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India-Russia work out pact on Intellectual Property Rights
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Mukherjee calls on Putin
UN extends term of Volcker Committee
Bill on US pullout from Iraq defeated
Kashmir solution looks more possible, says Musharraf
One held in Karachi blast
Bangladesh hunts 2,000 potential suicide bombers
Pentagon clears P-3C for India
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India-Russia work out pact on Intellectual
Moscow, November 16 While the delegation led by Mr Mukherjee signed two working group protocols and one protocol of the commission, the overall sentiment after the two day meet of the fifth meeting of the India-Russia Inter Governmental Commission on Military Cooperation (IRIGC) was that the Indian-Russian relations in the field of defence was further set to get strengthened more on the partnership level rather than just on the level of a buyer and seller. The dialogue between the two sides not only worked out the complete details of the agreement on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), but there was also a forward movement on the joint production of the multi-functional medium range aircraft and the overall use of the Russian Global Navigational Satellite System (Glonas) by India. Accompanying officials described the agreements reached during the meeting as historic. Addressing a joint press conference with Mr Ivanov, Mr Mukherjee said that the IPR would be signed at the Indo-Russia Summit meet. He also expressed hope that the agreement for the joint development of the multi-functional medium range aircraft would be signed during the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Vladimir Putin. There was also a hint from the Defence Minister on the movement forward on the Advance Technology Vehicle (ATV), which India is looking to develop with the help of Russia. The Russian Defence Minister assured that the two countries were graduating from the buyer-seller relationship to that of partners, where there could be joint development of technologies. “With the agreement on IPR, we look forward to a long term cooperation for modern military-technical cooperation,” he said. Mr Mukherjee pointed out that the almost $ 10 billion worth of defence trade which India was undertaking with Russia was the largest New Delhi had with any one country. A statement issued by the Indian side after meeting said that some of the major programmes considered between the two countries were production of the fifth generation aircraft, joint development of multi- functional transport aircraft, procurement of three more frigates under an existing programme. The two countries will be investing to the tune of three-four thousand crores on developing the multi- functional aircraft that would have a total pay load of about 20 tonnes and would work as a middle level alternative to transport aircrafts with the armed forces of the two countries. The Russian side made available, at the meting, the use of Glonas system to the ISRO. They would work together to launch more satellites with the view to have greater presence in the space and strengthening the Glonas. It would help Russia to match their Glonas with the American GPS and the European Galileo system. |
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Mukherjee calls on Putin
Moscow, November 16 The two leaders met for about 50 minutes during which various bilateral issues were also discussed. Mr
Mukherjee describing his meeting with President Putin as a “courtesy call”, also said that he had an important message to convey to him from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is due to visit Moscow for the Summit Meet early in December. Later interacting with the correspondents accompanying him Mr Mukherjee said that on the whole his visit was successful. He said that Russia holds a very important position with India in defence technical cooperation and that there was no question of diluting it. After the meeting President Putin was reported as saying that the level of contacts between India and Russia were of unprecedented level. “The level of our political contacts is of unprecedented nature. They are based on ancient friendly relations and meet the interests of our people,” he said. He added that it was important that the relations between the defence ministries of the two countries are developed dynamically. The Russian President also said that Indian Defence Ministry was headed by “an experienced person, who we know well”. When asked specifically about possible misunderstanding between India and Russia over the former’s developing relations with other countries around the world, Mr Mukherjee said that there was no misunderstanding, but after all the fact of the matter is that India had never had such relations with the US earlier. The matter was never raised by the Russians, but it is natural to have doubts, he said, and added that was precisely the reason that he had gone out of his way to assure the Russians of India’s approach to it. When pointed out that following his return from the US some months ago, the UPA’s coalition partners had raised a major hue and cry and would this visit provide some assurance to the Congress’ Left partners, the Defence Minister said that India was not meant for sale to anybody. |
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UN extends term of Volcker Committee
United Nations, November 16 The extension comes in the wake of the inablity of the United Nations, the Volcker Commitee and Iraq to conclude discussion on whether the documents, on which the Committee based its findings, should be handed over to the world body or returned to Iraq. The extension would also give more time to Indian investigators to seek documents and information from the Volcker Committee on the basis of which it had named former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh and the Congress party as “non contractual” beneficiaries as also details of alleged bribes paid by 129 Indian companies to the Saddam Hussein regime to get contracts for the supply of humanitarian goods under the programme. The Volcker Committee had indicated that it would return the documents given to it on the basis of confidentiality by the country or entity from which it had got them. Others would be handed over to the United Nations. Meanwhile, reversing its decision, the United Nations has reinstated Joseph Stephanides, the only official dismissed following adverse findings by the Volcker committee, after a UN review board cleared him of “serious misconduct” linked to the Iraqi oil-for-food
programme. — PTI |
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Bill on US pullout from Iraq defeated
Washington, November 16 It however endorsed a weaker resolution asking the administration to explain its Iraq policy. In a sign of eroding support for the war in Iraq, the Senate also voted 79 to 19 yesterday in favour of a non-binding measure calling on Iraqis to take more control over the security of their country —a move Republicans said would create the conditions for a phased withdrawal of U S troops. Republican Senator John Warner of Virginia, the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, is a sponsor of the amendment, which has yet to be approved by the House of Representatives. The amendment, attached to a defence authorisation bill, calls for 2006 to be a period of significant transition to full Iraqi sovereignty, with Iraqi forces taking the lead in providing security. Later, the Senate also approved (on an 84 to 14 vote) an amendment that would provide foreign terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, limited access to federal courts to appeal rulings of U S military tribunals. Under the measure, detainees sentenced to at least 10 years in prison or to death by a military tribunal get an automatic appeal to the federal appeals court here. Those who receive fewer than 10 years would have to petition the court to hear their cases. The measure modifies an amendment passed last week that would have denied terror suspects the right to challenge their detention in court. The bill also calls on the administration to provide Congress with details about alleged secret prisons run by the Central Intelligence Agency overseas. It would strip security clearances of any federal government official who knowingly discloses sensitive national security information.
— UNI |
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Kashmir solution looks more possible, says Musharraf
Islamabad, November 16 “I hope that New Delhi will realise the opportunity,” he told local and foreign mediapersons in the garrison town of Rawalpindi. Gen Musharraf said Pakistan could not do it alone, India also has to realise that the permanent solution to Kashmir issue is possible now, adding this opportunity should be utilized to reach a fair settlement. The President’s remarks came as the two countries opened the fifth and last crossing point on the LoC for post-quake interaction between Kashmiris on either side of the
LoC. — UNI |
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One held in Karachi blast
Rawalpindi, November 16 “We have arrested the man who is responsible for this. We are trying to find out whom he is representing and his motive,” President Pervez Musharraf told reporters here today. He said there have been no fresh arrests of Al-Qaida in the recent days. A powerful car bomb exploded outside an American fastfood outlet KFC yesterday, killing six persons and injuring 14. A lesser-known group called ‘Baluchistan National Army’ (BNA) claimed
responsibility for the blast, which took place ahead of the international donors’ conference here on November 19. Karachi, the biggest commercial city of Pakistan, has been the scene of several bomb attacks in the past.
— PTI |
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Bangladesh hunts 2,000 potential suicide bombers
Dhaka, November 16 He said many of the militants had trained in Afghanistan under the Taliban and might be preparing more attacks, after two judges were killed in a bomb blast this week. “They have assembled in the country to destabilise democracy,” said the police officer, who asked not to be named. — Reuters |
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Pentagon clears P-3C for India
Washington, November 16 The Pentagon’s Defence Security Cooperation Agency
(DSCA) said yesterday that the logistics support includes training devices, operations and maintenance training, as well as
spare parts. Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed Martin Corporation would be the prime contractor, which the DSCA said would help improve India’s security, while at the same time strengthening the Indo-US strategic partnership. Congress has 30 days to block the proposed sale, although such action is rare.
DSCA spokesman Jose Ibarra said the notification did not include the leasing of the actual Lockheed P-3C Orion aircraft and had no immediate details on that part of the deal. The Pentagon said the two leased P-3Cs would replace two existing Indian Navy patrol aircraft, Soviet-built IL-38 Mays, which were quickly reaching the end of their operational life.
— UNI |
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