New Delhi, Nov 10: Heralding a new dimension to their bilateral ties, India and Switzerland today signed agreements for cooperation in disaster management and science and technology and decided to explore prospects for diversifying bilateral cooperation in economic and other sectors. During talks with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, visiting Swiss President Pascal Couchepin said his country was keen to have "brain exchange" programmes with India.
The two accords were inked in the presence of the two leaders after they held wide-ranging discussions on a host of important bilateral, regional and international issues.
The agreement on cooperation in science and technology will help the two sides combine their strengths in research for mutually beneficial spin offs and enable them explore new avenues of cooperation in bio-technology, life sciences, genome research and environmental technologies where the Swiss have made considerable advances.
Under the accord on disaster management, detailed procedures have been outlined whereby Swiss assistance will be forthcoming in the event of any natural disaster. It also provides for training programmes and other measures for enhancing early warning system, teaching rescue teams and exchange of relevant experience and information.
New Delhi is attaching special significance to the visit. The last presidential visit from Switzerland was by Flavio Cotti in 1998. Bureau Report