India, UK experts to meet to discuss counter-terrorism

New Delhi, Nov 2 (UNI) Indian and British experts will meet to devise ways to better protect their mass transport systems like metros and transit infrastucture from terrorist attacks.

This was decided at a meeting between External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his British counterpart Ms Margaret Beckett, currently on a visit to India, here today.

Later, at a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Ms Beckett, the two countries agreed that there were strong opportunities to develop links between energy and climate security by working closely together across a range of advanced energy technologies including coal.

''I had a very positive meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. We discussed the Stern Review on the threat presented by Climate Change, and both of us very much acknowledged the links between energy and climate security.

We agreed that the Stern Review highlighted strong opportunities to develop these links by working closely together across a range of advanced energy technologies, including coal,'' Ms Bleckett said after the 30-minute meeting with the Prime Minister.

After the meeting with the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister, Ms Beckett also called on Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Finance Minister P Chidambaram at their offices and discussed issues related to security and trade and investment respectively.

Ms Bleckett, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom, arrived here early this morning on a week-long visit to India for discussions on furthering cooperation in counter-terrorism, climate change and trade and investment.

She will also travel to Hyderabad and Mumbai.

Mr Mukherjee after his meeting with his British counterpart, told reporters that the two countries had agreed to a meeting of experts from protecting critical national infrastructure from terrorist strikes.

''We have agreed to a meeting of our experts in the area of protecting critical national infrastructure like mass transit systems and other assets,'' he told reporters after the hour-long meeting with Ms Beckett.

The two sides also discussed trade and investment and environment protection.

Ms Beckett said both x x x Eds: picking up from para five of DI 25, External--India-UK.

UNI RB VD DS1633