Thursday, September 14 2006 11:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Brasilia: As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf later this week, he secured strong support in the fight against terrorism when the tri-nation IBSA summit today expressed outrage at recent terror strikes in India and asked the international community for measures to bring to justice perpetrators, collaborators and sponsors of such attacks.



Apart from the strong views expressed on terrorism, the summit of India, Brazil and South Africa also sought to accelerate economic and political cooperation among them by entering into five agreements in agriculture, production of bio-fuel, maritime linkages, harmonisation of standards and information and communication technology.

Meeting under a new trilateral economic and political platform, Presidents Lula Da Salva of Brazil and Thabo Mbeki of South Africa expressed their solidarity with the Government and people of India and reaffirmed their resolve to further intensify measures to combat terrorism which constitutes 'a most serious threat to mankind and international peace and security'.

"The Heads of State and Government unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They expressed that there can be no justification, whatsoever, for any act of terrorism.

"They shared the view that the international communitymust further intensify efforts and cooperation to fight this scourge," said a 14-page joint declaration issued at the end of the summit of the three biggest democracies from Asia Africa and Latin America.



The joint declaration reiterated the support of the three countries for comprehensive reforms in the United Nations and the need for a decision regarding the expansion of the Security Council without which no reforms would be complete.

They wanted that the Security Council must be expanded to include developing countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America in both permanent and non-permanent categories to reflect contemporary realities and to make it more democratic and responsive.



Expressing their commitment to the goal of complete elimination of nuclear weapons, the three countries regretted lack of progress in this regard.



The three leaders discussed the threat posed by non-state actors or terrorists' acquiring nuclear weapons or their related materials and technologies.

They reaffirmed their inalienable right of all states to peaceful application of nuclear energy consistent with international legal obligations and called for a diplomatic resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue within the context of the IAEA.

They reiterated the importance of ensuring that any multilateral decisions related to nuclear fuel cycle do not undermine the inalienable right of states to pursue nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

They agreed that international civilian nuclear cooperation under appropriate IAEA safeguards amongst countries committed to disarmament and non-proliferation objectives could be enhanced through acceptable forward- looking approaches consistent with their respective national and international obligations.

The joint declaration expressed the view that the legitimacy of the IMF depends on the fundamental reforms of quotas and voice that is more representative of developing countries reducing the serious imbalance between ample majority of voting power now held by advanced economies and unsatisfactory participation of developing countries.

They regretted the suspension of Doha rounds of WTO talks and reiterated that they shall spare no efforts to resume the negotiations sooner than later. They said that on the road ahead the progress achieved so far must be fully preserved and the level of the ambition of DOHA agenda must be maintained to reduce protectionism and end distortions.



Under the IBSA trilateral cooperation, the three countries signed agreements in the areas of energy, agriculture, transportation, science and technology and information society.



The three leaders gave full support to expeditious establishment of the working group to focus on modalities for the envisaged India-Mercosur-Southern African Customs Union Trilateral Free Trade Agreement.



The Memorandum of Understanding on bio-fuels aims to create a trilateral task force to promote use of ethanol and bio-diesel as vehicular fuel to increase energy security.

The IBSA maritime transportation agreement will create the framework for improving logistics and enhance maritime skills base for increasing trade flows.

In his concluding remarks, President Da Salva said the IBSA representing 1.25 billion people should have been set up about twenty years ago so that by now great progress coud have been made by these countries.



He said IBSA should see how to achieve U N reforms.