Roundup: India, Malaysia ink seven pacts to boost partnership

India and Malaysia signed seven agreements as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his visiting Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak here on Saturday to bolster partnership in a range of areas, including fighting terrorism.

The pacts that Indian and Malaysia inked included one on air services. Other agreements were on sports, techonlogy development in the field of palm oil and recognition of academic degrees of the two countries.

Ahead of signing of the agreements, Modi and Razak held one-to-one as well as delegation-level talks at the iconic Hyderabad House in the heart of the Indian capital on cultural, trade and strategic issues.

In a joint statement on terrorism, both Modi and Razak stressed that "there can be no justification for acts of terror on any ground whatsoever" and condemned in strongest terms the recent barbaric terror attacks in the region.

Later, addressing a joint press conference, Modi said: "To secure our societies, and for the greater regional good, we have agreed to further strengthen our strategic partnership to shape an effective response to our common concerns and challenges."

On his part, the Malaysian prime minister said that "defense and strategic partnership will be very important to us to fight global terrorism, militancy, extremism and that includes our fight against Islamic State and against any form of extremism."

"For this, we will enhance our cooperation," Razak asserted.

"We are willing to work closely together with the Indian government for a special conference that will be held in near future and we will provide our experience and with our partners to make sure Malaysia and other parts of the world will never be a place in which militancy and extremism will take root," Razak added.

On trade relations, Modi said the two countries have built a thriving economic partnership.

"We are ready to expand trade and capital flows between our two economies," he added.

Earlier in the day, the Malaysian prime minister was received by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Modi.

He later met Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

The Malaysian prime minister, who is on a six-day official visit to India, arrived in southern state of Tamil Nadu's capital Chennai on Thursday, where he met, apart from political leaders, Tamil film industry's superstar Latha Rajnikanth.

He came to Delhi on Friday and will go to the western state of Rajasthan Sunday, where he is slated to hold talks with state Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia. Endit