E-Paper
Manmohan Singh in South Africa for three-day IBSA Summit
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh arrived at the picturesque capital of South Africa on Monday to attend the three-day 5th IBSA (India, Brazil and South Africa) Summit, which is expected to reflect the common position of the three countries on a range of hot-button global issues.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh arrived at the picturesque capital of South Africa on Monday to attend the three-day 5th IBSA (India, Brazil and South Africa) Summit, which is expected to reflect the common position of the three countries on a range of hot-button global issues.
The summit, hosted by South Africa president Jacob Zuma on Tuesday, will also be attended by the Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff.
It will focus, among other things, on coordination among IBSA countries in the United Nations Security Council, climate change, economic cooperation and sustainable development.
Also on the table would be a range of other matters related to deepening of cooperation under IBSA's institutional framework. Founded in 1993, IBSA is an umbrella body that brings together India, Brazil and South Africa to underline the importance of South-South cooperation.
"It is a happy coincidence that in 2011 India, Brazil and South Africa are members of the United Nations Security Council," Singh said in a statement prior to leaving for Pretoria.
“We have shown significant cohesiveness and coordination in our approach to issues under discussion in the Security Council." At the summit, Singh will exchange views on the current global economic and financial situation especially in the context of the forthcoming G-20 Summit in France.
He will also be holding bilateral meetings with Zuma and Rousseff to exchange views on global, regional and bilateral issues of mutual interest. External affairs minister SM Krishna and commerce minister Anand Sharma are accompanying the prime minister.
