Date:10/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/10/stories/2006091002401200.htm

National

IBSA will promote South-South cooperation

Special Correspondent

The grouping will discuss regional as well as global issues, says Shyam Saran

NAM has a bridging role

IBSA summit will discuss nuclear energy

NEW DELHI: Manmohan Singh, who begins his two-nation, nine-day foreign tour on Sunday, will be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Brazil in 38 years. He will attend the maiden summit of the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) forum, which will be followed by the Non-Aligned Meet (NAM) summit on September 15 and 16 in Havana.

Briefing reporters on Friday on the Prime Minister's visit, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said India would project a new, contemporary vision at NAM to make the 116-nation grouping more relevant, and revitalise it to deal with challenges such as global terrorism, nuclear disarmament and United Nations reforms.

The theme of the NAM summit was "Purposes and principles of the role of NAM in the present international juncture," and it would deliberate on a number of global issues besides regional ones such as Palestine, Lebanon and Afghanistan. India's attempt would be to energise the movement, and make it more inclusive in dealing with economic and social issues facing the world.

"We are living in a multi-ethnic country, and the stress will be on confluence of civilisations rather than clash. NAM encompasses such ethnic groups, and it has a bridging role," Mr. Saran said.

On the maiden IBSA summit, he said the grouping had come of age since its inception three years ago. It would play a vital role in promoting South-South cooperation.

The IBSA summit would take up regional as well as global issues, and discussions on international terrorism and U.N. reforms were on the cards. Both Brazil and South Africa had expressed their outrage at the July 11 blasts in Mumbai, and were "very much conscious of the need of global effort in combating international terrorism."

Apart from the peaceful use of nuclear energy and its contribution towards ensuring energy security, the IBSA summit would also deliberate on a trilateral framework for increasing trade among the three nations.

With Brazil, India has agreed to support the ethanol initiative as it was fast emerging as an alternative to petrol. In the face of rising oil prices, the "ethanol initiative" had become very important, Mr. Saran said. India and Brazil would also sign an Air Services Agreement.