India-China sign eight agreements

India-China sign eight agreements

May 22nd, 2013

India and China inked eight agreements to enhance cooperation in a range of areas including trade, culture and water resources. The agreements were signed after delegation-level talks b/w Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang who is on India visit.
Both nations have also set a target to increase the volume of bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2015. In 2012, bilateral trade stood at USD 66 billion.
Highlights of Eight Agreements:

1. China will make further improvements to the existing facilities for Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims including providing them with wireless sets and local SIM cards. Both sides have agreed to conduct the Yatra every year from May to September.
2. Three working groups will be set up under the Joint Economic Group to enhance trade. The three groups are- Services Trade Promotion Working Group, Economic And Trade Planning Cooperation Group, and Trade Statistical Analysis Group.
3. China will provide information of water level, discharge and rainfall twice a day from June 1st to October 15th each year in respect of three hydrological stations on the mainstream Brahmaputra River.
4. MoU inked b/w India’s Ministry of Water Resources and China’s National Development and Reform Commission for cooperation in the field of ensuring water efficient irrigation. Its goal is to increase bilateral cooperation in the field of water efficient technology with applicability in the area of agriculture and exchange of best practices.
5. Strengthening mutual cooperation in trade and safety of buffalo meat, fishery products and feed and feed ingredients, and to meet the regulatory requirements with respect to safety & hygiene & quarantine
6. MoU signed to set up a Joint Working Group that will coordinate translation and publication of 25 books of Classic and Contemporary Works of each side over a period of 5 years in to Chinese and Indian languages respectively.
7. Both sides agreed to identify sister cities and sister states/provinces in India and China with a view to establishing relationships b/w them in areas of mutual interest for enhancing greater people to people contacts