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Indian PM leaves for G-8 Summit

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said that the G-8 Summit of industrialised countries at Scotland will provide an opportunity to consider practical measures based on a ‘true partnership’ between developed and developing countries for ensuring the larger common good.

“It is our expectation that the Gleneagles Summit will provide an opportunity to consider additional practical measures focusing on clean and affordable technologies to address climate change issues, based on a true partnership between developed and developing countries for ensuring the larger common good,” he said in his departure statement before embarking on a four-day visit to United Kingdom.

Expressing that he was visiting the UK to attend the Outreach Session of the G-8 Summit, the Prime Minister said that the discussions are expected to focus mainly on climate change and sustainable development, issues of contemporary and pressing importance.

He welcomed the initiative of British Prime Minister Tony Blair to engage in purposeful discussions between the industrialised countries, represented in the G-8 and major emerging economies.

The Prime Minister further said that key countries in the ongoing Doha Multilateral Trade Negotiations would also be present in the Gleneagles and this would provide an opportunity to discuss the global economic situation and review progress in the Doha Work Programme, including preparations for the forthcoming Ministerial meeting in Hong Kong later this year.

Manmohan Singh said he looked forward to meeting world leaders present at the Summit and bilateral meetings with his British counterpart and French President Jacques Chirac are also planned on the margins of the event. While in the UK, the Prime Minister said he would visit Oxford to receive an Honourary Doctorate that the University has been “good enough to confer on me.”

Singh said that he would hopefully meet friends of India groups from the three main political parties in the British Parliament and attend ceremonies to mark the 75th anniversary of the opening of India House. app

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