NEW DELHI, 11 September 2006 — India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday expressed hope that the five-decade-old Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) will play a constructive role toward the universal causes of peace, disarmament and progress and prosperity of human kind.
Manmohan said yesterday, “Mutual support and solidarity among NAM members is of prime importance as we confront several common challenges such as making globalization more inclusive, the scourge of terrorism and addressing widespread hunger, poverty and disease.”
The prime minister left yesterday for Brazil and Cuba to attend the IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) and NAM summits. Before leaving, while addressing reporters in New Delhi, Manmohan described the 116-member NAM as a “great movement.”
India will play its part in “helping NAM to revitalize itself so as to pursue the shared interests of its member states in a transformed world.” In reference to his meeting with several leaders, particularly Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in Havana, on the sidelines of the two summits, Manmohan said that he looked forward to “fruitful interactions” with them.
In his meeting with Musharraf, Manmohan is likely to convey India’s concern over continued cross-border terrorism and ask him to act in a “substantive” manner to eliminate this menace.
Manmohan will also participate in bilateral meetings with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and other Brazilian leaders on Sept. 12 in Brasilia. Talks will cover India and Brazil’s joint bid for permanent membership of the UN Security Council and the relaxation of nuclear cooperation guidelines in India’s favor.
Describing Brazil as “one of the main partners in Latin America,” Manmohan expressed hope that his trip would “consolidate an extremely positive trend” in their bilateral relations. While discussions with Brazilian leaders will include a range of issues, the two sides will also sign as many as eight agreements aimed at taking their relationship to a new level.
Describing IBSA as a shining example of South-South cooperation, Manmohan said that the IBSA Business Summit would add a new dimension to the interactions of the leaders of the three countries.
Manmohan is the first Indian premier to visit Brazil in the last 38-years. The late Indira Gandhi visited Brazil in 1968. After attending the NAM summit, Manmohan is scheduled to return to New Delhi on Sept. 18.
Before leaving for Brazil, Manmohan attended a meeting of the Congress Working Committee chaired by Congress party President Sonia Gandhi. The meeting was held to mark the centenary of Satyagraha (civil disobedience movement) launched by Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa.
