India and Thailand on Tuesday agreed to establish a high-level dialogue on defence cooperation,with a view to enhance efforts to tackle piracy. This was one of the key outcomes of the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and visiting Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Tuesday at Hyderabad House. After the meeting,Singh said,India and Thailand have active exchanges in the fields of defence,counter-terrorism and security. we have agreed to further strengthen them,and to initiate a senior official level dialogue between our defence ministries. We both expressed our desire to cooperate with each other to secure the vital sea-lanes of communications which pass through the Indian Ocean. The joint statement signed by the two sides said that this dialogue would regularly review all the elements of bilateral defence cooperation including in the area of defence industry and technology,and would also include discussions on a bilateral MoU on defence cooperation. During the discussions,the Thai PM expressed appreciation at the recent actions by the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard that had led to the successful release of several Thai nationals who had been the victims of piracy in the Indian Ocean. The two leaders,noting that coordinated patrolling was already being carried out jointly by the Indian and Thai navies,agreed to further enhance this cooperation,including by increasing the duration and frequency of such patrols. Both leaders also noted the possibility of experience sharing on Coast Guard operations, he said. Singh said that they have agreed to intensify cooperation in the areas of trade and investment,education,tourism and culture. Our bilateral trade turnover has reached US $ 6 billion. have agreed to aim towards doubling of our trade by 2014. We have agreed to expedite the conclusion of negotiations on a bilateral Free Trade Agreement that would include goods,services and investment, he said,adding that he has conveyed to the visiting PM that New Delhi welcomes more Thai investment into India. Since the two countries are discussing Extradition Treaty,Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Civil and Commercial Matters and Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Persons,the two sides agreed that these agreements may be concluded at the earliest. On the issue of terrorism,the two leaders condemned terrorism in all its forms and its manifestations. Recognising the common threats to national security from transnational crimes,including international terrorism,the two PMs resolved to significantly enhance bilateral cooperation in combating terrorism,including in restricting unauthorized stay of known terrorists in each others countries. Vejjajiva also met President Pratibha Patil,Vice-President Hamid Ansari and External Affairs Minister S M Krishna.
