India, Singapore to increase cooperation

New Delhi, Nov 16 (UNI) India and Singapore today decided to increase cooperation in disaster management and tackling the menace of terrorism.

A high level delegation from Singapore, led by senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs Ho Peng Kee, met Home Minister Shivraj Patil here and discussed the ways and means to increase the cooperation between the two countries.

Mr Patil understood to have told the four member delegation that there was very good understanding between the two nations and the cooperation should be expanded.

He said such interaction should be held at all levels between the two countries as constant interaction would be of mutual benefit.

The Singapore minister shared his country's experience of how community engagement programme had helped the Island nation in combating terrorism.

He said the programme was aimed at increasing understanding among the various religious communities and to use religious leaders in propogating that no religion teaches violence.

Today's meeting was an extesion of the discussion the two nations had held in May this year during the visit of Mr Patil to Singapore.

They had then committed to explore ways of expanding cooperation in checking drug trafficking, terrorism and capacity building by exchange of ideas between their security agencies.

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