India and the UAE signed an agreement on security co-operation on Wednesday, enhancing existing cooperation particularly against terrorism.
The agreement was among the two pacts that the visiting Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, signed with Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi.
The two leaders discussed decided to "strengthen and develop the existing bilateral framework/ mechanism to enhance security cooperation in combating terrorism, organised criminal groups, drug trafficking, illicit trafficking in weapons, ammunition, explosives, etc., and initiatives on training of personnel."
The second pact, "Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Persons," provides "the framework to facilitate social rehabilitation of sentenced persons in their respective countries by giving citizens of the contracting states, who have been convicted and sentenced for criminal offences, the opportunity to serve the sentence in their own country."
This agreement would help transfer of Indian citizens jailed in UAE to India to serve the remaining part of their jail terms.
An Indian Home Ministry official said "both countries reiterated their commitment for enhanced co-operation in investigation of criminal cases and sharing of information."
The UAE delegation includes Lt. General Saif Al Sha'far, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, Major General Nasser Lakhraibani Al Nuaimi, Secretary-General of the Office of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and other senior officials.
India and UAE already have a pact of strategic co-operation signed in 2003 when Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan visited New Delhi.
Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan has also been to New Delhi a couple of times to strengthen bilateral ties. Discussions have also been held between the think tanks of the two countries, India's Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) and UAE's Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR).
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