India, Bahrain sign extradition treaty

India and Bahrain today signed an extradition treaty, along with two mutual legal assistance agreements, in an effort to counter terrorism, ...

India and Bahrain today signed an extradition treaty, along with two mutual legal assistance agreements, in an effort to counter terrorism, suppress crime and facilitate assistance in civil and commercial matters.

According to MEA officials, the extradition treaty deals with concrete steps to combat terrorism and strengthen bilateral cooperation in suppression of crime. After UAE, Bahrain is the second Gulf country to sign an extradition treaty with India.

The extradition treaty was signed by Finance Minister Jaswant Singh and Bahrain Transportation Minister Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa al Khalifa in the presence of visiting Bahrain PM Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman al Khalifa and Prime Minister Vajpayee.

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Two mutual legal assistance treaties — one on criminal matters and the other on judicial, commercial and civil issues — were also signed. This apart, a bilateral investment, promotion and protection agreement and a MoU on foreign office consultations were also signed.

At the delegation-level talks between the two Prime Ministers today, Vajpayee highlighted the historical links between both countries and the mutual cooperation that India and Bahrain have displayed in multilateral fora like the Non-Aligned Movement.

According to South Block officials, Vajpayee expressed hope that Indian and Bahrain would build on the strong foundation of ‘‘mutual goodwill’’ and substantially increase trade and cooperation. In his speech at a banquet hosted in honour of the Bahrain PM, Vajpayee said: ‘‘In today’s world, our friendship is based on common values and principles, including pluralism and tolerance. We have a long history of cooperation in the NAM and in UN.’’