New Delhi, October 20
Russia today strongly advocated India’s inclusion in the G-8 grouping of top industrialised nations so that it could play its due role in global efforts to find a solution to the unprecedented economic crisis.
“India is a critical state in world affairs…it should be included in the G-8 as well as other international organisations. It is also a strong and natural candidate for a permanent seat in a reformed United Nations Security Council (UNSC),” Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said at a joint press conference with external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee after their wide-ranging talks on bilateral issues as well as international developments. The visiting minister also called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh earlier in the day.
Lavrov was here to do the groundwork for the visit of Russian President Dmitri Madvedev’s to New Delhi in early December for a summit with the Indian Prime Minister. During this visit, India and Russia are expected to sign an agreement on cooperation in the civilian nuclear energy field, which envisages Moscow building four more atomic reactors in Tamil Nadu.
It will be the third nuclear agreement India would sign after securing an approval from the nuclear suppliers’ group (NSG) for undertaking nuclear commerce. India has already operationalised the deal with the US and inked an agreement for cooperation in the civilian nuclear energy field with France. Lauding India’s ‘impeccable’ non-proliferation credentials, Lavrov said this was precisely the reason why Moscow supported India’s case for a safeguards agreement with the IAEA.
