India, Singapore to step up cooperation in security

New Delhi, Mar 16 (UNI) India and Singapore have decided to further expand cooperation in security matters.

An agreement to this effect was reached at a meeting between Singapore Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar and Home Minister Shivraj Patil here yesterday.

During the 40-minute long meeting at the North Block, the two leaders discussed several issues of bilateral interest and shared experience in fighting terrorism, policing big cities and maintaining social harmony.

Prof Jayakumar is also Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister of Law of Singapore.

Both the leaders felt that there was a lot of scope for increasing international cooperation in fighting terrorism.

In this context, Mr Patil stressed the need to set up appropriate mechanisms for exchange of information among nations and guard against deadly weapons falling into the hands of terrorists.

They expressed satisfaction over the increasing cooperation between Singapore and India in the field of security and expressed desire to deepen it further.

India and Singapore have a Joint Working Group on Intelligence Cooperation on Combating Terrorism and Transnational Organised Crime. The two countries also have a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Criminal Matters.

Mr Patil visited Singapore in May last year.

UNI