Cabinet nod to aviation agreement with EU

New Delhi, Oct 31 (UNI) The Union Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval to the signing of the horizontal agreement and the joint declaration between India and the European Communities on air services.

The new arrangement will bring all the existing bilateral air services agreements between the EU members states and India in line with the EC laws at one go, thereby obviating any treat of legal challenge, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said today, briefing reporters on last evening's Cabinet meeting.

The horizontal agreement was signed on September 28 during Prime Minister Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to France.

The Cabinet also approved the air services agreement between India and Iran, providing for any number of designated airlines between the two countries.

The Cabinet also gave ex-post facto approval to an agreement between India, Brazil and South Africa, relating to merchant shipping between the three countries.

UNI YJ SB HS1254