October 22, 2003	Wednesday	Sha’aban 25, 1424

NEW DELHI, Oct 21: India and Sri Lanka announced on Tuesday they would begin negotiations to firm up ties in the military sector through a defence cooperation programme.

The announcement came at the end of two days of talks between visiting Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian premier Atal Behari Vajpayee.

The statement did not give details such as dates for the beginning of the negotiations or a time-frame for the forging of the programme.—AFP