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Indo-Swiss sign POC for Joint Cooperation

New Delhi, November 18, 2006

With India's vast pool of skilled manpower and Switzerland's world renowned technical institutes, there exists a synergy for broadening and deepening cooperation in this area.

Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences on his recent visit to Switzerland leading a high-level discussed the full-range of existing cooperation in the area of science and technology as well as steps needed to strengthen this cooperation in future met with with Pascal Couchepin, Swiss Federal , Swiss Federal Councillior for Home Affairs (also responsible for social security, health, education, university, research and culture issues).

During the visit the two sides signed the Executive Programme of Cooperation (POC) for the period 2006-2010 within the framework of the umbrella agreement on cooperation in the fields of S&T signed during the visit of the then President Couchepin to India in November 2003.

Basic and applied sciences, technology and engineering, research and development, are amongst the broad areas of Indo-Swiss joint cooperation. The need for developing programmes integrating research and development with industry and Rights to intellectual property also form the basis of this agreement. The Programme of Cooperation (POC) envisages joint research projects specifically in life sciences, information technology and application and nano science and technology. The POC seeks to promote exchange of ideas and skills through visits by scientists and specialists, technical workshops and seminars, establishment of joint Indo-Swiss labs and centers in areas of mutual interest, training of your scientists and twinning of institutions.

The visit highlighted the importance that both Switzerland and India attach to S&T as a catalyst for change and for strengthening and expanding bilateral relations.

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