Pak may prove thorny as PM leaves for Brussels
09 Dec 2010
On his way to Brussels for the 11th annual India-European Union summit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a pre-departure statement today that he will work with the European leadership to deepen strategic cooperation in counter-terrorism and other ''non-traditional'' threats to security.
Singh said India's partnership with the 27-nation bloc has evolved from economic and development cooperation to a broader strategic engagement.
The one-day summit is to be held on Friday. The prime minister will be in Brussels on the first leg of his two-nation European tour that will also take him to Germany for talks with chancellor Angela Merkel and other leaders on Saturday. He is due to return home on Sunday.
The Friday meet in the Belgian capital will be the first India-EU summit since the coming into force of the Lisbon treaty of the EU, which recast its structures for strengthening the economic bloc's external relations.
Finishing touches were reportedly being given in the hope of wrapping up the agreement which will help increase bilateral trade by 40 per cent to €100 billion.
In Brussels, Singh will also hold a bilateral meeting with his Belgian counterpart Yves Leterme.
Pak a stumbling block
Reports say that while the summit with the EU, now India's biggest trade partner, is likely to make headway after four years of stalled negotiations, there may be a collision over Pakistan.
