India, EU to unveil action plan on peace and security cooperation

Marseille, France, Sep 28 (UNI) India and the European Union (EU) will unveil an action plan on cooperation in areas of peace and security at their annual Summit here tomorrow.

The action plan will also include topics like sustainable development, cooperation in science and technology and enhancing people-to-people contact, officials said today.

In a message, the European Commission said the Summit would mark an important stage for future relations between the 27-member bloc and India.

The last Summit was held in New Delhi in November 2007.

The Summit, being held in this 2600-year-old historic Port city, will also deliberate on issues like terrorism, climate change and the international financial crisis.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who arrived this afternoon from New York for the Summit, will hold a restricted meeting with French President Nicholas Sarkozy, President of the European Commission and EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, the officials said.

After that he will attend the India-EU Summit.

Dr Singh said India attached high value to excellent relations with the EU and both sides were bound by common values of democracy and pluralism.

He said India would seek to stregthen counter-terrorism mechanism with the EU.

UNI RB AM UCS0033