Tuesday, November 15 2005 18:10 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Fresh from the Dhaka SAARC Summit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today (Nov 15, 2005) asked South Asian nations to show the resolve and maturity to grasp opportunities to become a major engine of growth for the global economy.

"I sincerely believe that India and its neighbors have a shared destiny. Our poverty and prosperity are indivisible. I am concerned about where our region is headed. It has the potential to become one of the engines of the global economy in the 21st century," he said at the Hindustan Times Conference here.

But, he warned, "We could miss that bus". Singh said that the region must show the resolve and the maturity to grasp the opportunities at hand that could enable all to seek a bright future for everyone.

"India wants all its neighbors to walk with her into a brighter future. Our prosperity will be their prosperity. Their progress will be our progress," he observed.