The Hindu : Front Page : India, Britain to combat terrorism in 'all its forms'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 21, 2004

Front Page

Front Page

India, Britain to combat terrorism in 'all its forms'

By Harish Khare

A WARM WELCOME: British Prime Minister Tony Blair greeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his residence in London on Monday. -- AP

LONDON, SEPT. 20. The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and his British counterpart, Tony Blair, today signed a Joint Declaration, defining "a comprehensive strategic partnership" and avowing to "take our relationship to a new level."

Building on the 2002 New Delhi Declaration, the Blair-Manmohan Singh statement talks of the two countries working for "a safer and more prosperous world." It notes that "the United Kingdom will continue to work for India's Permanent Membership of the United Nations Security Council."

Reflecting the convergence on the issue of terrorism, the Declaration commits the two countries "to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations." The two countries "will work together to try to ensure that the global norms against terrorism are upheld by all countries." There is an agreement to cooperate "to counter money-laundering and terrorist financing..."

Global challenges

The two countries expressed a "shared interest in combating key global challenges — terrorism, poverty, HIV/AIDS, environmental degradation, climate-change, drugs, international crime, illegal migration and trafficking in our people."

On economic issues, India and Britain agreed to "work closely together for a successful conclusion to the World Trade Organisation's Doha Round" of multilateral trade negotiations. There is also a desire to expand cooperation in "the fields of civilian nuclear activities, civilian space programme, and high technology trade, in accordance with their international obligations." The two leaders committed themselves to holding annual summit meetings, in London and New Delhi, and agreed to "continue the high-level dialogue established through our Personal Envoys."

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