Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

Opening Statement at Press Conference in London

"This visit to the UK has been over shadowed by the sad events in London yesterday. Terrorism has cast its shadow yet again, reminding us that this is urgent global problem, which we neglect or minimise at our peril. We had faced one such event earlier this week at home and are saddened by the death and destruction wrought in this city.

The meeting of the Outreach countries - India along with Brazil, China, Mexico and South Africa which preceded our meeting with the G-8 was a constructive effort to address the inescapable impact of the central issues which were the focus of the G-8--climate change and sustainable development.

We appreciate the effort of the UK Presidency of the G-8 to reach out to countries like ours, which are not in the G-8, and to create a partnership through which global solutions can be crafted to address global issues. The adverse effects of climate change and global warming affect all countries and all people and the only solution to this can be collective.

As part of this process India has played a constructive role in proposing concrete instrumentalities to ameliorate the adverse impact of climate change. Which when implemented would have a measurable impact - viz., softening the rigorous application of intellectual property rights for clean technologies. a commitments to make available critical technologies to developing countries at concessional rates and the creation of a network of R& D institutions in developed and developing countries to focus on clean technologies - Clean Net.

The declaration the G-8 Outreach countries issued yesterday reflects these ideas, which we hope will be implemented by all of us, including in cooperation with the G-8.

The events in London inevitably affected our programme at Gleneagles yesterday. I was unable to have the bilateral meeting planned with PM Blair. I, along with others assembled at Gleneagles, conveyed to PM Blair our solidarity with the people of UK. He had to leave Gleneagles and return to London.

I had a good productive meeting with President Chirac at which we went over all the issues at the bilateral agenda among other issues. I raised India's proposed participation in ITER and was assured French support. I have invited President Chirac to visit India at his early convenience. I also had brief and very constructive conversations with President Putin, President Bush, President Hu Jintao, President Lula and others.

An impromptu meeting of the G-4 at the level of leaders took place at Gleneagles, at which the President Lula, Chancellor Schroeder, PM Koizumi and I agreed that G-4 solidarity on the question of UN reform and in particular the expansion of the Security Council had made a difference to the process and we would maintain this. The Foreign Ministers of the four countries will be meeting later this evening here in London to take further decisions.

Earlier today I have been on sentimental journey to Oxford to receive an honorary degree, which means a great deal to me personally. The India House event, we have just participated in, has been curtailed on account of the bomb blasts yesterday. However, the 75th anniversary of India House, which we marked today, is reflective of the inextricable links between India and the UK, which this building embodies."