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NEW Delhi, Nov 20 (AFP) - The upcoming India-European Union summit will lead to greater cooperation in science, technology and education, officials said Tuesday.

Indian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao said Friday's summit was viewed as "an important step forward" in the bilateral relations between the 15-member EU and India.

"The EU has regular summits with all its important partners including the US, Japan, Canada, Russia and now India," said Rao.

"We will be signing an agreement on greater cooperation on science and technology and a joint vision statement on IT."

The EU mission will be led by Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency.

It will include European Commission President Romano Prodi and EU Trade Comissioner Pascal Lamy.

The EU is India's biggest trading partner, accounting for 30 percent of India's imports and exports. The EU is traditionally India's largest source of foreign direct investment.

A business summit will also be held on Thursday between representaives of 200 Indian and 50 European companies.

The business summit is expected to focus on IT, telecommunications, manufacturing, engineering, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food processing and banking.

Guy Trouveroy, Belgian ambassador in New Delhi said that EU leaders would also discuss the situation in Afghanistan with Indian premier Vajpayee during the summit.

"Afghanistan will be a key focus in talks between the leaders," said Trouveroy.

"The EU has expressed its desire to participate in the alleviation of poverty in Afghanistan and the reconstruction process in post-Taliban Afghanistan. All these issues will be discussed," he added.

After participating in the EU-India summit between November 22-23, Verhofstadt, Belgian deputy Foreign Minister Annemie Neyts and Prodi will meet with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad on the following day. 

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