INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS DECEMBER 2017

INDIA & THE WORLD BILATERAL AFFAIRS DECEMBER 2017

• India, Russia ink anti-terror pact
   India and Russia on 27th November agreed to help each other in combating terrorism. The agreement between the two countries for cooperation in tackling all forms of terrorism was signed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Russia's Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev in Moscow after they held wide-ranging talks.
  
  The two strategic partners asserted that there were no good or bad terrorists and the menace should be fought jointly.
  
  During the meeting, the ministers emphasized the strength of the relationship between India and Russia that has been consolidated over the past 70 years in all areas. A statement issued by the Indian embassy in Moscow said, the two ministers emphasized that cooperation in the field of security was an important aspect of this bilateral relationship.
  
  Indian and Russian representatives also signed a joint action plan for countering the threat posed by narcotics. This agreement will provide legal framework for bilateral cooperation in this field.
  
• India, Greece sign Air Services Agreement
  India and Greece on 27th November signed Air Services Agreement and MoU on Cooperation in the field of New and Renewable Energy in New Delhi. The pacts were inked after talks between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and visiting Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece Nikos Kotzias.
  
  The two leaders held a detailed discussion on all aspects of the bilateral relationship. They also re-affirmed commitment to further expand cooperation in mutually beneficial spheres.
  
• India, Singapore agree to enhance security cooperation
  India and Singapore have agreed to further deepen security cooperation to collectively tackle the threat of terrorism.
  
  In a joint statement after bilateral talks with her Singaporean counterpart Dr Ng Eng Hen in New Delhi, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, India and Singapore remain strongly committed to tackle transnational security threats. On regional security, both Ministers reaffirmed the importance of maintaining maritime freedom of navigation and trade consistent with international law.
  
  Both Ministers also discussed Singapore’s proposal to expand the Code of Unplanned Encounters at Sea to all ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting ADMM-Plus countries as well as to establish guidelines for air encounters between military aircraft, to reduce the risk of miscalculations.
  
• Indian and British Army exercise Ajeya Warrior at the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan
  Exercise AJEYA WARRIOR-2017’, a fourteen days training exercise between the Indian and the British Army kicked off on 1st December at the MahajanField Firing Ranges, Rajasthan.
  
  The training contingents comprise of one company (approximately 120 personnel) strength each from 20th Battalion, The Rajputana Rifles from the Indian Army and a similar strength from the 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment of the British Army.
  
  Participating troops from both Armies had concentrated at the exercise location on 29 November 2017 for pre-exercise preparations.
  
  The exercise started with address by Lt Colonel Sangram Yadav & Major David Granfield & unfolding of events that would take place over next two weeks.