JOINT PRESS STATEMENT AFTER THE INDIA-EU SUMMIT

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Following is the text of the Joint Press Statement issued after Third India-EU Summit at Copenhagen today:-

The third Summit between India and the EU was held in Copenhagen, Denmark on 10 October, 2002. India was represented by Prime Minister Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee assisted by Minister for External Affairs Mr. Yashwant Sinha and Minister for Disinvestment, Mr. Arun Shourie. The EU was represented by the Prime Minister of Denmark Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen in his capacity as President of the European Council assisted by the Secretary General/High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Mr. Javier Solana, and the President of the European Commission Mr. Roamno Prodi. The Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Per Stig Moller and the European Commissioner Mr. Christopher Patten (External Relations) also participated in the Summit.

The leaders sent the following message:

1. We express satisfaction with the positive results of the Summit and its contribution to consolidate our firm and comprehensive relationship. We remain determined to expand and deepen EU-India co-operation in all areas on the basis of equality and mutual benefit and to further promote the development of our partnership. We welcome in particular the intensification of the political dialogue in addition to the trade and economic dialogue between the EU and India.
2. We affirm our shared values of democracy and pluralism. We are committed to promote and protect all human rights, including the right to development, and fundamental freedoms, which are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated. These issues will remain on the agenda of the EU-India dialogue at various levels.
3. India and the EU, global actors in the multipolar world, remain committed to strengthening the UN and better equipping it to respond to the challenges of the 21^st century.
4. We reiterate our determination to continue to combat terrorism, as expressed in the Declaration, Against International Terrorism adopted at the New Delhi Summit in 2001, in co-operation with the international community, and in particular within the UN framework. We emphasize that there can be no justification for terrorism, and that those who perpetrate and sponsor it will be brought to justice. We reaffirm our commitment to the universal implementation of all the UN anti-terrorism conventions and UN Security Council Resolution 1373(2001). We support early conclusion and adoption of the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism and the draft International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. We agree to reflect on the need for consultations between EUROPOL and Indian agencies.
5. In Afghanistan we support the new Transitional Authority under Mr. Hamid Karzai. We welcome the continued commitment by the Afghan people to abide by the Bonn Agreement and pledge to continue our political and economic support for the Transitional Authority in its task of consolidation of peace and stability in Afghanistan. We express our determination to support the Afghan Government in combating the forces of terrorism. We are encouraged by the start of peace negotiations in Sri Lanka.
6. India welcomed the enlargement of the EU, which is making good progress and the development of the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The two sides affirmed that these developments would further strengthen relations between them. They reviewed the Middle East situation and expressed support for the UN Security Council resolutions 242, 338 and 1397. They affirmed vision of a region where two States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and recognized borders.
7. We remain committed to intensify the high-level India-EU economic dialogue and reaffirm our commitment to further promote EU-India trade relationship bearing in mind the substantial potential for improving the current level of trade. We express our resolve to provide increased market access by working together in a constructive manner in seeking speedy and amicable solution to a number of specific trade issues.
8. We confirm our commitment to the further strengthening of the multilateral trade regime of WTO, recognizing that the objective of the WTO work programme launched at Doha should be to enhance market access, develop and strengthen WTO rules and disciplines, support the economic growth, development needs and integration into the trading system of developing countries, and contribute to the wider goal of sustainable development. We are therefore committed to driving forward all aspects of the Doha Work Programme in a balanced manner, including the issues of Special and Differential Treatment and resolution of implementation related concerns of particular interest to developing countries.
9. We welcome in particular the constructive and fruitful meeting with representatives of the EU-India Business Summit. We commend the steps taken towards finalization of an Action Plan to implement industry’s ‘Joint Recommendations’ made in the first round of the "EU India Joint Initiative for Enhancing Trade and Investment". We appreciate the continued efforts and contribution of our trade and industry for tabling further similar joint recommendations focusing on different priority sectors for identifying opportunities for enhancement of bilateral trade and investment.
10. We welcome the significant and concrete results achieved through the New Delhi Agenda for Action, but also underline the need to intensify work in areas of co-operation already identified. We agree to implement the revised Agenda for Action (annexed) in time for the next EU-India Summit, and to regularly review progress in this field.
11. We note with satisfaction the progress achieved through the entering into force of the Agreement on Science and Technology, the launching of negotiations of an Agreement on Customs Co-operation. We also take note of the continued bilateral interaction and exploratory talks on the feasibility of having an Agreement on Maritime Transport.
12. We welcome the considerable progress achieved in enhancing a dialogue between civil societies and welcome the recommendations of the 4^th meeting of the EU-India Round Table.
13. We remain committed to furthering the existing Indo-EU Development Cooperation. We are in the process of finalising new development perspectives for the future, which will include continued support for elementary education, for expanding coverage of health services and for safeguarding environment. Mutually agreed methodology for the "EU-India Partnership for Progress" will be worked out. We agree to cooperate in the international fora in taking forward our common commitment to the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals and other internationally agreed goals and the implementation of the decisions made at the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Agenda for Action

We agree on the following agenda:

1. Develop further our regular bilateral dialogue on democracy & human rights as an element in Senior Officials and Ministerial Meetings.
2. Intensify co-operation to promote the reconstruction of Afghanistan.
3. Co-operate to promote democracy, development, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.
4. Increase co-operation on counter-terrorism issues including the implementation of UNSCR 1373 requirements and assess the opportunity for co-operation between Europol and Indian agencies. Work towards early conclusion and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
5. Mobilize the resources needed to promote autonomous civil society interaction and activate the EU India Think Tank Network programme. Prepare a joint report for the next summit on the appropriate follow-up to the recommendations tabled by the EU India Round Table.
6. Task our experts to consult at regular intervals on the full range of technical issues affecting market access for our businesses.
7. Invite the Joint Working Group on Information Society to intensify the dialogue on policy and regulatory issues in the run-up to the 2003 World Summit on information Society.
8. Encourage common approaches on global environmental challenges including climate change and the follow-up to the WSSD through operationalisation of the Plan of Implementation.
9. Build on the momentum of the new Agreement for Scientific and Technological Co-operation and prepare India’s participation in the EC’s new Framework Programme.
10. Launch negotiations for the Agreement on Customs Co-operation with a view to exchanging instruments at the 4^th EU India Summit.
11. Continue exploratory talks and bilateral interactions on the feasibility of having an Agreement on Maritime Transport and to submit a progress report to he next meeting of the India-EU Joint Commission.
12. Take steps for the speedy implementation of the "EC India Partnership for Progress" in line with the methodology to be agreed.
13. Follow-up industry’s recommendations under the first round of the "EU India Joint Initiative for enhancing Trade and Investment" in the fields of Food Processing, Engineering, Telecommunication and Information Technology and examine the recommendations of the Business Summit under the second round of the "Joint Initiative" in four new sectors: Financial Services, Power and Energy, Textiles and Biotechnology.
14. Invite our industry to form a Joint Group, which may select new sectors and identify areas for joint Cooperation for FDI and Trade.
15. Build on the agreed orientations for the EC-India Trade and Investment Development Programme with a view to launching it by mid-2003. Continue to engage their experts at the appropriate levels with a view to speedily resolving their trade issues, among others those in the areas of Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary rules and Technical Barriers to Trade and seek all opportunities to improve and facilitate their bilateral trade.
16. As agreed at our first summit in 2000, continue an open and constructive dialogue on the negotiations and other work launched at Doha in order to find solutions to our respective concerns, thus contributing to the successful and timely conclusion of the negotiations in line with our commitments at Doha.