Sibal in China to take R

New Delhi, Sep 6 (UNI) Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Minister Kapil Sibal today began an eight-day visit to China to explore possibilities to enhance bilateral cooperation in research and development.

Mr Sibal, who arrived in Beijing from a visit to Brazil, will hold meetings with his Chinese counterpart Xu Guanhua and visit several science and technology institutes in the Chinese capital, the Science and Technology Ministry said.

Among the institutes on Mr Sibal's itinerary are National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, National Satellite Meteorological Centre and Beijing Genomics Institute.

He will also inaugurate the 'Made in India and India Tech Show' as well as deliver the keynote address at the India-China Business Summit on Friday and take part in the World Economic Forum opening in Beijing on Sunday.

The visit is part of activities marking the India-China Friendship Year 2006.

India and China have an ongoing cooperation in the science and technology field under an Agreement signed during the visit of the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in December 1988.

Separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) have also been concluded with Natural Science Foundation of China to promote basic science research, with Chinese Academy of Sciences and Applied Science and Technology, with State Administration of Foreign Experts' Affairs to encourage consultancy services in each other's infrastructure development activities.

Separate arrangements are also in place in inter agency levels to promote thematic areas like meteorology, ocean science and technology, space science and technology and biotechnology.

In November 2004, the two countries to establish a Joint Ministerial Steering Committee as an apex body to review the implementation of the agreement and various MoUs with the basic objective to impart a direction for future cooperation.

Mr Sibal's visit is aimed at taking forward the present cooperation, the ministry said.

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