Thursday, September 14 2006 12:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Brasilia: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday (Sept 13,2006) sought greater South-South cooperation to propel India as a hub to Asia, Brazil an entry point to Latin America and South Africa a spring board for Africa.

Addressing the first ever summit of India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) here, Singh advocated the need for further facilitation of movement of goods and people across the three countries to realise the full potential of growth Of trade and people-to-people contact.

"We should expand the idea of IBSA from a project of three governments to one involving more intensively the peoples of our three countries. This would require a greater emphasis on people to people contact, on cultural and educational exchanges and on the promotion of trade and tourism amongst our three countries," he said.

The summit marks the beginning of the political and economic initiative of the three biggest democracies of three different continents to come together on a wider platform that is expected to impact on the business and trade opportunities beyond their grouping.

"For this vision to be converted to reality, we need to address the critical question of connectivity. The growth of trade and people to contact can reach its full potential only if the movement of goods and people across our three countries is further facilitated," Singh told the summit attended by host Brazilian President Lula Da Silva and South African President Thabo Mbeki.