NEW DELHI: In his first official engagement after undergoing a heart bypass surgery in January, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks with Benin President Bon Yayi in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Singh joined the African nation’s leader in a photo opportunity at his residence, after which the two men engaged in delegation-level talks.
The talks were followed by the signing of several agreements that covered small-scale industries, cultural and scientific cooperation and diplomatic exchange.
Bon Yayi is on a five-day state visit to India. Yayi pledged support to India’s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. “We would like to support India in its candidature for UN. We believe that we will be able to create a better order in the world with a more reinforced Security Council,” Yayi told media.
Doctors have been closely monitoring 76-year-old Singh’s health since the January surgery.
Meanwhile, India successfully test fired supersonic cruise missile BrahMos in Pokhran in Rajasthan yesterday. “The Block II BrahMos missile was successfully launched at 1030 hours this morning,” the officials of Defense Research and Development Organization said. They have developed the weapon system in collaboration with Russian scientists. The missile “took two-and-a half-minutes to strike its target in the Pokhran firing range in Rajasthan,” they said.
The new version of BrahMos was test launched yesterday as it had failed to hit its target in the previous test on Jan. 20. The failure was due to it having deviated from its course mid-way, after a successful take off. The “defect” in the software of missile’s homing device had been rectified leading to its successful test yesterday, sources said. The test, earlier scheduled for Feb. 20,was postponed due to technical glitches.
Meanwhile, President Pratibha Patil approved the government’s recommendation to appoint Navin Chawla as the next chief election commissioner. With the present CEC N. Gopalaswami retiring on April 20, Chawla will take over on April 21.
