Manmohan to cement Indias global role at IBSA, BRIC summits

BRASILIA - It is set to be a week of hectic multilateral diplomacy for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who arrived here Wednesday evening on a three-day visit to participate in two back-to-back summits of IBSA and BRIC countries.

The IBSA (India, Brazil and South Africa) and BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) summits, which are held in different formats, aim at securing a bigger say for top emerging economies in world affairs.

Besides multilateral diplomacy, Manmohan Singh, who arrived here from the US, will also hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Three multilateral summits in a week underline Indias growing global stature, said a senior official.

Manmohan Singh, accompanied by his wife Gursharan Kaur, arrived here Wednesday evening (2.30 a.m., Thursday IST) on the second leg of his eight-day overseas tour from Washington where he participated in the 47-nation Nuclear Security Summit.

He was accorded a red-carpet welcome at the Brazilian Air Force Base with the presentation of ceremonial Guard of Honour and 21-gun salute.

Manmohan Singh was received warmly by Brazilian Defence Minister Nelson Jobim with the military band playing national anthems of the host country and India.

Manmohan Singh will hold wide-ranging talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the host of the twin summits, and South African President Jacob Zuma in the trilateral format of IBSA.

The fourth IBSA summit, comprising three top economic powerhouses straddling three continents, will culminate Thursday evening with a joint communiqu reflecting their shared positions on a host of global issues, including the international financial crisis and reform of global decision-making bodies.

All three IBSA countries are aspiring for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.

The three countries are expected to sign two trilateral MoUs in areas of solar energy and science and technology.

The second BRIC summit, projected by Goldman Sachs to be the worlds largest economies by 2050, Friday will also push for the democratisation of international bodies.

The leaders of four countries will also hold intensive discussions on several issues, including the US drive to impose fresh sanctions against Iran for its suspect nuclear programme, the international financial crisis, climate change and counter-terror cooperation.

Iran will be part of “focused agenda” of the BRIC summit for the first time, said Parbati Sen Vyas, secretary (economic relations) in the ministry of external affairs.

The issue will also be discussed in the IBSA format by Manmohan Singh, Brazil president and the South African president, said Vivek Katju, secretary (West) in the external affairs ministry, who is in the Brazilian capital for the summit.