India, Czech Republic hold talks on terror, multilateral

Amid its all-out efforts to get entry into the elite NSG, India today held talks with Czech Republic, a member of the 48-nation grouping, on terrorism and Multilateral Export Control Regime.
During wide-ranging discussions, Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar and Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek reviewed entire gamut of bilateral relations as well as important global and regional issues of mutual interest.
"Two Ministers held discussions also on major global issues such as climate change, Sustainable Development Goals, United Nations Reforms, Terrorism, Multilateral Export Control Regime etc. They exchanged views on important developments in the neighbouring regions of both countries," MEA said in a press release.

The discussions also come in the backdrop of India's intense outreach for its membership bid in the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Czech, which is a member in four export control regimes- the Wassenaar Arrangement, NSG, Australia Group, and Missile Technology Control Regime, has been supportive of India's aspirations.
Noting that defence cooperation is an important component in India-Czech ties, the release said there is a mechanism of India-Czech Joint Defence Committee meetings that met last in November 2016.
Zaoralek is accompanied by senior officials of Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a high-level business delegation representing various trade, industrial and financial sectors.

On trade front, the two countries have robust economic ties, with annual bilateral trade being USD 1.2 billion.
There is a mechanism of Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation co-chaired by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry of India and Minister of Trade and Industry of Czech Republic from the respective side, for discussing the ways and means of strengthening economic ties, the release added.
"Zaoralek and Akbar discussed in detail the possibility of further cooperation in these crucial sectors of mutual interest...They exchanged views on important developments in the neighbouring regions of both countries," the release said.