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British Defense Secretary Calls For Military Partnerships With India
NEW DELHI (AFP) - British Defense Secretary Geoffrey Hoon on Monday said Britain and India aimed to "deepen" military cooperation, and assured that his government would soon resume a critical supply of military spare parts.
Hoon, who met Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes earlier Monday, said London was encouraged by New Delhi's unilateral moratorium on nuclear tests until a global test ban treaty came into effect.
But he stayed mum on a highly anticipated billion-dollar deal to sell New Delhi Hawk advanced jet trainers (AJTs).
The British minister told a military seminar here that he and Fernandes had discussed areas of possible collaboration in fields of defense technology, aerodynamics and human sciences.
"We share these and many other interests with India. Our defense cooperation with India is widening and deepening," Hoon told Indian commanders at the United Services Institute in the defense ministry.
"My purpose in coming to India is to give that process a strong push," Hoon said.
"We seek to collaborate on equipment projects where it makes financial and military sense to do so. We know of many areas where India has industrial strengths," the British defense secretary said.
Hoon said he would visit the southern city of Bangalore, the hub of India's software, space and aeronautics industries, on Tuesday.
"And we hope to see an expansion of exchanges and co-operation in these fields."
Hoon did not comment on Britain's hopes of wrapping up a $1.4 billion deal for the Hawk AJTs during his stay in India.
Fernandes stated earlier that New Delhi had finally selected the Hawk over the Franco-German Alpha Jet and Russian Mig-AT, and added that New Delhi and London would be concluding the agreement by the end of 2000.
The deal envisages India buying 24 AJTs from British Aerospace and manufacturing 42 trainers in the Bangalore factory of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.
Speaking on India's stand on nuclear weapons issues, he said Britain hoped New Delhi would soon sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
"We are very much encouraged by India's statement that it will continue its voluntary moratorium on nuclear explosive testing until the CTBT comes into effect.
"We hope this statement will soon be reinforced by India's signature and ratification of the treaty," he said.
India says it will endorse the CTBT after building a national consensus on the issue. It also insists on a time frame for global disarmament and a ban on computer-simulated nuclear tests.
Meanwhile, military sources said Indian officials had asked Britain to help speed up the waiver of U.S. sanctions on the supply of critical military spare parts for its British-built Sea King helicopters.
Hoon, after meeting Fernandes, told reporters London had convinced Washington to ease its sanctions imposed on India after its May 1998 nuclear tests to permit the resumption of the spare supplies.
"It should be resolved within weeks time. We used our influence over the United States," he said.
Hoon was also scheduled to call on Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh, National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra and opposition leader Sonia Gandhi.
He will leave for the Nepalese capital Kathmandu on Wednesday before returning home.
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