India announces 100,000 US dollar aid for Kyrgyz quake affected

New Delhi, Feb 6 (UNI) India today announced a 100,000 US Dollar humanitarian relief assistance for the victims of the January 3 earthquake in Kyrgyzstan while both countries signed a 'Programme of Cooperation' laying down roadmap for regular dialogue and cooperation between their leaders.

Kyrgyzstan Foreign Minister Ednan Karabayev, who concluded his three-day visit to India today, held talks with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual concern.

He also mer Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, Tourism Minister Ambika Soni, Commerce and Industry M

''The two sides expressed satisfaction with the ongoing bilateral institutional mechanism of Inter-Governmental Commission, Foreign Office Consultations and mutually beneficial cooperation and partnership encompassing political exchanges, economic, Defence, scientific and technological cooperation and cultural and educational exchanges,'' an External Affairs Ministry spokesman said..

They agreed to work together for further enhancement of their multi-faceted relationship based on shared values, mutual respect and cooperation, and similarity of views on major international issues.

Both sides noted that bilateral trade between the two countries, though below potential, had steadily increased in the previous years.

They agreed to work to substantially raise the level of mutual trade and to sustain this level of growth and welcomed the growing investment partnerships between Indian and Kyrgyz companies in several sectors like mining and processing of minerals and metals, leather manufacture and food processing.

Setting up of Potato Processing Plant and Mountain Medical Research Centre with Indian assistance in the Kyrgyz Republic is in an advanced stage of planning and is to be implemented shortly.

Stressing the need for greater people-to-people interaction, particularly through academic and cultural exchanges, the two sides called for early conclusion of the Cultural Exchange Agreement.

The two sides welcomed the UN General Assembly Resolution on announcement of October two as the International Non-violence Day and the UN General Assembly Resolution on the establishment of February 20 as the World Social Fairness Day.

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