By IANS
New Delhi : Agreements on combating international terrorism, transfer of sentenced persons, organized crime and illicit drug trafficking are expected to be finalized between India and the United Arab Emirates in three months.
The decision was taken when a seven-member delegation of the UAE, led by Under Secretary (Interior) Major General Saif Abdulla Al-Sha'afar, met Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta here to enhance bilateral security cooperation.
Both sides underscored the importance of exchange of operational information and intelligence in the areas of terrorism, organized crime, financing of terrorism, smuggling of small arms and explosives and agreed to set up an institutional mechanism to coordinate and facilitate such exchange on a continuing basis.
"This mechanism will also discuss ways to facilitate greater cooperation and speedy action in criminal investigations including Red Corner Notices and extradition cases," said a home ministry release.
Discussions also centred on passport, visa and immigration related issues with both sides agreeing to find ways and means to prevent issuance of forged travel documents and take adequate steps to control the activities of unscrupulous middlemen.
Earlier this month, the ministry of women and child welfare introduced training programmes for Indian women seeking employment abroad as housemaids or domestic workers to regulate their emigration and protect them from any kind of abuse.
The government's move came in the wake of several complaints of exploitation of these women travelling to countries which come under the Emigration Clearance Required (ECR) and ensure they were not exploited by unscrupulous agents and touts.
"The meeting also addressed the problems faced by Indian expatriate workers in the UAE. It was decided that the institutional mechanism would address these issues also," said the statement.
It was also agreed that both sides would avail of facilities in either country for enhancing capacity and skills of their respective police personnel.
It was decided that to ensure early operationalisation of the institutional mechanism, both sides would convey to each other within two weeks the names of respective competent authorities.