Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: Ahead of his five-day visit to the US, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said that he was looking forward to bilateral meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
“During my visit to New York, I am looking forward to bilateral meetings with leaders of our neighbouring countries Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan,” the PM said.
The Prime Minister is heading to New York to address the UNGA Sep 28. A meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistan counterpart is likely on Sep 29 on the sidelines of the UNGA.
In his departure statement before embarking on a five-day visit to the US, Dr Singh said his summit meeting with President Barack Obama would be an opportunity to review bilateral cooperation and chart a course for future cooperation.
Some agreements including the one between Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and US firm Westinghouse and about a dozen in the field of defence are expected to be signed during the visit.
Laying emphasis on the growing India-US relationship, Dr Singh, who shares a great rapport with President Barack Obama, said that over the past decade, New Delhi’s relationship with Washington has transformed into a global strategic partnership.
He further said that New Delhi sees Washington as a long-term partner in our development efforts and in fostering global environment that is conducive to our growth.
Singh, who will be having a third summit meeting with Obama since 2009 said, "The intensive, high-level bilateral visits over the last few months reflect the strong momentum of bilateral engagement.
"We have also registered impressive progress in our cooperation across the full spectrum of the relationship.... My visit is an opportunity to review our joint efforts and chart a course for our future cooperation," he said.
In his address to the UNGA on Sep 28, the Prime Minister said he would "emphasize the importance of maintaining poverty eradication and inclusive development at the core of the post-2015 development agenda".
"The Sustainable Development Goals that are expected to be drawn up as part of the follow-up to the Rio+20 Conference should ensure a holistic approach to sustainable development objectives, ensuring a balanced treatment of its economic, social and environmental dimensions as well as universal applicability".
The Prime Minister said he would also convey India`s "strong conviction that global challenges are best addressed through multilateral approaches, with the United Nations at its centre".
India would also press for early reform of institutions of global political and economic governance, particularly the United Nations Security Council, he said.
