Helsinki Summit to disuss India-EU Free Trade Agreement

New Delhi, Oct 6 (UNI) The Seventh India-EU Summit to be held in Helsinki on October 12-13, will take up the issue of a Free Trade Agreement between the two partners, even as the President of the European Parliament Josep Borrell Fontelles today favoured a permanent seat for India in the UN Security Council.

Addressing a Press Conference here, Mr Fontelles, who concluded his visit to the country today, said the two democracies also need to have closer co-operation in fighting terrorism. ''Both the entities have been affected by terrorism,'' he said.

Mr Fontelles, however, said the European Parliament has called upon India to sign the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons which would pave the way for far greater co-operation between the two entities in the nuclear field.

Mr Fontelles said the Joint Working Group between India and EU has recommended that negotiations be started on a Free Trade Agreement.

The issue will be put on the table at the Helsinki Summit.

He said the European Parliament has passed a resolution favouring that India be given a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.

During his visit to the country, Mr Fontelles met several key government leaders. These include President A P J Abdul Kalam, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, Finance Minister P Chidambaram, and Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath. He also had a 'long' meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Mr Fontelles' meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not materialise due to some members in the latter's family not being well.

The Head of the Euorpean Parliament during his stay in India also visited two states-- Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.

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