Petroleum Minister to co-chair 13th IGC meeting at Astana

New Delhi, Sept 19: Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan will be on a two-day visit to Astana, Kazakhstan from today to co-chair the 13th meeting of Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) with Kazakhstan. Kanat Bozumbayev, Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan will co-chair the meeting from Kazakhstan side. The IGC meeting aims to follow up on the agenda set between India and Kazakhstan during the two visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kazakhstan in July 2015 and June 2017. During his visit, Mr Pradhan is scheduled to discuss various issues and ideas for stepping up the cooperation in energy sector, trade, economic, investment, transport & connectivity, agriculture, information technology, space, healthcare and cultural spheres between the two countries with his counterpart. The two sides are also expected to finalise a strategy and roadmap for expanding trade, economic and investment cooperation between the two countries. The Minister is being accompanied by a delegation comprising senior officials from Ministries/Departments, including Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mines, Electronics & IT, Tourism, ISRO, Department of Atomic Energy, Indian Council of Agricultural Research and also high level executives from ONGC Videsh and Railway Board. UNI