Indian airshow: Pakistan, China, Iran not invited

Aero India 2011, which begins on February 9, has invited 350 official and trade delegations from 30 countries.

NEW DELHI:

India, which hosts South Asia’s biggest airshow next week, has not invited Pakistan, China or Iran to the biennial event, organisers said on Tuesday.

“Invitations to the airshow have not been sent to China, Pakistan and Iran but this was decided by the foreign ministry,” defence production secretary RK Singh told a news conference in New Delhi.

Pakistan and India have no military-to-military contacts. Trade links in recent years have improved between India and China, who fought a brief but bloody border war in 1962 but strategic ties are frosty as territorial disputes remain unresolved despite several rounds of negotiations.

Singh did not comment on New Delhi’s decision to block Iran from the event. Aero India 2011, which begins on February 9, has invited a delegation from war-torn Afghanistan, Singh said, as part of India’s national policy to build better ties with the country.

“We have good cooperation with Afghanistan and so we are delighted it is sending a delegation to the airshow. We want such cooperation to grow,” Singh said.

About 350 officials and trade delegations from 30 countries including Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and the United States will participate in the five-day event, the organisers said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2nd, 2011.