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Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh and President of the Government of Spain Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero today re-affirmed their commitment to further enhancing and strengthening relations between the two countries.
The two sides agreed to institutionalize the process of political dialogue at various levels, commensurate with the expanding bilateral relationship. They will also intensify consultations and cooperation in international organizations and other multilateral fora, with a view to jointly addressing global challenges.
Economic and trade relations between India and Spain have flourished in recent years. The two Governments agreed to work actively together to realize the full potential of economic linkages between the rapidly growing Indian and Spanish economies. They agreed to make all efforts to expand bilateral trade and the volume of two-way investments and joint ventures in each other’s countries. The two sides would also work towards forging business partnerships in the following priority sectors: energy, tourism, food processing, automobiles, environment, information technology and infrastructure.
They agreed to work towards closer cooperation in the defense sector, including the possibility of joint research and development.
The two sides expressed satisfaction at the increasing cultural exchanges between the two countries. Both sides look forward to the inauguration of the Casa de la India building in the City of Valladolid in Spain in November 2006 and to the next civil society dialogue under the aegis of Casa Asia and Indian Council of World Affairs, scheduled to be held in India in October 2006.
The two sides agreed to further promote cultural and academic exchanges between the two countries and expressed their willingness to support and facilitate the increase in the number of Spanish lecturers in Indian Universities in the following years and took note with satisfaction of the announced opening of a Cervantes Institute in New Delhi in 2007.
The two sides recognize the importance of establishing direct air links in strengthening tourism, economic, political and people-to-people relations between India and Spain. In this context, both Heads of Government agreed that their respective Civil Aviation Authorities will renegotiate the existing bilateral Air Services Agreement within three months.
The two sides will also work towards facilitating the movement of businesspersons, professionals and tourists, as well as students and academics between the two countries. Both sides took note with satisfaction of the proposed opening in 2007 of a Consulate General in Mumbai (which will include a Trade Office), as well as a Tourism Office.
The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in science and technology through building a close network of linkages between the institutions of the two countries.
Recalling the Outcome Document adopted by the 2005 World Summit, both Heads of Government reaffirmed the vital importance of an effective multilateral system, in accordance with international law, to better address the multifaceted and interconnected global challenges and threats and to achieve progress in the areas of peace and security, development and human rights. They expressed their firm support for the work of the United Nations as a fundamental framework for multilateralism and agreed on the urgent need for a comprehensive reform of the United Nations to enable it to address today’s challenges more effectively. The two leaders reiterated their commitment to continue their active and constructive role in the ongoing process of UN reform.
The two leaders reiterated their strong condemnation of terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, constituting as it does a criminal and unjustifiable act and one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. They recalled the Joint Declaration made by the two countries in 1993 on cooperation in combating terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime. Both Heads of Government recognized the need to extend support and solidarity to the victims of terrorism, as well as to the development of appropriate international mechanisms to this end, and agreed to further strengthen cooperation at bilateral and multilateral levels. They called upon the member states of the UN to make further concerted efforts to conclude the comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, as well as the adoption of a global strategy against terrorism at an early date. They also agreed to continue to constructively contribute to the discussions at the UN aimed at adopting and implementing a global strategy against terrorism. These measures will further strengthen the moral, political and legal authority of the UN and international community, as well as the operational tools to fight this scourge in all its aspects.
India and Spain expressed their firm support for the Alliance of Civilizations initiative. Both Governments await with interest the Action Plan that the High Level Group will be submitting to the Secretary General before the end of the year and declare themselves willing to explore, once its contents are known, possible ways of collaborating to jointly support the implementation of the ensuing recommendations.
They further reaffirmed the importance of the Strategic Partnership between India and the European Union and agreed to work together in further enhancing ties through the implementation of the comprehensive Joint Action Plan.
A number of agreements and MoUs were signed during the visit. These include:
- MoU on Institutionalisation of Political Dialogue
- Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty on Criminal Matters
- MoU between Technology Development Board (TDB) and Centre for Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI)
The two sides are also actively pursuing cooperation in a number of other areas such as Science and Technology, Information Technology, Film Production, Tourism and Environmental Issues, where agreements and MOUs are under finalisation.
The Agreements and MOUs signed today reflect the growing bilateral interaction between India and Spain and will provide significant impetus to realizing the full potential of the relationship between the two countries.
New Delhi
July 3, 2006
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