Thursday, September 14 2006 12:39 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Brasilia (Brazil): Outlining a bold and comprehensive agenda of cooperation, India, Brazil and South Africa yesterday (Sept 13, 2006)agreed to chart out institutional and business linkages in energy, trade, transportation and other important sectors.

The first-ever summit of the three nations here said they would establish replicable and scaleable projects in other developing countries as part of South-South cooperation to alleviate poverty and hunger.

A joint declaration issued at the end of the IBSA Summit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Brazilian President Liuz Inacio Lula da Silva and South African President Thabo Mbeki also envisaged enhanced cooperation in sustainable development and science and technology to impart momentum and substance to their trilateral cooperation.

Addressing the Summit, Singh said the three nations need to consider ways by which linkages among them could lead to India becoming a "hub to Asia, Brazil an entry point to Latin America and South Africa a springboard for Africa".

Describing the agenda of trilateral cooperation as 'bold and comprehensive', he said, "If implemented in earnest it will propel this grouping to a position where its voice will be heard in international affairs."

Both Brazil and South Africa came out in support of India's efforts to get nuclear powers to remove obstacles to it securing civil nuclear energy.

"I appreciate the fact that IBSA has lent its support for forward-looking approaches to enhance international civilian cooperation," Singh said.