Ashwani Kumar meets President Mbeki

New Delhi, Aug 5 (UNI) Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Dr Ashwani Kumar held talks with South African President Thabo Mbeki during his recent visit at Johannesburg to finalise various issues to be discussed during the forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

President Mbeki said he was very much looking forward to the discussions with Ms Gandhi and Dr Singh.

Ms Gandhi will be visiting South Africa later this month, while the Prime Minister will visit the country in October for the next summit of IBSA where India, Brazil and South Africa are the member countries.

Addressing the India Calling 2007 Conference organised by the Indian Merchants' Chamber in Johannesburg on August 3, President Mbeki endorsed Dr Kumar's perceptions about the need for economic growth and remedying the injustices of past centuries.

''India serves as an inspiring example to many South Africans,'' President Mbeki said, highlighting the special relationship between India and South Africa and recalling the impact of Mahatma Gandhi's ideas on South Africa's freedom struggle.

''The emergence of Indian businesses as global players was an important development in addressing the fracture between the wealthy North and the marginalised South,'' the South African president said.

President Mbeki urged the Indian business delegation to work with South African counterparts to address the challenges of poverty, inequality and skill development.

He said closer partnership between India and South Africa would not only benefit the two countries but was of a great importance to billions of others and to the establishment of a new world order, an official release here today said.

UNI