Brussels/New Delhi, 05/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - The first EU/India roundtable, which gathers together representatives from the European Economic and Social Committee and from Indian civil society, on 29 and 30 January, in New Delhi, was inaugurated by the Indian Minister for Foreign Affairs Jaswant Singh and the European Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten (see EUROPE of 24 January, p.10). This roundtable had as aim to institute a permanent forum for dialogue at the civil society level, in order to make proposals to the Indian government and the European institutions, notably direct foreign investments, sciences and research, the range of regional development models, the Indian success in the information technology sector, and also in education and training, migration and equality between men and women. The two co-chairmen of the roundtable - N.N. Vohra (Director of the India International centre) and Goke Frerichs (President of the European Economic and Social Committee) - undertook to extend and intensify the contacts at civil society level.
The participants decided, when closing the works, to organise the next roundtable in Brussels next July, in order to ensure the follow-up to the New Delhi meeting,. The main theme will be the contribution by civil society in the face of the stakes of globalisation and sustainable development, and the roundtable will also have to make recommendations for the EU/India summit in New Delhi next November.