Indian, UK experts to discuss counter-terrorism

New Delhi, Nov 2: Indian and British experts will meet to devise ways to better protect from terrorist attacks their road infrastructure, including the mass transit transport system like metros.

This was decided at a meeting here between visiting British Foreign Minister Margaret Beckett and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

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

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

Ms Beckett said both countries were concerned about protecting their mass transport system from terrorist strikes.

The two countries have experienced terrorist attacks in their mass transport systems. At least 55 people were killed in bomb explosions in metro trains in London in 2005 while more than 180 perished in Mumbai trains explosions on July 11 this year.

Ms Beckett said both countries had experienced tragic incidents and therefore, called for adopting measures to prevent recurrence of such tragedies.

''There are some very concrete ways in which we are sharing our experinces and are learning from these,'' she added.

Replying to another question on ISI involvement in terrorist attacks in India, Mr Mukherjee said all aspects of terrorism were deliberated upon at the meeting but no specifics were discussed.

Ms Beckett said it was important for the international community to jointly fight the scourge as terrorists were only interested in killing and mayhem.

The British Foreign Minister who 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, will also travel to Hyderabad and Mumbai. ''In Delhi I look forward to discussing our cooperation on dealing with global challenges with the Indian Prime Minister, the new Foreign Minister and other senior members of government,'' Ms Beckett was quoted by a British High Commission official here as having said ahead of her India visit.

She will give an address on how to work together to tackle the impact of climate change.

The address 'UK And India: Partnering to Meet Global Challenges' will be given at an event jointly hosted by the Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) and Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).

Ms Beckett said she was looking forward to growing business links between the two countries.

''I am absolutely delighted to be visiting India. India is an important partner for the UK as we both work together to address the global challenges that face the world today. Issues such as counter-terrorism and climate change can only be addressed successfully if all the key international players work together,'' she was quoted as having said.

She said Indo-British relationship is underpinned by solid economic and people-to-people links.

Cumulatively, the UK is the third largest investor in India and India leapt last year from being the eighth to the third largest investor in the UK.

More than one million people travel between the two countries every year, and the large British Indian community is one of the most successful in the UK.

Ms Beckett also met Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Finance Minister P Chidambaram and discussed security and trade and investment-related issues with them.

She will meet Leader of Opposittion in Lok Sabha, L K Advani, tomorrow.

UNI

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