'Sustained India-China cooperation needed on water front' : Soz

New Delhi, Jun 1 (UNI) Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz today stressed the need for India and China to have sustained bilateral cooperation in water resources and broaden it further in tune with the understanding reached during Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit.

Prof Soz, who is in Shanghai to attend the Asian Regional Dialogue on Water and Sanitation, in his bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Chen Lei expressed hop that bilateral expert level mechanism to discuss cooperation in the field would be convened at an early date. He also invited Mr Chen to visit India.

The Chinese Minister, on his part, accepting the invitation, told Prof Soz that his country had provided useful opportunity for exchange of views between the two sides and the visit of his predecessor to India in 2004. The cooperation between the two countries in water sector was important for both and the understanding was steadily expanding he said, adding preparations for convening expert level meeting was on. He also invited Prof Soz to visit China on a bilateral visit.

Prof Soz, addressing the meeting yesterday, apprised the delegates about India according primacy to drinking water needs of the population under Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme to extend water supply to rural households. India also attached great importance to Irration and sanitation facilities on a wider scale.

He also highlighted the role of 60,000 water user associations in the country, which were working energetically to perform their intended role.

The dialogue, chaired by Netherlands' Prince Willem Alexander, is the second attempt to discuss and build upon Hashimoto Action Plan adopted in Maxico in March 2006 to improve water and sanitation access on a global scale.

UNI