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2009, January 18: Meeting between Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo and His Highness the Aga Khan. (PHOTO: MFA) - Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo was hosted to lunch by His Highness the Aga Khan at the latter's residence in Paris on 18 January 2009. It was a follow-up to their earlier meeting in December 2008 when the Aga Khan visited Singapore as part of his Golden Jubilee celebrations. During the lunch, His Highness conveyed his decision to establish an Ismaili Centre and regional representative office of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Singapore.

Prince Amyn Aga Khan and Zanzibar’s First Lady, Her Excellency Madame Shadya Karume, unveil a plaque commemorating the start of rehabilitation work in Forodhani Park, 18 January 2008.

Set up as part of the Vishwa Gujarati Parivar Mahotsav, the pavilions wereopened to the public on Friday and will remain so till January 25. The three pavilions are on the Shia Ismaili Muslims (also known as Khojas), the Dawoodi Bohras, and Parsis. The exhibits are of typical houses of the three communities, their worship, their rituals, their homes, dress, and lifestyle. Volunteers answer visitors' questions, providing details and dispelling stereotypes.

Ishrat Hussain, Pakistan's central bank governor, expects to see a significant shift in the pattern of banking across the country after the successful privatisation of Habib Bank, one of Pakistan's three largest public sector banks.The sale of 51 per cent of Habib Bank's stock to AKFED (Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development) for $400 million in Pakistan's largest bank privatisation ever has set the pace for policy makers such as Hussain to claim that banking has returned to the private sector.

Soucieux de promouvoir le commerce international et le rapatriement des avoirs des Afghans à l'étranger, le gouvernement afghan pousse à l'implantation des banques étrangères en Afghanistan, qui pourrait se traduire par l'rture de distributeurs automatiques de billets à Kaboul.

Over the next few weeks Afghanistan's banking sector will move from comprising just six rundown specialist banks to one where several international commercial operations compete for business -- with perhaps even an ATM machine around the corner.
The National Bank of Pakistan is the only foreign bank operating in the country, but competition is building with First Micro Finance Bank, majority-owned by the Agha Khan Fund for Economic Development, and British-based Standard Chartered preparing to open soon.

Investors set to give over 30m dollars to eastern Tajik power supply system - Khorugh: Investors, among which are the Aga Khan Foundation, the World Bank and the Swiss government, intend to invest over 30m dollars in the development of the [eastern Tajik] Badakhshon electric power supply system.

Each time I visit Pakistan, My heart warms to growing memories and to a store house of recollections. Memories of great personal kindnesses of friendship made and renewed and above all a feeling that I am at home. I would like, therefore to thank you, Mr. President most particularly for the generous invitation, which you have extended to My wife and to Myself. We are deeply honoured to be your guests during the three day visit to Islamabad.