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| Wednesday, 22 October 2003 |
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India-Lanka to begin talks on defence cooperation Foreign Minister, Tyronne Fernando, told The Hindu last evening that the two countries had agreed "in principle" to a defence cooperation agreement. This would include training of Sri Lankan security personnel by India and consultations between the defence chiefs of the two counties. It, however, was not a "mutual defence treaty". Asked if the agreement would include the training of Sri Lankan military personnel by India in Sri Lanka, he said the details would have to be worked out. Mr. Fernando said the Indian leadership was briefed on the current state of the peace process in Sri Lanka and that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam would present its "counter-proposals" on October 31. Also, the two countries agreed that a resolution of the ethnic issue in Sri Lanka was possible within the framework of a federal structure in a unified Sri Lanka. New Delhi and Colombo, eager to build on the success of their Free Trade Area accord that has taken bilateral trade to over a billion dollars, are now looking at an "FTA plus" arrangement, which is likely to over investment and services. The spokesman said India was the third largest investor in Sri Lanka, with approved investments totalling $392 million. India was the largest investor in the island nation in 2000. |
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