New Delhi, Oct 26 (IANS) Seeking to give a strategic cast to their bilateral ties, India and Spain Friday signed a key pact that will spur collaboration between defence industries of the two countries and four others in areas of sustainable transport and high speed railways.
The pact on defence cooperation was signed by Defence Minister A.K. Antony and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Morenes Eulate here. The pact was signed after delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Spain's King Juan Carlos I, who is currently on a four-day visit to India that included stops in Mumbai and New Delhi, largely to attract Indian investment to debt-ridden nation.
The pact, among other things, entails exchanging defence-related experience, information, encouraging visits of personnel, collaboration in defence industry and other similar areas of cooperation.
This is the first defence pact between India and Spain and signals possibilities of arms sales by Spanish companies to India. Spain was one of the four partner countries offering the Eurofighter combat aircraft to India for its tender for 126 fighter jets.
Many Spanish firms have shown an interest in selling high-tech weaponry to India. Spanish defence companies such as Indra are already engaged with Indian armed forces in areas of radar and communication.
Besides bolstering defence ties, India and Spain also signed four other pacts to impart a fresh momentum to their bilateral ties.
They include a protocol on avoidance of double taxation, and a memorandum of understanding on promoting an efficient and eco-friendly transport systems.
Spain, home to some of the picturesque locales in Europe, also signed a pact with India in the area of co-production of films. A pact to promote cooperation in railway sector, including information exchange in the area of high speed railways, was also signed between the Indian Railways and Renfe-Operadora and Adif of Spain.
Accompanied by senior ministers and a large business delegation, comprising CEOs of leading Spanish companies, Spain's monarch, who is somewhat of an Indophile with an abiding interest in Indian art and culture, began his visit from India's commercial hub Mumbai Thursday.
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