G8 united with India to fight terror

St Petersburg, July 17 (UNI) India has scored two major victories at the G8 Summit with the group of industrialised nations clearing New Delhi's quest for stepping up nuclear power generation with international help and the G8 and its outreach partners solidly throwing their weight behind the country's fight against terrorism in the wake of the July 11 blasts in Mumbai and Srinagar.

In a tacit approval of the Indo-US nuclear cooperation, the G8 statement on non-proliferation said: ''We look forward to reinforcing our partnership with India. We note the commitments India has made, and encourage India to take further steps towards integration into the mainstream of strengthening the non-proliferation regime as to facilitate a more forthcoming approach towards nuclear cooperation to address its energy requirements, in a manner that enhances and reinforces the global non-proliferation regime.'' On terrorism, the G8 and its outreach partners said: "We are united with India in our resolve to intensify efforts to fight terrorism which constitutes a threat to each of our countries, as well as to international peace and security.'' The brief three-paragraph statement was issued by Russia, the summit host, the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Japan -- all G8 members -- and their outreach nations -- India, Brazil, China, Mexico, South Africa, Kazakhstan and Congo.

"We are outraged by the barbaric terrorist acts, carried out on July 11, 2006 in Mumbai and other parts of India. We stand in solidarity with the government and the people of India and express our deepest condolences to the victims and their families.'' They also said they were determined to continue the fight against terrorism by all legitimate means. ''We express our readiness to undertake all necessary measures to bring to justice perpetrators, organisers, sponsors of these and other terrorist acts, and those who incited the perpetrators to commit them. We shall do it in accordance with our obligations under international law, in particular international human rights law, refugee law and humanitarian law.'' UNI SN RP KN1744