NEW DELHI, 9 September 2005 — The leaders of Britain and India said they had reinforced the strong ties between their nations at talks yesterday that yielded deals on allowing more flights between the countries and boosting cooperation between their film and oil industries.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that in two days of meetings with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh the countries had helped “cement the new modern relationship between Britain and India.”
In a reflection of that relationship, Blair and Manmohan inked a deal allowing the number of direct passenger flights between Britain and India to triple this year from the 84 a week currently permitted, and possibly double again next year. The deal replaces a 1951 treaty and also includes fair competition guarantees and new safety and security rules as well removing some price restrictions.
“Our relationship is very special and one that contains exceptional potential,” Manmohan said told reporters. “Both governments are determined to realize this potential.”
Officials from both sides provided few details of the film and oil deals.
India and Britain also signed an agreement on protecting intellectual property rights, boosting training and education on patent enforcement, an issue of major concerns to Western companies that say their movies and music are being pirated in countries like India.
Manmohan said that at the meeting Blair also reiterated Britain’s support for India’s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, and the two discussed terrorism.
“We are two countries that have undergone a lot of change,” Blair said after the meeting on the banks of a lake surrounded by 17th century palaces in Udaipur in the northwestern desert state of Rajasthan.
“A few years ago, people coming in from abroad, buying up English companies and turning them around would have been controversial,” he said. “We benefited from that opening up and certainly there is need to continue that process.”
While some in the West view India’s rise as a threat, Blair argues it presents a major opportunity for increased trade. He says Europe must embrace, not resist, fast-paced global economic integration and build close relationships with new trading partners.
That’s what he has sought to do on his four-day Asian visit aimed at increasing Europe’s business ties with India and China, two burgeoning economic powers. China was his first stop. The prime minister, whose country holds the rotating European Union presidency, led India-EU talks on Wednesday.
At those talks, the two sides signed agreements on trade, technology and security cooperation, and India underscored what officials said was a turning point in relations between the two sides by announcing a plan to spend $2.2 billion on new Airbus planes.
A joint statement released after the summit said India and the EU had pledged to boost anti-terrorism cooperation and crack down on terrorist financing and money laundering.
The two leaders yesterday declared “zero tolerance” for terrorism. At a media conference in Delhi before Blair jetted out at the end of a four-day Asian tour, the two men stressed their commitment to fighting terrorism.
“We agreed that there can be no justification whatsoever for terrorism on any grounds, religious, political, ideological or any other,” said Manmohan. “Together with international unity and resolve we can meet the challenge of this global scourge and work to bring about an international law of zero tolerance for terrorism.”
