Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM's statement on the eve of his departure for Kampala to attend CHOGM 2007

"I am leaving for Kampala to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) that begins tomorrow.

CHOGM 2007 has a rich agenda before it. This includes a review of global developments, including Climate Change, the Millennium Development Goals, Human Rights and Terrorism. The special theme of the Meeting is "Transforming Societies to achieve Political, Economic and Human Development". Issues relating to the 32 Small States which are members of the Commonwealth will also be taken up.

India is strongly committed to the Commonwealth's role of nurturing a sense of belonging to a shared past and a shared destiny based on common values. The Commonwealth is a forum that is uniquely placed to harness the strength and diversity of its membership in cooperating with each other and addressing the global challenges of trade, sustainable development and social advancement.

India has consistently played an active role in the Commonwealth. We have several technical assistance and cooperation programmes in place, particularly for the developing countries in Africa and the Small States, which we will seek to enhance.

I look forward to meeting a large number of leaders and having a constructive dialogue with them on both bilateral and international issues. I will use the opportunity to highlight the major socio-economic transformation that is underway in India, and the opportunities this provides for the emergence of a new world order."