February 18, 2003	Tuesday	Zul Hijjah 16, 1423

NEW DELHI, Feb 17: Poland and India agreed on Monday to boost defence cooperation and signed an extradition treaty during a visit here by Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller.

The two countries signed agreements on defence, extradition and on working together to combat organised crime and international terrorism.

The agreements were signed by top Indian and Polish officials following a meeting between Miller and his Indian counterpart Atal Behari Vajpayee.

“We would like to cooperate more intensely with Asia and one cannot cooperate with Asia without India because it occupies a special position in the region, contributing to its stability,” Miller told a news conference.

He said the trade between the two countries needed to be increased far beyond the current 250 million dollars a year and said he was keen to develop ties with India’s information technology and biotechnology sectors.

Vajpayee said Indian and Polish business people had good interactions with one another during Miller’s visit and hoped that this would translate into greater collaboration. Earlier Miller urged Indian business leaders to invest in Poland.

“We are creating increasingly convenient conditions for foreign investors,” Miller told the Confederation of Indian Industry. The government I lead adapts measures to assure the stability and transparency of legal regulations.”

Industries from oil and gas to railway or aerospace engineering could benefit from expanded cooperation, Miller said.

“We will seek new forms of cooperation and I encourage you to be active in this field,” he said.—AFP