Nigeria to be third largest populatiton in the world by 2050

United Nations: Nigeria will overtake the United States by 2050 to become the third most populous country in the world, according to the figures by the
UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs on Wednesday.

The world's current population of 7.6 billion will balloon to 9.8 billion in 2050, with India's numbers to surpass China's in just seven years.

"With roughly 83 million people being added to the world's population every year, the upward trend in population size is expected to continue, even assuming that fertility levels will continue to decline," the report's authors said.

At that rate, the global population will reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100, it said.

The population of India, which currently ranks as the second most populous country with 1.3 billion inhabitants, will surpass China's 1.4 billion citizens by 2024.

But Nigeria is growing the most rapidly, and the populations in 26 African countries are likely to "at least double" by 2050, according to the report.

The number of persons aged 60 or above is expected to more than double by 2050 and more than triple by 2100.
The aging population is projected to rise from 962 million globally in 2017 to 2.1 billion in 2050 and 3.1 billion in 2100, said the report.

AFP

German passport strongest in the world

German citizens hold the world’s most flexible and powerful visa-free passport as they can visit 177 countries without applying for a tourist visa, and US tourists can travel to 174. British travellers can currently enter 175, which could change in the next couple of years. 

Meanwhile, Nigerian passport holders can only travel to 45 countries. And there have recently been hoax stories that Nigeria including some Commonwealth Afrucan countries has been given visa-free status.

With a possible score of 218, the visa restriction index by Henley & Partners, a citizenship and planning firm, ranks nations or territories based on the number of countries their citizens can travel to visa-free. The annual report is based on visa restrictions in place on 1 January

Germany claimed sole possession of first spot this year after three more countries scrapped visa restrictions for Germans, edging Sweden into second place with visa-free access to 176 countries.

After three years in first place, the U.K. fell to third  and was tied with Finland, France, Italy and Spain with a score of 175, up one from 174 last year, while the US shared fourth spot with Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Afghanistan found itself at the bottom of the table with visa-free access to just 25 countries.

Pakistan was in second-last place (29), just behind Iraq (30), Somalia (31) and Syria (32).

In a statement released earlier this year, Henley & Partners, which has offices around the world, including London and Melbourne, said only 21 of the 199 countries listed in this year’s study remained in the same rank as last year.

It said: ‘No country, however, dropped more than three positions, indicating that overall, visa-free access is improving around the world.

‘Somalia, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan meanwhile, continue to hold the bottom four positions on the index, and thus have again been labelled the worst passports in the world.’

‘Generally, visa requirements reflect strongly on each country’s relationships with others, and will take into account diplomatic relationships between the countries, reciprocal visa arrangements, security risks and the risks of visa and immigration rules violations.’ 

Full list of results countries:

1. Germany - 177

2. Sweden - 176

3. Finland, France, Italy, Spain, UK - 175

4. Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, US - 174

5. Austria, Japan, Singapore - 173 

6. Canada, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Switzerland - 172

7. Greece, New Zealand - 171 

8. Australia - 169

9. Malta - 168

10. Czech Republic, Hungary, Iceland - 167

11. Slovakia - 165

12. Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Slovenia - 164

13. Latvia - 163

14. Estonia, Lithuania - 162

15. Poland - 161

16. Monaco - 160

17. Cyprus - 159

18. San Marino - 156

19. Chile - 155

20. Hong Kong - 154

21. Brazil, Bulgaria, Romania - 153

22. Andorra, Argentina - 152

23. Brunei Darussalam - 151

24. Croatia - 149

25. Israel - 147

26. Barbados - 141

27. Bahamas - 140

28. Mexico - 139

29. Taiwan, Uruguay - 137

30. Antigua and Barbuda, Vatican City - 134

31. Seychelles - 133

32. St. Kitts and Nevis, Venezuela - 132

33. Costa Rica - 131

34. Trinidad and Tobago - 130

35. Mauritius - 128

36. Panama - 127

37. Paraguay, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines - 125

38. United Arab Emirates - 122

39. Grenada - 121

40. Macau - 120

41. Dominica, Honduras - 119

42. Guatemala - 116

43. El Salvador, Serbia - 115

44. Samoa - 112

45. Macedonia - 111

46. Nicaragua, Tonga, Vanuatu - 110

47. Montenegro - 107

48. Russia - 105

49. Palau - 104

50. Colombia - 10

51. Turkey - 102

52. Bosnia Herzegovina, Moldova - 101

53. Albania - 98

54. South Africa - 97  

55. Belize - 94

56. Peru, Solomon Islands - 86 

57. Guyana, Kuwait, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu - 82

58. Ecuador, Fiji, Ukraine - 81

59. Maldives, Nauru - 80

60. Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Qatar - 79

61. Jamaica - 78

62. Papua New Guinea - 77

63. Micronesia - 75

64. Suriname - 74

65. Bahrain - 73

66. Bolivia, Botswana - 72

67. Oman, Thailand - 71

68. Namibia - 70

69. Lesotho, Saudi Arabia - 69

70. Kenya - 68

71. Belarus, Gambia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Malawi, Swaziland - 67

72. Tanzania, Tunisia - 65

73. Ghana - 64

74. Zambia - 63

75. Azerbaijan - 62

76. Cape Verde, Philippines - 61

77. Uganda - 60

78. Benin, Cuba, Morocco, Zimbabwe - 59

79. Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan - 58

80. Armenia - 57

81. Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mongolia - 56

82. Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Togo - 55

83. Dominican Republic, Sao Tome, Principe - 54

84. Tajikistan - 53

85. India, Mali, Uzbekistan - 52

86. Bhutan, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Sierra Leone - 51

87. Cambodia, China - 50

88. Chad, Egypt, Gabon, Turkmenistan - 49

89. Algeria, Central African Republic, Haiti, Madagascar, Rwanda - 48

90. Comoros, Jordan, Laos, Vietnam - 47 

91. Guinea - 46

92. Angola, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria - 45

93. Congo (Republic of), Djibouti - 44

94. Liberia - 43

95. Burundi, North Korea, Myanmar - 42

96. Bangladesh, Congo (Democratic Republic of), Lebanon, Sri Lanka - 39

97. Kosovo, South Sudan, Yemen - 38

98. Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Nepal, Palestinian Territory, Sudan - 37

99. Libya - 36

100. Syria - 32

101. Somalia - 31

102. Iraq - 30

103. Pakistan - 29

104. Afghanistan - 25 

Source: Henley & Partners.

German passport strongest in the world

German citizens hold the world’s most flexible and powerful visa-free passport as they can visit 177 countries without applying for a tourist visa, and US tourists can travel to 174. British travellers can currently enter 175, which could change in the next couple of years. 

Meanwhile, Nigerian passport holders can only travel to 45 countries. And there have recently been hoax stories that Nigeria including some Commonwealth Afrucan countries has been given visa-free status.

With a possible score of 218, the visa restriction index by Henley & Partners, a citizenship and planning firm, ranks nations or territories based on the number of countries their citizens can travel to visa-free. The annual report is based on visa restrictions in place on 1 January

Germany claimed sole possession of first spot this year after three more countries scrapped visa restrictions for Germans, edging Sweden into second place with visa-free access to 176 countries.

After three years in first place, the U.K. fell to third  and was tied with Finland, France, Italy and Spain with a score of 175, up one from 174 last year, while the US shared fourth spot with Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Afghanistan found itself at the bottom of the table with visa-free access to just 25 countries.

Pakistan was in second-last place (29), just behind Iraq (30), Somalia (31) and Syria (32).

In a statement released earlier this year, Henley & Partners, which has offices around the world, including London and Melbourne, said only 21 of the 199 countries listed in this year’s study remained in the same rank as last year.

It said: ‘No country, however, dropped more than three positions, indicating that overall, visa-free access is improving around the world.

‘Somalia, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan meanwhile, continue to hold the bottom four positions on the index, and thus have again been labelled the worst passports in the world.’

‘Generally, visa requirements reflect strongly on each country’s relationships with others, and will take into account diplomatic relationships between the countries, reciprocal visa arrangements, security risks and the risks of visa and immigration rules violations.’ 

Full list of results countries:

1. Germany - 177

2. Sweden - 176

3. Finland, France, Italy, Spain, UK - 175

4. Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, US - 174

5. Austria, Japan, Singapore - 173 

6. Canada, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Switzerland - 172

7. Greece, New Zealand - 171 

8. Australia - 169

9. Malta - 168

10. Czech Republic, Hungary, Iceland - 167

11. Slovakia - 165

12. Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Slovenia - 164

13. Latvia - 163

14. Estonia, Lithuania - 162

15. Poland - 161

16. Monaco - 160

17. Cyprus - 159

18. San Marino - 156

19. Chile - 155

20. Hong Kong - 154

21. Brazil, Bulgaria, Romania - 153

22. Andorra, Argentina - 152

23. Brunei Darussalam - 151

24. Croatia - 149

25. Israel - 147

26. Barbados - 141

27. Bahamas - 140

28. Mexico - 139

29. Taiwan, Uruguay - 137

30. Antigua and Barbuda, Vatican City - 134

31. Seychelles - 133

32. St. Kitts and Nevis, Venezuela - 132

33. Costa Rica - 131

34. Trinidad and Tobago - 130

35. Mauritius - 128

36. Panama - 127

37. Paraguay, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines - 125

38. United Arab Emirates - 122

39. Grenada - 121

40. Macau - 120

41. Dominica, Honduras - 119

42. Guatemala - 116

43. El Salvador, Serbia - 115

44. Samoa - 112

45. Macedonia - 111

46. Nicaragua, Tonga, Vanuatu - 110

47. Montenegro - 107

48. Russia - 105

49. Palau - 104

50. Colombia - 10

51. Turkey - 102

52. Bosnia Herzegovina, Moldova - 101

53. Albania - 98

54. South Africa - 97  

55. Belize - 94

56. Peru, Solomon Islands - 86 

57. Guyana, Kuwait, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu - 82

58. Ecuador, Fiji, Ukraine - 81

59. Maldives, Nauru - 80

60. Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Qatar - 79

61. Jamaica - 78

62. Papua New Guinea - 77

63. Micronesia - 75

64. Suriname - 74

65. Bahrain - 73

66. Bolivia, Botswana - 72

67. Oman, Thailand - 71

68. Namibia - 70

69. Lesotho, Saudi Arabia - 69

70. Kenya - 68

71. Belarus, Gambia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Malawi, Swaziland - 67

72. Tanzania, Tunisia - 65

73. Ghana - 64

74. Zambia - 63

75. Azerbaijan - 62

76. Cape Verde, Philippines - 61

77. Uganda - 60

78. Benin, Cuba, Morocco, Zimbabwe - 59

79. Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan - 58

80. Armenia - 57

81. Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mongolia - 56

82. Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Togo - 55

83. Dominican Republic, Sao Tome, Principe - 54

84. Tajikistan - 53

85. India, Mali, Uzbekistan - 52

86. Bhutan, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Sierra Leone - 51

87. Cambodia, China - 50

88. Chad, Egypt, Gabon, Turkmenistan - 49

89. Algeria, Central African Republic, Haiti, Madagascar, Rwanda - 48

90. Comoros, Jordan, Laos, Vietnam - 47 

91. Guinea - 46

92. Angola, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria - 45

93. Congo (Republic of), Djibouti - 44

94. Liberia - 43

95. Burundi, North Korea, Myanmar - 42

96. Bangladesh, Congo (Democratic Republic of), Lebanon, Sri Lanka - 39

97. Kosovo, South Sudan, Yemen - 38

98. Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Nepal, Palestinian Territory, Sudan - 37

99. Libya - 36

100. Syria - 32

101. Somalia - 31

102. Iraq - 30

103. Pakistan - 29

104. Afghanistan - 25 

Source: Henley & Partners.

India is a great country to stay: Africans in Delhi

Putting behind them a "raid" on their residences in south Delhi earlier this year, many Africans say the Indian capital is still their "home" and offers them an environment unlike anywhere else in the world. "India is indeed a great country. The people here are much better than in other countries, where discrimination against people from African countries is severe," James Okumurah of Johannesburg in South Africa said.

A doctoral scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Okumurah lives in south Delhi's Khirki Extension, where many other Africans stay. Khirki was where Somnath Bharti, then the law minister in the short-lived Aam Aadmi Party's Delhi government, led a midnight raid, alleging that Africans staying there were involved in drugs and prostitution.

"Certain Africans may be involved (in illegal activities), but doesn't make every African the same," Okumurah asserted. Peter Masai, who works with a multinational company in Gurgaon, said after the Khirki Extension episode, more than 25 percent of the people opted to to move out of the area and reside in other parts of the city. Admitting that the episode clearly signified the rise in discrimination against the community, Masai was, however, quick to add that there were quite a few Indians who offered them help and solidarity.

"A controversy like the Khirki Extension was unexpected and shocking, and especially the way the (then) law minister alleged our people of running a drugs and prostitution ring. But it was nice to see that though a majority of the people in the area wanted us to vacate, there were still many who didn't have any problems in renting us their houses," said Masai, who belong to Zimbabwe. He added that it all depends on people's "perception" of the community.

Ebre, from Nigeria, said India is comparatively a better country to live in - and he even has plans to settle here. "I am here because the people are good. I am even planning to open a school here and develop my business in the education sector," said Ebre who lives at Arjun Nagar, also in south Delhi. He also brushed aside suggestions of racial discrimination. "People here cooperate and understand things. Following Bharti's raid, I have not faced any racial discrimination," said Ebre.

Agreed James Uhuru, and said that after the controversy, police have been more attentive to the problems of the African nationals.
"I have seen police personnel suggesting our girls not to be out late in the night, so as to avoid any kind of problems," Uhuru, who belongs to Nairobi, said. "It is very clear that India will always be a great country, but some people need to change their perception towards the people from Africa," he said.

The majority of Africans come here to study, they feel that education is one that drives them to the city. For many, the city is an area of opportunity that helps them get everything at an affordable rate. "Be it education or accessing health services, for us it is very cheap here compared to the US or European countries," said Infunanya Onyeke, who is from Kenya.
"Once you are away from home, a few things happen but that doesn't mean we will leave here and go," said Onyeke, a student at Delhi University.

IANS

UK Deputy PM Opposed to 3,000 Pounds Bond Plan

--> As the countdown nears to the implementation of the United Kingdom visa bond for citizens of six countries including Nigeria and India, there is a twist as Britain's deputy prime minister said on Sunday he will try to block any attempt to make foreign nationals visiting routinely to pay a security deposit to come to the UK.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said his Liberal Democrat party and its Conservative coalition partners had "differences of emphasis" on the plan, and details were still being discussed in government.

"I am absolutely not interested in a bond which becomes an indiscriminate way of clobbering people who want to come to this country," Clegg told the BBC. He said the bonds "are certainly not going to go ahead" on that basis.

"Of course in a coalition I can stop things," he added.

The UK government plans to begin a pilot project in November involving "high-risk" countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Some visitors will have to pay a 3,000 pound ($4,800) deposit, which will be refunded upon departure but forfeited if travelers overstay their visas.

Nigerian politicians have also criticised the plan as "unacceptable" and pledged to stand up for their country's interests.  "They should realise that it is not in the best interests of the UK," said Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje, who chairs the foreign affairs committee in Nigeria's House of Representatives.

Immigration surge swells UK population

   LONDON The population of England and Wales swelled between 2001 and 2011 after an influx of 2.9 million people born abroad, while the number of Christians plunged, according to census data published Tuesday.
   The figures from the March 2011 census paint a picture of a changing population, with more foreign-born residents and fewer people of faith.
   The population of England and Wales was 56.1 million, an increase of 3.7 million or seven percent since 2001.
   The number of foreign-born residents rose by 63 percent from 4.6 million in 2001 to 7.5 million a decade later. They now account for 13 percent of the population, up from nine.
   White Britons now make up 80 percent of the population, at 45.1 million people, down from 87 percent in 2001. Some 2.5 percent are ethnic Indian, 2.0 percent ethnic Pakistani.
   Indians accounted for the biggest number of those born abroad, rising 52 percent to 694,000.
   The number of Poles saw a 10-fold increase from 58,000 in 2001 to 579,000 last year and they now make up one percent of the population.
   The Pakistani-born population rose by 56 percent to 482,000. Ireland, Germany, Bangladesh, Nigeria, South Africa, the United States and Jamaica made up the rest of the top 10.
   Forty percent of all foreign-born individuals arrived since 2004, when the European Union expanded to include eastern European countries.
   Foreign-born women have a higher birth rate and the percentage of total births to non-UK-born mothers rose from 18.3 percent in 2004 to 24.3 percent in 2011.
   "These statistics paint a picture of society and help us all plan for the future using accurate information at a local level," said census director Guy Goodwin from the Office for National Statistics.
   "This is just the tip of the iceberg of census statistics," he added.
   The percentage who identified themselves as Christian dropped from 72 percent to 59 percent, while atheists rose from 15 percent to a quarter of the population.
   The fastest-growing religion was Islam, which increased by 75 percent in 10 years to 2.7 million adherents, or 4.8 percent of the population.
   Some 1.5 percent of the population said they were Hindus, while 0.8 percent said they were Sikhs.
   In London, white Britons are no longer the majority. They now account for 3.7 million Londoners, or 44.9 percent of the capital's population.
   Other whites account for 14.8 percent of Londoners. Asians make up 16.9 percent, while people who identified themselves as black account for 11.2 percent.
   Some 61.1 percent of London residents were born in England, followed by 3.2 percent born in India, 1.9 percent in Poland and 1.6 percent in Ireland.
   Twenty-six percent (848,000) of London households contained a resident whose main language was not English.
   The percentage of married people dropped below 50 percent, from 50.9 to 46.6, while the percentage of people divorced rose from 8.2 to 9.0 percent.
   The wealth held by the richest 10 percent of households accounted for 44 percent of overall wealth. The entry bar was ?967,000 ($1.55 million, 1.2 million euros). That held by the poorest 50 percent of households accounted for 10 percent.
   Among the more curious statistics, around 177,000 people claimed to follow the Jedi religion from the "Star Wars" films. Some 6,242 identified their religion as heavy metal, while 1,893 claimed to be Satanists.
   Despite having two cathedrals and more medieval churches than anywhere north of the Alps, some 42.5 percent of people in Norwich, eastern England, said they had no religion, the highest proportion in the census.

Okocha, Siasia hit fortune in Indian football

NEW DELHI Nigerian legend Jay Jay Okocha and former Super Eagles coach was amongst a star attraction of renowned retired and semi-retired soccer world stars auctioned in Kolkata on Monday to play in a new football tournament over seven weeks in the proposed Premier League Soccer (PLS), in India.

Hernan Crespo from Argentina emerged the most expensive player for an annual salary of $840,000 by the Barasat franchise.

Italy's World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro went for $830,000 to Siliguri, Robert Pires of France fetched $800,000 from Howrah, Nigerian Jay Jay Okocha got $550,000 from Durgapur and Robbie Fowler of England was sold to Kolkata for $530,000.

Former Argentina captain Juan Pablo Sorin, the sixth 'icon' player, was not named in the list of auctioned players released by the promoters Celebrity Management Group (CMG).

The tournament, the brainchild of football officials in the eastern state of West Bengal, is a franchise-based event on the lines of cricket's popular Indian Premier League.

Organisers said the dates of the tournament will be announced early next month, although they had earlier pencilled in a possible February 25 start.

The five city franchises will play each other twice on a home-and-away basis with the top four qualifying for the semi-finals.

The tournament is an attempt to fuel growing interest in football in cricket-mad India, which is ranked a lowly 158th in the world.

Each of the franchises will be coached by well-known names, who were also auctioned on Monday.

 Portugese coach Fernando Couto was sold to Howrah for $240,000, former Manchester City manager Peter Reid went for $200,000 to Kolkata, while Bolivian Marco Etcheverry was picked up by Siliguri for $200,000.

Nigerian coach Samson Siasia fetched $210,000 from Durgapur, the same amount Teitur Thordarson of Iceland got from Barasat.

Among the top buys outside the 'icon' players' list were Robert Egbeta of Nigeria for $350,000, and Alonso Solis of Costa Rica and Christian Lara of Ecuador for $200,000 each.

"This is an exciting time for Indian football," Goswami said.

 "These legends will make the sport even more popular in the country.

"Television coverage will ensure this tournament will attract viewers across India. Details are being worked out."

   Football has a huge following in West Bengal, where the state capital Kolkata hosted a friendly between Argentina and Venezuela in September.

   

Nigerian women are 9th most stressed women in the world

A recent study, released by the Nielsen Company that examines the consumer and media habits of women in emerging and developed countries has found that Women in India are the most stressed, and Nigerian women placed

9th.

The Women of Tomorrow Study, which examined 6,500 women across 21 different nations from February through April 2011, released a list, in order of most stressed women:

1- India (87%)
2- Mexico (74%)
3- Russia (69%)
4- Brazil (67%)
5- Spain (66%)
6- France (65%)
7- South Africa (64%)
8- Italy (64%)
9- Nigeria (58%)


10- Turkey (56%)
11- U.K. (55%)
12- U.S.A. (53%)
13- Japan (52%)
14- Canada (52%)
15- Australia (52%)
16- China (51%)
17- Germany (47%)
18- Thailand (45%)
19- South Korea (45%)
20- Malaysia (44%)
21- Sweden (44%)

Nigeria strengthens ties with India

Nigerian's Foreign Minister Odein Ajumogobia and India's External Affairs Minister SM Krishma pledged to further strengthen economic ties between the two nations so that they are commensurate with their 'excellent' political ties on Thursday.

'Both agreed to infuse the close political relationship with matching economic content,' said a press release issued by the external affairs ministry.

The visiting minister spoke about the reform process underway in the power, petroleum and banking sectors in his country.

'He also mentioned about the Gas Master Plan under preparation for exploiting the enormous gas reserves and highlighted the opportunities available for Indian companies,' said the press note.

The Nigerian foreign minister arrived March 15 and during his visit he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other members of the Indian cabinet.

On Thursday evening, he delivered a speech on 'India and Nigeria: the Largest Democracies in World and Africa, as Agents of Inter-regional Cooperation for Global Peace and Development'.

A bilateral agreement was signed during the visit in the field of pharmaceuticals between India's Department of Pharmaceuticals and Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.

The agreement will help promotion of mutual trade in good quality drugs, drug testing and analysis and detection and prevention of supply of adulterated and fake drugs.

Romanian Special Envoy envisions Improved Qatar Ties


The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its Ambassador at large or Special Envoy, Vasile Sofineti recently visited Qatar to boost the relationship between its Country and Qatar, with other Gulf Countries.

The Ambassador at Large visited the Ministry of foreign Affairs , where dialogue and discussions centered on opening new bridges of understanding and partnership between the two nations.Also the meeting touched on ways of boosting relationship and creating a portfolio of opportunities for Qatari business men and other GCC nationals.

The visit to Qatar is the first in the region by the Ambassador who will visit other Gulf Countries in the coming days.

The Ambassador said, " My Mission is not easy but it has the chance to succeed, we are organizing a Romanian Business Forum come next April 2010, the forum is for Romanians, Central European and GCC businessmen to come see the business potentials and opportunities in Romania .A Cultural display by participating nations is also on cue, am thrilled with the meetings that i had, and with the ideas that i got from all those meetings, which help fulfil my mandate"

"Am Promoting the ideas of partnership, we invite Qatari business men to look into the Romanian Market, where they will find a lot of opportunities and they can be assured of our full support", said Vasile Sofineti.

"Romania has excellent Political relations with Gulf Countries, the Political dialogue is very sincere and friendly,in the last 20 years we align our relationship with the European Union and NATO because they are closer and we are in the same Continent, we want to ignite and open new bridges with friends"

"Traditionally we have had a lot of Arab Students studying in Romania now we have a few thousands, because of that we have large numbers of Arab Communities in Romania.So many have taken Romanian Citizenship, the people who study in Romania are large assets for us"

"We have had good economic ties with the Arab World.We can work together in oil inspection field, we can also assist the big projects that Qatar is envisaging, like the security systems in the new airport, also Information technology, though India is close, we have had successes in Tunisia. In Tourism and Agriculture there is open invitation to know each other better as a member of the EU and NATO, am sure Romania will be a pleasant surprise for Qatari businessmen.

The new Ambassador at Large for the relations with Arab countries in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is a Journalist Cum Diplomat, he served as Editor in Radio Bucharest (1978-1990)in charge of Persian Language, he has also served as Ambassador in Jordan, India and accredited to Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.