India and Chile will implement a bilateral expanded Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) from May 16. The original PTA had a limited number of tariff lines, wherein both sides had extended tariff concessions to each other. The expanded PTA has a wider coverage of tariff concessions which covers around 96 percent of bilateral trade.

India and Russia agreed to work closely in various sectors, including security, nuclear energy, and disaster management in India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission
(IRIGC-TEC) meeting in New Delhi. India planned to celebrate the 70th year of Indo-Russian diplomatic relations.

India and Cyprus today signed four pacts for air services and cooperation in merchant shipping. The agreement was exchanged between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Cyprus's Finance Minister Harris Georgiades in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades. The two countries also signed an agreement on Executive Programme on Culture Education and Scientific Cooperation (EPCEC) for the year 2017-2020.

India will organize Tagore Cultural Festival in Egypt to mark the 156th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore from May 8-12. It will be organized by the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC), which is the cultural wing of the Indian Embassy in Cairo. It contains a dance drama based on Tagore's work called Chitrangada will be performed by the Kolkata-based Dancers Guild.

International Monetary Fund(IMF) told India's growth is expected to rebound to 7.2 per cent in the 2017-18 fiscal and 7.7 per cent in 2018-19 after disruptions caused by demonetisation. They also report the investment recovery is expected to remain modest and uneven across sectors as deleveraging takes place and industrial capacity utilization picks up.

India assists $65.68 million for a solar-diesel hybrid rural electrification project in the north African country Mauritania. Total exports from India to Mauritania were $30.62 million with imports of $1.60 million.

India and Armenia have signed three agreements in a bilateral meeting. The three agreements are; 1. The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on peaceful
uses of outer space. 2. Another MoU on cooperation in youth matters 3. Program of cultural cooperation for the years 2017-2020.

The 2 crore LPG gas connections are given under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana(PMUY). The scheme implemented across 600 districts in the country and the LPG distribution process has been integrated through digital platforms. 38 per cent beneficiaries of the scheme belong to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes.

India and Japan signed a MoU in promoting investment in infrastructure projects in railways and transportation. A MoU signed between National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport and Urban Development.

India has been ranked 136th out of 180 countries in the annual World Press Freedom Index (WPFI-2017). The 2017 WPFI compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The
the index is topped by Norway, followed by Sweden, Finland and Denmark. China has acquired 176th position among 180 nations.