India Attends G-8 Summit and Meeting of O-5 in Germany
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India Review A PUBLICATION OF THE EMBASSY OF INDIA, KABUL http://meakabul.nic.in VOLUME 3 ISSUE 7 JULY 2007 INDIA ATTENDS G-8 SUMMIT AND MEETING OF O-5 IN GERMANY Prime Minister of India with the leaders of G-8 and O-5 countries at the G-8 Summit, Germany, on June 8. rime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the five leaders. participated in the G-8 Outreach Japan and Russia, while the five Outreach Later, speaking to the media on the board PSummit held at Heiligendamm in Countries are, besides India, Brazil, China, the aircraft bringing him back to India, the Germany from June 6 to 8. Mexico and South Africa. Prime Minister said, “As far as substance is While in Heiligendamm, the Prime Prior to the meeting with leaders of the G- concerned, the discussions with the outreach Minister also had bilateral discussions with 8, the President of Mexico hosted a meeting countries centered on the global economy U.S. President George Bush, British Prime of leaders of the Outreach countries in Berlin and issues relating to management of global Minister Tony Blair, French President Nicolas on June 7, where the leaders discussed their climate changes. As far as the issues relating Sarkozy, Chinese President Hu Jintao and positions on global issues that are of special to the global economy are concerned, there German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the host relevance to the developing world. is a general feeling that the world economy is of the summit. The meeting was held on June 7 in Berlin. doing quite well, certainly the people talk Speaking at the G-8 Outreach Summit on Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister about the global economy, they talk of the June 8, the Prime Minister made a strong Manmohan Singh said developing countries dynamic role played by China, Brazil and pitch for burden sharing among all countries must be treated as “partners and not peti- India.” in the global efforts to control climate tioners” in the changed global scenario, Singh added: “This is a new reality which changes. “The process of burden sharing especially while dealing with key geopolitical the developed countries respect and they must be fair,” he said. “It should take into issues. He further said it was essential that recognise there could be no meaningful man- account where the primary responsibility for rich nations took the views of developing agement of the global issues in which India, the present levels of GHG (green house gas) countries seriously and treated them as China and other emerging countries... are concentration rests and not perpetuate stakeholders. The meeting, ahead of the out- not involved.” poverty among the developing countries. No reach summit with the G-8, also discussed Following this year’s summit, the G-8 and strategy should foreclose for them the possi- how the five countries could push South- the five outreach allies pledged to continue bilities of accelerated social and economic South cooperation in various issues of glob- their dialogue on key issues, including development,” he added, mentioning that al importance. investment and energy efficiency in a more India’s GHG emissions are among the lowest Climate change, the Doha Development structured manner under what is being called in per-capita terms. Round of global trade talks and inclusive the Heiligendamm Process. The influential G-8 comprises U.S., growth were among the issues discussed by Continued on page 2 G-8 SUMMIT India attends G-8 Summit and meeting of O-5 in Germany Continued from page 1 Under the Heiligendamm Process, pro- posed by Chancellor Merkel, the outreach partners will continue to discuss and review progress in four key areas till the 2009 sum- mit in Italy — cross-border investment, research, development and energy efficiency. In a joint statement issued after the G-8 Outreach Summit, the two sides said: “We commit to embark on a high-level dialogue on specific challenges as proposed by the G- 8 as a follow-up to continue discussions in a more structured manner for a period of two years until the G-8 Summit in 2009.” The engagement between G-8 and the outreach partners has been more informal in nature which some of the members now want to institutionalise. In energy, the two sides said they would not only promote cost-effective use of fossil fuels Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressing at a meeting with the leaders of Outreach Countries (O-5) and clean coal technology, but also increase during the G-8 Summit at Berlin in Germany on June 7. the use of renewable energy sources. They also committed themselves to the ‘G-5’ leaders propose a separate summit UN Framework Convention on Climate razilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva has proposed that the group of outreach Change and said they would also follow the Ballies (G-5) — India, Brazil, China, Mexico and South Africa — get together again at principles of common but differentiated a forum other than that of the G-8 so that its own meetings are no longer incidental to the responsibilities. meetings and agenda of the eight most industrialised countries. Welcoming the proposal, Coming to global governance, the five out- Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, quoting Jawaharlal Nehru, said that developing coun- reach countries reiterated the need to make tries were partners and not petitioners before the chanceries of the world. The five agreed the structures of global governance more to instruct their foreign ministers to meet this autumn on the sidelines of the U.N. General democratic, representative and legitimate by Assembly to “coordinate their positions” on issues of common interest. The idea is not to increasing the participation of developing stop engaging with the G8 but to explore the full range of issues that the G5 can work on countries in the decision-making bodies of itself. ! multilateral institutions. ! PM’s Intervention on Climate Change at Heiligendamm Meeting of G8 plus 5, June 8, 2007 Madam Chancellor, Dear Colleagues, We must work together to find pragmatic, opment processes. I must thank you for raising this issue, of practical solutions, which are for the benefit Adaptation is the key for developing such significance for us and our future gen- of entire humankind. These should include countries. It needs to be adequately erations. We all have a vested interest in mitigation and adaptation strategies with fair resourced without detracting funds meant making our planet secure for our children burden sharing and measures to realize sus- for development, which, in any case, is the and grandchildren. India’s GHG emissions tainable patterns of consumption and pro- best form of adaptation. are among the lowest in per-capita terms. duction. The determination of any particular stabi- Moreover, being only around 4% of the The process of burden sharing must be lization goal and the time-frame in which it world’s emissions, action by us will have a fair. It should take into account where the should be achieved needs to be made at the marginal effect on overall emissions. primary responsibility for the present levels United Nations Framework Convention on Nonetheless we recognize wholeheartedly of GHG concentration rests and not perpet- Climate Change. our responsibilities as a developing country. uate poverty among the developing coun- This should be preceded by a scientific We wish to engage constructively and pro- tries. No strategy should foreclose for them consensus on impacts at different levels of ductively with the international community the possibilities of accelerated social and GHG going beyond the current IPCC find- and to add our weight to global efforts to economic development. ings, which still document many uncertain- preserve and protect the environment. The principle of common but differentiat- ties. We are determined that India’s per capita ed responsibility and respective capability is It is important that critical and promising GHG emissions are not going to exceed very important. clean technologies are made affordable for those of developed countries even while The time is not ripe for developing coun- developing countries, where there is large pursuing policies of development and eco- tries to take quantitative targets as these reliance on fossil fuels. nomic growth. would be counter-productive on their devel- Continued on page3 2 I N D I A R E V I E W J U L Y 2 0 0 7 h t t p : / / m e a k a b u l . n i c . i n G-8 SUMMIT Joint Statement by the G-8, G-5 countries in Germany oday’s purposeful discussions In this exchange we also need to consider structively participate in the negotiations between the G8 and Brazil, China, the protection of IPRs in conjunction with on a comprehensive agreement at the T India, Mexico and South Africa mark common good of human kind for the pur- UNFCCC Conference in Indonesia in an important step towards an equal and poses of protecting the environment and December 2007. enduring partnership for building the frame- supporting public health. work conditions of a globalized and compet- In this regard, we recall the Doha Energy itive world economy. Declaration on the TRIPs Agreement and We recognize the need for closer, more In a globalizing world, we have to look public health. practical and result-oriented regional and beyond national and regional boundaries and We affirm our commitment for further international cooperation in the energy sec- work together. cooperation in capacity building, human tor, especially in ensuring secure and afford- Towards this endeavour, we commit to resource development and public awareness able supplies of energy as well as in improv- cooperate in the following fields: programmes in the field of intellectual prop- ing energy efficiency and the access to — Promoting Cross Border Investment to erty.