India and Ukraine signed Five Agreements to Increase Bilateral Cooperation

India and Ukraine on 10 December 2012 signed five agreements in New Delhi to enhance cooperation including in areas of defence, Nuclear, Science and Technology and also to remove barriers in trade and commerce.The two countries also agreed to raise bilateral cooperation to Comprehensive partnership level. The agreements were signed during the visit of Ukraine President Victor Yanukovich. The agreements are as following:-

1)Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on Cooperation in the Field of Defence
The Agreement will provide the framework for expanding our military technical cooperation on an institutionalized basis. It envisages mechanisms to be set up for promoting defence cooperation. It will pave the way for moving our relationship to a new plane, that of joint research and development in the future.

2)Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of Ukraine on Co-operation in the Fields of Science and Technology
The agreement envisages regular meetings of a joint committee, exchange of scientists and holding of seminars, joint research programmes and contacts between scientific organizations. There are over ten ongoing joint research programmes and this agreement will allow for further expansion of collaboration in this area.

3)Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Civil and Commercial Matters between the Republic of India and Ukraine
The Treaty provides for reciprocal arrangements for service of summons, execution of decrees etc. In an environment of increased contacts and enhanced engagement it eases legal procedures in the field of consular affairs.

4)Agreement between Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Government of India and the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine for Exchange of Technical Information and Co-operation on Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection
The Agreement flows from the continuing interaction between AERB and the Ukrainian nuclear regulator and will now allow them to cooperate in a structured format. The Agreement envisages cooperation in some very important regulatory activities, including legislative regulations, safety guides and technical criteria on nuclear safety; siting, design, construction, operation, decommissioning of nuclear facilities; waste management and environment impact etc.

5)Memorandum of Understanding in the Field of Standardisation, Conformity Assessment and Quality between the Bureau of Indian Standards and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine
The MoU is in continuation of a similar MoU signed for a period of five years in 2005. It envisages enhanced economic engagement through elimination of technical barriers to trade and economic relations.