PM to focus on Pak crisis, climate change and trade at CHOGM summit

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, along with a high-level delegation arrived at Ugandas Entebbe airport late on Thursday night to attend the 53-nation Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) summit.

By Naveen Kapoor

Kampala (Uganda), Nov 23 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, along with a high-level delegation arrived at Uganda's Entebbe airport late on Thursday night to attend the 53-nation Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) summit.

Singh is expected to raise India concern on matters like climate change, economic and international trade, strengthening good governance and the constitutional crisis in Pakistan at the summit that opens here today.

India, the largest member state of the Commonwealth, is also expected to pitch for Kamlesh Sharma, the current Indian High Commissioner to UK for the post of Commonwealth Secretary General.

Sharma is pitted against Maltese Foreign Minister Michael Frendo and India-born Mohan Kaul, who is the Director General of the Commonwealth Business Council.

Dr. Singh in a pre-departure statement said that CHOGM 2007 has a rich agenda before it. "

It includes a review of global developments, including climate change, the millennium development goals, human rights and terrorism," he added.

Dr. Singh said that he would use the CHOGM as the platform for highlighting the major socio-economic transformation that is underway in India.

"I look forward to meeting a large number of leaders and having a constructive dialogue with them on both bilateral and international issues. I will use the opportunity to highlight the major socio-economic transformation that is underway in India, and the opportunities this provides for the emergence of a new world order," he said.

The special theme of the meeting is 'Transforming societies to achieve political, economic and human development'.

Issues relating to the 32 small states which are members of the Commonwealth will also be taken up.

Dr. Singh also asserted that India is strongly committed to the Commonwealth's role of nurturing a sense of belonging to a shared past and a shared destiny based on common values.

The Prime Minister said that the Commonwealth is a forum that is uniquely placed to harness the strength and diversity of its membership in cooperating with each other, and addressing the global challenges of trade, sustainable development and social advancement.

"India has consistently played an active role in the Commonwealth. We have several technical assistance and cooperation programmes in place, particularly for the developing countries in Africa and the Small States, which we will seek to enhance," Singh added.

ANI