Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) Seeking to upgrade their ties to a strategic partnership, India and Thailand Wednesday signed six pacts in areas ranging from defence and security to trade and decided to step up their counter-terror cooperation.

The two countries also decided to expedite negotiations on a free trade area agreement.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra, who is visiting India as chief guest for the Republic Day parade Thursday, held discussions on a host of international, regional and bilateral issues.

The two leaders expressed the desire to work together towards elevating the bilateral relations to strategic partnership for mutual benefit.

“Developing close relations with Thailand is an important component of our ‘Look East’ Policy. Strong India-Thailand relations contribute to peace, prosperity and stability in the region,” Manmohan Singh said after talks with Shinawatra.

Stressing the need for stronger counter-terror and security cooperation, Manmohan Singh said he underlined to the Thai leader the need to put in place a bilateral legal framework to deal with non-state actors and subversive elements that pose a common threat to both our societies. In this context, the two sided sealed a pact on the transfer of sentenced persons.

Both leaders noted that the increasing menace of terrorists, criminals, arms and drug traffickers trying to use this region for their nefarious activities provided an added urgency to strengthen cooperation in security and intelligence exchange, a joint statement said.

They also agreed to put in place a five-year Joint Working Programme on specific elements of cooperation would be finalized urgently in this regard.

The two leaders unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and stressed that there could be no justification whatsoever for any act of terrorism.