British PM Gordon Brown reiterated support for India’s bid for the UN Security Council seat, following the footsteps of his predecessor Tony Blair, and said, “India is the world’s largest democracy and one of the fastest growing economies of the world... and India should get its rightful place.”
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, “Today, there is a broad agreement that international institutions, if they have to be credible, can’t ignore India. I don’t underestimate the difficulties in reforming them (UN), but it is in the interest of the world that UNSC should have representation of contemporary realities.”
Both sides agreed to “urge Iran to co-operate fully with the IAEA and fulfil the requirements of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions to address international concerns about its nuclear programme”.
On Pakistan, the two sides “shared the hope that Pakistan would see an early return to stability and prosperity” and recognised the importance of free and fair elections on February 18.
On Myanmar, the two countries agreed that “the process of national reconciliation and political reform in Myanmar should be inclusive, broad-based and taken forward expeditiously.”
They also urged the Sri Lankan Government to put forward a “credible devolution package as a key contribution to finding a political settlement acceptable to all communities, within the framework of a united Sri Lanka”.
On agenda: n-deal, Iran, climate change
N-deal: Supports it, but wants appropriate India-specific exemptions at NSG
Iran: asks to cooperate with IAEA and fulfil UN resolution, favours continued dialogue
UN, World Bank, IMF, G-8: need to be reformed
Counter-terrorism: high-level dialogue on terror-financing
Climate change: find practical solutions
Education: collaborate in setting up one IIT, one IISER and a central university
Research: Nanotech, Life sciences