India, UK ask Pakistan to act against 26/11 perpetrators

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February 19, 2013

New Delhi — India and Britain Tuesday called upon Pakistan to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attack and said there was considerable potential for expanding their bilateral relations in trade and investment.

According to a joint statement issued after summit talks here between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and British Premier David Cameron, the two countries agreed that all terrorist networks, wherever they exist, must be defeated.

February 19, 2013

New Delhi — India and Britain Tuesday called upon Pakistan to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attack and said there was considerable potential for expanding their bilateral relations in trade and investment.

According to a joint statement issued after summit talks here between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and British Premier David Cameron, the two countries agreed that all terrorist networks, wherever they exist, must be defeated.

"They called upon Pakistan to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks (on 26/11). The two leaders committed to work closely together to prevent terror attacks, strengthen the international counter-terrorism architecture.They also agreed to cooperate on joint training of their counter-terrorism forces," it said.

Cameron also reaffirmed his country's commitment to a reformed United Nations Security Council with India as a permanent member, as the two called for "an open, effective and efficient" UN and expressed commitment to working actively through it to preserve international peace and security.

The two leaders underlined their strong commitment to a successful outcome to the EU-India negotiations for a broad-based, balanced, and ambitious Free Trade Agreement that will generate jobs and growth in both countries and their hope for political agreement in 2013.

The two leaders welcomed the growth in two-way investment since the last Summit, which is creating jobs and growth in both countries. Trade between Britain and India grew an average of 23 percent in 2010 and 2011.

They noted Britain's interest in cooperating with India for the development of a new Bangalore-Mumbai Economic Corridor (BMEC).

They said co-investment made by both countries in supporting joint research activities has risen from 1 million pounds in 2009 to over 100 million pounds.

They agreed to work together to develop the global post-2015 development agenda, "which should be ambitious and practical, with the aim of eradicating poverty".

The two leaders agreed, respectively to encourage Indian PSUs and Britain oil and gas companies to explore the possibility of upstream oil and gas sector investment in India, Britain and in third countries, with a view to sourcing hydrocarbons to meet their energy requirements.

They announced a programme for the sharing of expertise on cyber security and sharing information to address malicious cyber activity.

The two leaders agreed to conclude a memorandum of understanding on Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Security, and begin negotiations on a civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.

Prime Minister Cameron committed to make available to India the cutting edge British technology, civil and military in accordance with international obligations, and the two leaders agreed to work actively together to achieve India's ambitions to join the major export control regimes including Nuclear Suppliers Group and Missile Technology Control Group.

The leaders reaffirmed their belief in the peaceful resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomacy and underlined the need for Iran to comply with the provisions of the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and to extend its full cooperation to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The two leaders supported the efforts made by the Afghan government to establish a peaceful inter-Afghan dialogue.

The two leaders expressed interest in further enhancing the mobility and exchange of students between India and Britain.

Cameron, who is accompanied by the largest British trade delegation ever to visit India, reaffirmed that Britain "warmly welcomes" Indian students.

The two leaders reaffirmed that both countries welcome all legitimate travellers, whether students, tourists, visitors, business people or qualified workers and said people-to-people links are central to their relationship.


Courtesy: IANS