Climate issue shouldn't hinder devp: India

Berlin, June 8: India and four other outreach partners of the G8 industrialised nations came out with a joint statement, declaring that they would not allow climate or other issues impede their economic growth which is vital for poverty reduction.

All the leaders at the meeting, attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chinese President Hu Jintao and those from Mexico, Brazil and South Africa, spoke in voice on the issue of development and as such they were ''sort of natural fit,'' Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon told reporters.

The five leaders, who met to finalise their common position on climate change before their summit with the G8, agreed to hold such discussions at places other than the sidelines of the G8 and directed their officials to prepare the ground in this regard.

They felt that South-South cooperation should be taken more seriously by them, rather than their engagements with industrialised nations.

The leaders agreed with the view of Dr Singh that they were here as partners and participants and not as petitioners.

The discussions also covered WTO's Doha development round and inclusive growth.

UNI

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