New York: The re-admission of Pakistan to the Commonwealth at an upcoming summit of the grouping in Nigeria and the failure of the Cancun WTO Ministerial were among the issues discussed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo in New York on September 23.

Briefing reporters on the meeting as well as discussions held by External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha with the Israel and Myanmar's counterparts, Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal said that Vajpayee would be attending the Commonwealth Heads of Governments' summit in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, in December.

He said that Vajpayee and the Nigerian President discussed the situation with regard to Zimbabwe and Pakistan's "readmission to the councils of the Commonwealth, or rather ending the suspension from the councils of the Commonwealth."

On the Cancun WTO meeting, Sibal said the two leaders observed that it was good for the developing countries to be united in the negotiations. They should maintain their united front, and the developing countries should also have a dialogue with the eight developed nations (G-8) before the next round of negotiations.

On Sinha's meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, Sibal said that it was more in the nature of stock-taking after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's visit to India earlier this month.

Sibal said both the Ministers expressed the desire of the two countries to build on the momentum imparted to the relationship by the visit of Sharon.

The Israeli side expressed their concern about continuing attacks on Israel within the forums of the United Nations. Israel, Sibal said, feels that it is victimised at the UN.

Both sides said that the attitudes at the UN of 20 years ago are no longer commensurate with the existing realities that have taken place in the international system as a whole. Clearly there was need to review positions traditionally held against Israel.

In reply to a question, Sibal said that India continued to support the Palestinian cause but had also developed a relationship with Israel.

"For us to play a moderating role, it is necessary to maintain a certain balance between our principled position for the Palestinian cause and our interest in developing a productive relationship with Israel."

PTI