India-China to form ministerial mechanism to boost security cooperation

New Delhi: India and China have agreed to form a Ministerial-level mechanism headed by their Home Ministers to step up cooperation and coordination on a host of security-related issues, including cross-border terrorism, security and law enforcement, trans-border crimes, cyber crimes and drug trafficking.

The decision to form Ministerial mechanism was agreed upon after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh held talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Interior Minister Guo Shengkun in Beijing yesterday.

The mechanism would be followed by a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding on security-related issues and will become operational during Guo’s visit to India next year.

The decision by the two countries to deepen cooperation relating to terrorism comes in the backdrop of the Paris terrorist attacks and killing of Chinese and Norwegian hostages by Islamic State terrorists.

Singh is the first Indian Home Minister to visit China in a decade. He would travel to Shanghai tomorrow where he would meet the top CPC and security officials and address a meeting of the Indian Association of Shanghai. (ANI)