This meeting is significant as Karim is the first envoy of a Muslim majority country to meet Modi and is also a sign of growing international recognition of the Gujarat chief minister’s influence on national issues in New Delhi, in this case the Land Boundary Agreement.
Defense Minister Arackaparambil Kurian Antony: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) will be one of the biggest in this sector in the world by 2018. ICG assets have increased by 50 percent and the number of stations will go up from 22 to 42. Indian shipyards are building 156 vessels for the ICG and 12 Dornier aircraft will be inducted within two years.
A new regional headquarter of the Coast Guard has been set up in Gandhinagar in Gujarat, Defense Minister Arackaparambil Kurian Antony said Wednesday.
