§ Keith VazTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his recent meeting with Mr. Yashwant Sinha, the Indian Foreign Minister. [79927]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienMy right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met Yashwant Sinha, the Indian Foreign Minister, in London on 31 October. They discussed a wide range of bilateral and international issues. They agreed that the bilateral relationship is in excellent shape, and reiterated our joint commitment to developing further cooperation in line with the provisions of the New Delhi Declaration signed by the two Prime Ministers in January. The Foreign Secretary also reiterated the UK's support for India's permanent membership of the UN Security Council.
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary welcomed the recent successful Jammu and Kashmir elections and discussed with Mr. Sinha how tensions in the region could be further reduced.