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Cameron may push for Eurofighter Typhoon in India visit

New Delhi, Feb 18:  Britain is still likely to push for the Eurofighter Typhoon during Prime Minister David Cameron's India visit, less than a week after French President Francois Hollande left New Delhi without any

IANS Updated on: February 18, 2013 9:13 IST







External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has said that India might raise the issue during the visit of Cameron. India has put on hold the $750 million deal with Britain-based AgustaWestland, a subsidiary of Italian company Finmeccanica, and begun the process of cancelling the deal following allegations of kickbacks.

"The Indian foreign minister has said India might take up the issue... There are issues of equity involved as it is manufactured in a UK facility," the source said.

"We have very tough laws against corruption and very low tolerance for bribery and corruption," the British diplomat said, adding that the three could work together to resolve the issue.

The AgustaWestland issue "is not on the original structured agenda. However, the two prime ministers can discuss any issue of importance", an Indian official told IANS.

"Security policy issues and Afghanistan" would also figure in the talks between Manmohan Singh and Cameron on Tuesday in New Delhi, the diplomatic source said.

Earlier this month, Cameron hosted talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan in London aimed at working towards a peace deal for Afghanistan.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari attended the talks, after which in a joint statement issued by Cameron's office they "committed themselves to take all necessary measures to achieve the goal of a peace settlement over the next six months".

India was briefed on the talks both by Pakistan and Afghanistan. Britain too spoke with India and "clarified that the talks were aimed at speeding up the reconciliation process and for cooperation" between Islamabad and Kabul, an Indian source said.

India was "trying to see what direction the talks were taking", a diplomatic source said, adding that Britain was also "pushing for a strategic pact between Pakistan and Afghanistan... we're waiting to see if it will happen."
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