'Devp nations should unite and raise their voice'
{image-prathibha patil_13042008.jpg news.oneindia.in}On Board (Air India One), Apr13: Developing countries should unite and strengthen their strategic, economic and cultural ties to make their voices heard better at the United Nations, President Pratibha DeviSingh Patil said en route her maiden foreign visit to Latin America.
Patil,
the
first
Indian
woman
president
to
go
abroad,
also
that
there
were
a
lot
of
similarities
of
views
on
issues
and
problems
faced
by
India
and
the
countries
that
she
is
visiting.
During
her
nearly
fortnight-long
visits
to
Brazil,
Mexico
and
Chile,
several
bilateral
Memoranda
of
Understanding
(MOU)
are
to
be
inked.
She
said
countries
like
Brazil,
India
and
South
Africa
should
make
their
voices
heard
louder
in
the
international
arena,
and
their
long-term
objective
should
be
to
firm
up
cooperation
on
global
issues
like
U.N.
reforms,
global
climate
change
and
expediting
trade
links
between
India
and
Latin
American
countries.
"I
am
visiting
these
distant
nations
to
decrease
the
distances," she
said.
Patil
also
used
her
interaction
with
the
media
onboard
Air
India
One
to
reveal
India's
strong
stand
against
terrorism.
She
said
she
would
like
to
see
the
international
community
firming
up
treaties
to
fight
the
scourge,
though
admitted
that
formal
agreements
existed.
It
was
an
issue
that
needed
to
be
dealt
with
firmly
at
the
highest
fora,
she
added.
Emphasizing
on
the
need
for
strengthening
ties
with
developing
countries
like
Brazil,
Mexico
and
Chile,
she
described
India
and
these
countries
as
fast
growing
economies
and
suggested
that
their
strong
relationship
could
not
only
enhance
trade
ties,
but
also
their
position
in
the
world.
ANI