India and China on Monday inked a historic MoU to institutionalise military training and exercise exchanges with a view to add more content to their emerging strategic relations.
BEIJING: India and China on Monday inked a historic MoU to institutionalise military training and exercise exchanges with a view to add more content to their emerging strategic relations.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed after visiting Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his Chinese counterpart, General Cao Gangchuan held over two hours of talks at the Central Military Commission headquarters.
The MoU envisages other contacts between the armed forces and defence officials and experts of the two countries.
The MoU is also expected to serve as an instrument for a regular and sustained dialogue on defence and national defence issues between the two countries.
Earlier, Cao accorded a red carpet welcome to Mukherjee and welcomed him to China for a six-day official visit.
"It is my great pleasure to host the welcoming ceremony for you from India, a friendly neighbouring country," he said after a ceremonial welcome and guard of honour by a tri-service Chinese military marching contingent.
"Your visit is a big event in the exchanges and cooperation between the militaries and also an important event in the China-India Friendship Year this year," Cao said in his initial comments.
"Your visit this time will deepen our mutual understanding and mutual cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries," he said while describing the Indian defence minister as an "esteemed guest."
Reciprocating the warm sentiments expressed by the Chinese General, Mukherjee said that the visit has given him "an opportunity to visit your great country."
"I have heard a great deal about China's achievements. This visit has allowed me to see for myself the achievements. We greatly admire your achievements," he said.
"I am bringing greetings from the Indian armed forces to the Chinese People's Liberation Army. I am also conveying the greetings from the people of India to the people of this great nation," Mukherjee said.
Mukherjee also described his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minster Li Zhaoxing as "very productive."
At the meeting, Li pledged to step up strategic and cooperative relations with India in 2006, a year of friendship between China and India, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Li said that China attaches great importance to relations with India, noting that the common prosperity of China and India, with one third of the world's population, would be a huge contribution to humankind.
Mukherjee said that India and China are good friends and share similar views on many issues, adding that the cooperation between the two countries and their active involvement in world affairs are conducive to the peace, stability and development of the world.
India will make concerted efforts with China to boost mutual understanding and trust in a bid to push forward bilateral relations, Mukherjee stressed.
The Defence Minister kicked off visit to China with a briefing session at the Academy of Military Science of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) here.
He also visited the ultra sensitive Beijing Aero Space Command and Control Centre of the PLA, the world's largest standing army of over 2.5 million.
Mukherjee will call on Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Tuesday.
During his stay in China, he will also visit the headquarters of Lanzhou Military Region in Lanzhou city in northwestern China's Gansu Province and tour the Shanghai Naval Base in the country's economic hub in east China.
Mukherjee will leave for Singapore on June 2 to continue his three-nation official visit.
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