NEW DELHI, MARCH 11: India and France have agreed to boost cooperation in information and communication technology and environment by setting up joint laboratories in these sectors.The two countries agreed to set up as soon as possible an Indo-French Working Group which will define the legal, financial and administrative terms and conditions for setting up these joint laboratories and exchange of experts.This was decided at a two-day meeting of the 13th session of the Joint Committee for Cultural, Educational and Scientific Cooperation which concluded on Friday. The meeting was chaired by heads of the French and Indian delegations.The agreement was signed by Professor V S Ramamurthy, Secretary in the Department of Science and Technology, and the French delegation leader Francois Nicoullaud, Director General in the Department of International Cooperation and Development.Stating that both countries attached great significance to the creation of joint laboratories, Nicoullaud identified environment, information and communication technology, life sciences and pure sciences as the fields which needed stronger Indo-French cooperation.Biotechnology, disaster management, cyber university and telemedicine were other fields which might mobilise considerale resources, he said.
