India and China will sign a Memorandum of Understanding for co-operation in intelligence sharing and exchange of security-related information during a five-day visit by Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil to China beginning Wednesday.
The Cabinet Committee on Security at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh approved the MoU, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters in Delhi on Tuesday. The intent of the MoU is to combat terrorism.
Patil's five-day visit is a bilateral tour on the invitation of Chinese Public Security Minister Zhou Yongkang. On his first official visit to China, he will hold talks with Zhou and is likely to meet Premier Wen Jiabao there.
Patil will also visit Beijing Police Training Academy and meet Shanghai's Mayor besides attending a meeting on emergency response to calamities. The issues to figure in the talks are cooperation in fight against terrorism, disaster management and public security.
"The visit of the home minister is part of the process of continuing high-level bilateral exchanges and will contribute to the further development and diversification of bilateral relations in accordance with the Declaration of June 2003 and the Joint Statement of April 2005," the Indian embassy has said in a press statement in Beijing.
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