1- Singapore’s Consul-General Dileep Nair discussed the possibility of the GRC cooperating with research institutes in Singapore and furthering the Asian-Middle East Dialogue.
2- Indian Ambassador to the UAE Chandra Mohan Bhandari held talks with the GRC on a range of issues, including GCC-India relations and New Delhi’s stand on Iran’s nuclear program, as well as the instability in Iraq. As the GCC and India head for talks on a free trade agreement and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia prepares to visit India in January 2006, it was emphasized that the GCC-India engagement should grow beyond the political and economic dimensions to include security cooperation as well.
Dr. Heinz Hoffman, Executive Director of GTZ International Services, Germany, and Dr. Bernhard Dohle, GTZ Gulf Region Office Resident Representative held follow-up discussions with the GRC about signing a memorandum of understanding to establish a Gulf Development Program. Both sides agreed on the modalities of cooperation.
Ambassador Hamid Ansari, Distinguished Fellow, West and Central Asia Program, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi, discussed issues related to Iraq and the possibility of conducting a joint GCC-India workshop in 2006.
1- Prof. Dr. Jurgen Gramke, Director of the Institute for European Affairs in Germany, discussed cooperation possibilities between the two organizations with regard to improving GCC-EU relations.
2- Veteran Indian print and television journalist Saeed Naqvi exchanged views on reforms in the GCC countries, developments in Iraq, US policies in the region and GCC-India relations, especially in the realm of energy security
Ambassador of Sweden Bruno S. Beijer’s interaction focused on regional developments and cooperation between the GRC and Swedish institutes/government bodies in various areas, including environmental issues.
Iraq Defense Minister Dr. Sadoun Al-Dulaimi was briefed about the GRC’s activities in general and Iraq in particular. Dr. Dulaimi was presented a copy of the Arabic version of Military Balance, a journal published by the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies and translated by the GRC.
Military Balance is the premier source of analysis, factual data, and information on global defense capabilities and trends, which the GRC is making available in Arabic for the first time in the region as part of its information dissemination program.
