Embassy of Iceland - New Delhi, India

The Icelandic investment bank Askar Capital has joined hands with India´s SKIL Group to set up a $500 million private equity fund, as part of its initiative to enter the Indian market with a special focus on the SME sector.

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Today, 29 November 2007 Ambassador Gunnar Pálsson delivered his credentials to the President of the Republic of Singapore, H.E. Mr. Sellapan Ramanathan, as the Ambassador of Iceland to Singapore, residing in New Delhi.

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H.E. Arni Mathiesen, the Minister of Finance for Iceland, was the Guest of Honour, at a Business Seminar organized by the Confederation of Indian Industries on 23 November, on the occasion of the visit of a trade delegation from Iceland. >>>

Friday 23 November, the Finance Ministers of Iceland and India, H.E. Mr. Árni M. Mathiesen and H.E. Mr. P. Chidambaram, signed a Bilateral Treaty on the Avoidance of Double Taxation. At the signing ceremony in New Delhi, Mr. Chidambaram expressed his confidence that the agreement would result in high degree of comfort for investors of both the countries. >>>

On Friday 23 November, the Icelandic bank Glitnir and India´s LNJ Bhilwara Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate in developing geothermal power plants in India and Nepal. >>>

Today, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Ms. Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladótir, delivered her first foreign policy speech to Althingi, the Parliament of Iceland. In her address, Ms. Gísladóttir discussed Iceland´s foreign policy challenges with a special focus on Iceland´s role in a globalized world.

On Friday 19 October, the Foreign Minister of Iceland, Mrs. Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, addressed the Women's Foreign Policy Group (WFPG) in Washington D.C. At the occasion, Mrs. Gísladóttir was nominated as an honorary member of WFPG; an organization dedicated to the promotion of women as international leaders, and ensuring that women's voices are heard and women leaders are fully engaged in finding new approaches and solutions.

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The Foreign Minister of Iceland, Mrs. Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, has welcomed the decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and its Chairman Dr R.K. Pachauri, together with former US Vice President Al Gore.

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Today, the Ambassador of Iceland to India, Dr. Gunnar Pálsson, and the Secretary of the Indian Ministry for New and Renewable Energy, Mr. V. Subramanian, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Iceland and India on Renewable Energy Cooperation.

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Early October in North Iceland has experienced snowfall on Saturday night and Sunday morning. The children in the towns of the North were delighted to have an opportunity to go for a ride on their sleds.  The older generations were presumably not as happy since the snow blocked roads in various places in the north and northeastern part of the country as well as the West Fjords.

Today, the Foreign Minister of Iceland, Ms. Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, addressed the 62nd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York. In her speech, the Minister outlined Iceland´s natural inclination for peaceful dispute settlement and emphasized the importance of universal human rights, sustainable development and human security.

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Today, the President of Iceland, Dr. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, participated in a hearing organized by the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in the United States Senate. The hearing was held to discuss a Bill to Establish a National Geothermal Initiative in the United States.

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The motorists faced problems in south Iceland on Saturday as that region got early snowfall an they had not prepared their vehicles for the winters with studded tires, designed to drive on slippery roads.

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MTV Europe Music Awards has nominated Icelandic musician Björk for two awards at the to be held in Munich November 1, as best solo artist and as best rocker.

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US Senator Barbara Boxer, head of the US Senate’s environment committee, met President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson on August 22, 2007. The meeting was held at his residence Bessastadir, near Reykjavík, to discuss climate change and energy issues.

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The Indian Government has given its approval for opening an Indian mission in Iceland, along with new missions in four other countries. 

According to India's Information Minister, Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, who was quoted in the Indian media, the decision will help in order to safeguard and promote India's strategic, economic and political interests in the respective regions. 

 

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Five Icelandic investment companies namely, Exista, Landsbanki Bank, Kaupthing Bank, Glitnir Bank and Straumur Investment Bank, are the fastest growing investment companies among the twenty companies of the Nordic region.

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Today, Ambassador Gunnar Palsson and Ms. Charusheela Soni, Secretary, Ministry for Agriculture, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, signed a Memorandum of Understanding between Iceland and India on Sustainable Fisheries Development.

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As per the survey conducted by the European Happy Planet Index, Iceland is the country most fit to provide its citizens with a long and happy life. At the bottom of the survey is Estonia placed at no 30, while UK has been placed at no. 21.

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The Indian Minister of Finance, Mr. P. Chidambaram, visited Iceland 28 June to 1 July, at the invitation of Mr. Arni M. Mathiesen, Icelandic Minister of Finance. Mr. Chidambaram was accompanied by India's Ambassador to Iceland Mr. Mahesh Sachdev.

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The Programme Director of the United Nations University Fisheries Training Programme based in Iceland, Dr. Tumi Tómasson, visited India on May 21 - 28, 2007.

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On 27 April, the Ambassador formally opened an Icelandair counter at the premises of the Bird Group travel company at Connaught Place in New Delhi.

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On 23 April, the Joint Study Group (JSG) of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and India held its first meeting in New Delhi. Established in December 2006, the Group is mandated to report on existing trade between EFTA and India, suggest ways to encourage closer economic ties and examine the feasibility of an EFTA-India Trade and Investment Agreement.

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The purpose of the Iceland – India Business Guide 2007 is to provide companies interested in doing business in Iceland or India with updated information on the two countries and their bilateral and multilateral trade relations. >>>

The Embassy publishes an e-newsletter, starting in April 2007, with updated information on bilateral relations between Iceland and India. The one-page e-newsletter, to be issued regularly, will be distributed electronically to key contacts in India and Iceland. >>>

Thursday 5 April 2007, the Ambassador of Iceland, Dr. Gunnar Pálsson, and the Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Science and Education, Dr. T. Ramasami, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Earthquake Prediction Research between Iceland and India. >>>

The Embassy of Iceland in New Delhi will be closed over the Easter holidays from 5 April 2007 until 10 April 2007. In case of an emergency, please contact the Embassy staff on duty, mobile nr. +91 99 10234 914/5 or the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +354 5459900.

The Embassy wishes everyone a peaceful Easter holiday.

At the ocean floor in the south of Iceland, the Earth’s crust at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge has vanished in an area that covers many thousands of kilometers. An investigation of this phenomenon is being done by scientists from the United Kingdom. Usually, the earth’s crust is 8 kilometers thick, but the opening in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge goes down to the earth’s mantle. This is being described as a “huge open wound” on the earth’s surface. >>>

The first migratory birds have arrived in Iceland, ahead of schedule. Most birds come to Iceland after the first week of April and the last birds arrive in May. The early arrival can be explained by mild weather and southerly wind directions, but the weather has great influence on the arrival of migratory birds. A total of 369 species of birds have been recorded in Iceland. >>>

Utankjörfundaratkvæðagreiðsla vegna alþingiskosninga 12. maí 2007 hófst 17. mars sl. og fer fram í öllum sendiráðum Íslands erlendis, fastanefnd Íslands hjá Evrópuráðinu og aðalræðisskrifstofum Íslands í New York, Winnipeg og Þórshöfn í Færeyjum (frá 2. apríl). Íslenskir ríkisborgarar á Indlandi geta kosið utankjörstaðar hjá sendiráði Íslands í Delí á skrifstofutíma, og hjá kjörræðismanni Íslands í Chennai, skv. samkomulagi. >>>

The Ministry of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs draws attention to the fact that the deadline for applying for the re-granting of Icelandic citizenship under the Interim Provision of the Icelandic Citizenship Act, No. 100/1952 (cf. the Act No. 9/2003) is 1 July 2007. >>>

The Government of Iceland decided 8 March 2007 to double its contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to 0,2 million USD in 2007. This was announced following the meeting of Valgerdur Sverrisdottir, Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs, with Karen Koning AbuZayd, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, in Reykjavik, Iceland. At their meeting, the Icelandic Foreign Minister and UNRWA´s Commissioner-General discussed the conditions of Palestinian refugees, UNRWA´s various operations, and the current situation in Gaza and on the West Bank. >>>

A website containing practical information in English about the general election in Iceland to be held on 12 May 2007 was launched this weekend, see www.kosning.is/english/

This website is operated by the Icelandic Ministry of Justice and is an excellent source of information for all interested in following the upcoming elections. The website also offers information about law and regulations surrounding the election, the execution of the election and relevant statistics. Closer to May 12, information about candidate lists and polling stations will be published on the site.

Recently, the international investors service Moody’s upgraded the long-term credit rating of the Icelandic banks, Glitnir, Landsbanki and Kaupthing, from A1 and A2 to Aaa, the highest rating available. The three Icelandic banks, all with substantial international operations, now have the same score as five other Nordic banks, including Nordea and Danske Bank and a higher score than the big Swedish banks, SEB, Svenska Handelsbanken and Swedbank, which were downgraded. >>>

H.E. Dr. Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, the President of Iceland, visited New Delhi 21-25 January 2007. The purpose of his visit was to attend the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS), organized by TERI. In his speech at the Summit, President Grimsson outlined Iceland´s experience in the use of renewable energy, both hydropower and geothermal, and introduced his vision of Iceland as a platform for international cooperation and research in the field of renewable energy. >>>

Dr. Gunnar Palsson presented his credentials to H.E. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on 18 January 2007 as Iceland´s new Ambassador to India, residing in New Delhi. The ceremony took place in the President´s palace Rashtrapati Bhavan. Following the ceremony, President Kalam presented his views on how the interests of Iceland and India coincided, amongst others in the field of scientific research, education and technology.