On Tuesday morning President Abdullah Gül was accorded a ceremonial welcome in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the president of India. Indian President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were present at the welcome along with other dignitaries.
Following talks with President Patil, Gül held separate talks with both Prime Minister Singh and Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna. Taking part in a meeting organized by Indian umbrella business organizations, Gül found the chance to underline once more the importance Turkey attaches to improving economic and commercial ties with India.
With the joint declaration on terrorism, India and Turkey, which have both suffered from terrorist attacks and are both concerned about the volatile environment in India's near neighbor Afghanistan, they declared their recognition that terrorism poses a grave threat to global peace and security.
“Recognizing the need for the conclusion of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism as a vital component of the international legal framework in the global struggle against terrorism; calling on the international community to conclude the convention without further delay,” the two countries agreed “to work together and with other like-minded states for the finalization of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism at the earliest.”
As for the declaration on scientific and technological cooperation, the two countries recognized that “cooperation in science and technology will not only advance the state of science and technology to the benefit of both countries, but also strengthen the bonds of friendship and understanding between our peoples.”
Ankara and New Delhi, on this occasion, launched an “Advanced Science and Technology Dialogue” which “will strive to promote the maximum use of the opportunities that have risen for mutually beneficial interaction in the field of science and technology which would add to the strength of the two national economies and to the welfare and prosperity of the two peoples.”
During 2010 India and Turkey will convene a joint workshop with designated representatives to elaborate on and bring into being the Advanced Science and Technology Dialogue in accordance with the joint declaration.
