Justin Joseph
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India-Brazil joint defence committee
In Brazil, a goal for India
K.P. NAYAR
Lula and Singh in Brasilia on Thursday. (PTI)
Brasilia, April 16: In a major departure from a six-decade-old habit of letting third world countries use India at multilateral fora, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday used his presence here at two such summits, instead, to significantly increase Indias deepening ties with Brazil.
At the Prime Ministers farewell meeting with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, on the Brazils Presidents home turf, India and Brazil took a host of decisions to develop defence co-operation between the emerging powers on the world stage.
The meeting was held on the margins of a summit of the India-Brazil-South Africa (Ibsa) Dialogue Forum and another summit of Brazil-Russia-India-China (Bric).
An India-Brazil joint defence committee, set up as the fountainhead of such co-operation, is to be operationalised and its first meeting will take place in India this year, according to a joint statement here at the end of a bilateral meeting between Singh and Lula.
Brazils President is prohibited from contesting for a third four-year term in office and will demit office later this year. Although Singh and Lula will meet again at some multilateral summits, yesterdays meeting was the Prime Ministers farewell call on the President on the latters home turf.
The two sides resolved to pursue the joint development of high-technology military aircraft through continuing contacts already established between the defence research and development organisation (DRDO) and Brazils Embraer.
Embraer, one of the largest aircraft manufacturers in the world, tapping specific segments in defence aviation, is already supplying aircraft which are used by India as part of the countrys squadron for movement of VVIPs within the country and often abroad.
The two sides have already appointed defence attaches in their respective embassies in Brasilia and in New Delhi to do the spadework for intensified military co-operation.
Brazils defence minister Nelson Jobim made a landmark visit to India last month to prepare the ground for what Singh and Lula decided yesterday on bilateral defence co-operation.
Indo-Brazilian co-operation in this sector represents a significant diversification of Indias quest for arms and defence technology.
Although Brazil has few external threat perceptions, it has traditionally developed a strong indigenous defence industry, co-operation with which will considerably increase Indias options.
The joint statement said the two leaders reiterated the need for active enhancement of co-operation in science and technology, nuclear energy, space and defence for mutual benefit. They also noted that biotechnology, information technology, marine science, and nanotechnology have been identified as areas with significant potential for co-operation. Historically, other countries have exploited Indias strengths for their benefit at multilateral fora such as the non-aligned movement or used New Delhi as a whipping boy at summits such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc).
Yesterdays Singh-Lula meeting represents a refreshing change from this practice.
Chinese President Hu Jintao also attempted to use these summits to Chinas advantage, but multilaterally instead of bilaterally. Beijing wants to join Ibsa and attempted to use the summit here to push its way into the group.
Singh said yesterday, however, that Ibsa is a forum for South-South co-operation and pointedly remarked that all Ibsa countries are democracies, implying that China is not and has no place in a group of democracies.
The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Nation | In Brazil, a goal for India
In Brazil, a goal for India
K.P. NAYAR
Lula and Singh in Brasilia on Thursday. (PTI)
Brasilia, April 16: In a major departure from a six-decade-old habit of letting third world countries use India at multilateral fora, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday used his presence here at two such summits, instead, to significantly increase Indias deepening ties with Brazil.
At the Prime Ministers farewell meeting with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, on the Brazils Presidents home turf, India and Brazil took a host of decisions to develop defence co-operation between the emerging powers on the world stage.
The meeting was held on the margins of a summit of the India-Brazil-South Africa (Ibsa) Dialogue Forum and another summit of Brazil-Russia-India-China (Bric).
An India-Brazil joint defence committee, set up as the fountainhead of such co-operation, is to be operationalised and its first meeting will take place in India this year, according to a joint statement here at the end of a bilateral meeting between Singh and Lula.
Brazils President is prohibited from contesting for a third four-year term in office and will demit office later this year. Although Singh and Lula will meet again at some multilateral summits, yesterdays meeting was the Prime Ministers farewell call on the President on the latters home turf.
The two sides resolved to pursue the joint development of high-technology military aircraft through continuing contacts already established between the defence research and development organisation (DRDO) and Brazils Embraer.
Embraer, one of the largest aircraft manufacturers in the world, tapping specific segments in defence aviation, is already supplying aircraft which are used by India as part of the countrys squadron for movement of VVIPs within the country and often abroad.
The two sides have already appointed defence attaches in their respective embassies in Brasilia and in New Delhi to do the spadework for intensified military co-operation.
Brazils defence minister Nelson Jobim made a landmark visit to India last month to prepare the ground for what Singh and Lula decided yesterday on bilateral defence co-operation.
Indo-Brazilian co-operation in this sector represents a significant diversification of Indias quest for arms and defence technology.
Although Brazil has few external threat perceptions, it has traditionally developed a strong indigenous defence industry, co-operation with which will considerably increase Indias options.
The joint statement said the two leaders reiterated the need for active enhancement of co-operation in science and technology, nuclear energy, space and defence for mutual benefit. They also noted that biotechnology, information technology, marine science, and nanotechnology have been identified as areas with significant potential for co-operation. Historically, other countries have exploited Indias strengths for their benefit at multilateral fora such as the non-aligned movement or used New Delhi as a whipping boy at summits such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc).
Yesterdays Singh-Lula meeting represents a refreshing change from this practice.
Chinese President Hu Jintao also attempted to use these summits to Chinas advantage, but multilaterally instead of bilaterally. Beijing wants to join Ibsa and attempted to use the summit here to push its way into the group.
Singh said yesterday, however, that Ibsa is a forum for South-South co-operation and pointedly remarked that all Ibsa countries are democracies, implying that China is not and has no place in a group of democracies.
The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Nation | In Brazil, a goal for India
