India and China on Thursday signed an agreement that will enable visa free travel for their airline staff, encouraging more contacts between the two neighbouring countries.
An agreement on streamlining the visa formalities of airline staff of the two countries was signed by Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue during the visit of President Pratibha Patil.
Under the visa streamlining agreement, the airline staff of the two countries can enjoy visa-free travel thereby enabling more flights, more contacts between the two countries, Rao told reporters here.
India and China also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of civil services and public administration. The agreement was signed by Indian Ambassador S Jaishankar and Vice Minister Wang Ziao Chu. Another MoU on cooperation in the field of sports was signed by Jaishankar and Sports Minister Liu Peng.
The cooperation in the civil services and other areas will include exchanging visits and organising lectures, while the pact in the field of sports will enable transfer of expertise in physical education and exchange of coaches, Rao said.
Patil, the first Indian head of state to visit China in a decade, held wide-ranging talks with her Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and top legislator Wu Bangguo. PTI
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