Some Finmeccanica companies make good products: UK Minister

India's decision to ban Finmeccanica is likely to affect all its subsidiary companies like Alenia Aeromacchi.

May 31, 2016 12:45 am | Updated November 29, 2021 01:12 pm IST - NEW DELHI:

U.K. Minister Hugo Swire speaks to The Hindu in New Delhi on Monday. Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

U.K. Minister Hugo Swire speaks to The Hindu in New Delhi on Monday. Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

India’s decision to ban Italian defence conglomerate Finmeccanica and its subsidiaries from bidding for defence contracts is an internal matter of India but UK believes that some of the firms within the Finmeccanica group make “good” products, said the key interlocutor of the UK on India.

“There are some companies within the Finmeccanica group who make extremely good aircraft which I know have been of past interest to the Indian Air Force. What happens in terms of India’s procurement is up to India. But we obviously believe that the United Kingdom makes some products that may be of interest to India,” Hugo Swire, Minister of State in Charge of Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK, told The Hindu in an exclusive interview, without going into the details of the possible ban that the Ministry of Defence is considering against the Finmeccanica as the case involves policy decisions of the government.

The Decision to ban Finmeccanica is likely to affect all its subsidiary companies like Alenia Aeromacchi, the aerospace arm of the Italian conglomerate and military communications major Selex Electronics and armaments producer Oto Melara.

Sri Lanka, South China Sea discussed

Mr Swire discussed the issue of UK citizens in Tamil Nadu jails as well as the immediate issue of human rights in Sri Lanka during discussion with Minister of State for External Affairs Gen V K Singh. “I will travel to Chennai tomorrow and will meet the Chief Minister,” he said referring to the issue of ex-soldiers from UK who are in a prison in Tamil Nadu.

Supporting the international approach to the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, Mr Swire said that the government of President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe is yet to fulfil commitments that they have made to the international community. “June will mark the first time when Prince Zayed Al Hussein, the Human Rights Commissioner will produce the report as to what progress or otherwise the Sri Lankan government has made inregarding reconciliation and truth commissions.”

Mr Swire also said that the political deadlock in Nepal is of significance to UK. “We are a huge donor of aide to Nepal and have a very strong link with Nepal through the Gurkhas who serve in the British army so we want the government of Nepal to be a comprehensive government which takes into account different parts of Nepal and to bring stability to the country so that they can bring economic stability in the country”, Mr Swire told The Hindu.

Highlighting security and regional cooperation in South Asia, Mr Swire said that the rise of terrorism in Bangladesh has been of concern to UK. “Rise of terrorism and shrinkage of human rights in Bangladesh has been of great concern to us. We spend a lot of money in Bangladesh and we can work together to contain the threats but obviously we have some problems in Bangladesh”.

Mr Swire said that the UK is interested in ensuring that the ruling of the UNCLOS should be adhered to regarding the South China Sea. “Rules-based international system is an incredibly important thing not least for the South China Sea where a huge percentage of global shipping passes through at any given time”, Mr Swire said.

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