Significant defence pacts with Qatar: PM

On Board Air India One, Nov 11 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described as 'very, very significant', the two defence pacts that were signed with Qatar during his visit to the Gulf nation that concluded Monday.

"The two agreements are very, very significant. They are not just about intelligence sharing but about maritime security as well," he told reporters on board his special aircraft while returning home from a two-nation visit to the Gulf.

Describing the pacts as "one of a kind", he said they had been in the pipeline for long and that he was glad they had been inked.

The two agreements - one on security and law enforcement and another on defence cooperation - were signed Sunday evening after Singh's arrival in Doha on the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Qatar.

The security and law enforcement agreement lays out the framework for sharing of information and database on threats posed by terrorists, money laundering and smuggling of narcotics.

The pact on defence cooperation lays out a structure for training programmes by the two sides, exchange of goodwill missions and experts.

--IANS