred to that MNC’s subsidiaries in EU countries. Caps like the UK’s recent limitation on visas for non-EU immigrants will not apply to ICTs. Other services-related topics to be discussed in Brussels this week include the EU’s demand for a greater opening of India’s retail, insurance, legal and banking sectors.

The chapter on intellectual property rights (IPR) has generated some controversy, with civil society groups claiming a deal that would bind India to TRIPS-plus commitments would be detrimental to developing countries and their access to life-saving drugs. EU officials told Business Standard a new joint position on the IPR chapter had been worked out, and this would merely entail a reiteration of the existing IPR-related legislation in both the countries, which in some cases, goes beyond what was agreed to in TRIPS. However, the chapter would, in no way, necessitate a change in either side’s IPR legislation.

Public procurement is another grey area. For long, India had refused to discuss the topic at all. Though, talks on the matter are finally underway, no resolution is in sight. In recent months, European businesses have lobbied hard to ensure the profitable public procurement market in emerging markets like China and India are open to them.

At the India-EU summit in December, 2010, the two sides had committed to finalising a draft of the FTA by ‘spring’ Clancy said while this deadline may not be met, “intensive work would be on over the next few months to deliver on the joint commitment to take the negotiations towards a conclusion”. This would, first of all, entail a “political-level agreement that the elements are delivering on the interests of both the sides.” A final text would be ready after several months of extensive legal vetting.

The EU is India’s largest trading partner. In 2009, bilateral trade in goods and services was worth just under ¤69 billion, according to EC figures.

[nithish]

India not for IPR beyond domestic law in FTA with EU: PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has directed Indian negotiators not to take IPR obligation, particularly in the pharmaceuticals, beyond domestic laws or as mandated in a WTO pact, while entering into a FTA with European Union.

"The Prime Minister firmly directed that the Indian side shall not take on any obligation beyond TRIPS (Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights)/domestic laws," a PMO statement said today, giving a brief about meeting of the Trade and Economic Relations Committee (TERC) held on Friday.

[ramana]

WOW!!!

[shyamd]

German Foreign Minister on 8-day trip Mideast, Asia-Pacific

Oman to India to Vietnam to Australia. Quite a trip.

MRCA - Merkel due in Delhi next week, on the start of India Ger govt committee. Will be talking Yemen, Iran in Oman.

[Klaus]

Germany has confirmed 276 cases of HUS, by far the largest number in Europe. 10 people die due to enterrohaemorrhagic E.coli strain contamination.

This is a good opportunity to generously pay back the Oirostanis in kind, for the "Delhi superbug" psy-ops released by them sometime back! Time to do an equal-equal here and dent some H&D.

[RajeshA]

Germany has confirmed 276 cases of HUS, by far the largest number in Europe. 10 people die due to enterrohaemorrhagic E.coli strain contamination.

This is a good opportunity to generously pay back the Oirostanis in kind, for the "Delhi superbug" psy-ops released by them sometime back! Time to do an equal-equal here and dent some H&D.

I thought that was a UK initiative.

[Klaus]

^^^ You are right. I found the following articles and am quoting a portion of it:

Link 1

The British team offered the new “hypothesis” this week, after a su
rveillance study of 29 European countries, published in December 2010, showed that a small number of patients carrying the NDM-1 superbug may have contracted the bug in the Balkans. Countries in the region include Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro.

Before the European study, it was assumed that the New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase 1 superbug originated in the Indian subcontinent. In their paper published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal in August 2010, the authors even argued that British patients who wanted to get surgeries done in India ran the risk of contracting superbugs.

But the data from the European surveillance shows while most of the European patients with the superbug had been to the Indian subcontinent, a small number from Belgium, Denmark and Germany had not. They too had travelled — but to Balkan countries.

The authors have come up with two explanations for this anomaly in this month’s edition of Lancet Infectious Diseases. The first is that NDM-1 appeared “independently in both this region of southeastern Europe and the Indian subcontinent.”

Alternatively, they say, the NDM-1 enzyme could have been imported to the Balkans from Pakistan. They cited previous research that showed that “commercial kidney transplants” in Pakistan of patients from southeastern Europe were marked by poor outcomes and frequent infection.

The Brits intended this to soothe frayed nerves and alleviate some tension, doing some dastardly equal-equal in the process.

This link gives a more wholesome interpretation.

Dr K M Kapoor also shared story of one of his patients from UK, a leading glamour model, Toni Samantha Wildish, who underwent a Breast Implant surgery in Czechoslovakia and contracted a major infection in right breast during surgery and was discharged and sent back after 3 days. ( http://www.indiaplasticsurgery.com/case ... s-toni.htm ). By the time, she reached back home in UK after 5 days, she had started developing features of septicemia. She was taken up for emergency surgery and her right breast implant was removed, leaving her with asymmetric breasts. This left her with no option to look for a better place outside Europe and finally she was operated successfully in India at Fortis Hospital, Mohali by Dr K M Kapoor. Her previous left side breast implant was also removed and a new set of implants were placed to put her modeling career back on track. “Why this case was not much publicized by ‘Infections from other countries’ experts like Prof Timothy Walsh could be anybody’s guess but one reason could be that Czechoslovakia is part of EU” said Dr Kapoor.

Above bolded part is speculation by the doctor but it showed the Europeans as being equally complicit in this matter as the Brits.

I still stand by my original statement that this is a good time for some psy-ops based on the cucumber contamination. There has been psy-ops and negative propaganda directed against India and the sub-continent from mad-cow disease to SARS, most of it directed by the TFTA's.

[Surya]

http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?271977

Ashok mehtas brussels diary

sometimes I wonder which world he is in when he calls Brussels the world's swankiest airport

How do I trust his other writings now