ID :
61740
Thu, 05/21/2009 - 20:56
Auther :

Brown congratulates Manmohan Singh on his re-election as PM

London, May 21 (PTI) British Premier Gordon Brown has
congratulated Manmohan Singh with the election victory of the
Congress-led alliance, saying the Indian leader has done a
huge amount of work in promoting economic growth and the
relief of poverty around the world.

"I want to welcome and congratulate Prime Minister Dr
Manmohan Singh who is now re-elected as Prime Minister,"
Brown said in a statement here.

Brown described Singh as a "very good friend" and
said, "he's done a huge amount of work, not only in India but
around the world, in promoting economic growth and the relief
of poverty."

"I recognise that India's difficulties arise from the
Mumbai bombing and what that has done, and the action that has
got to be taken as a result of that. I hope we can have better
and more secure relationships between India and Pakistan.

"I hope I can play my part in persuading Pakistan to
focus more on the terrorist issues within its own borders. And
I know that there will be general support for what I've called
a regional strategy, where we deal with the crucible of
terrorism, which is the south of Afghanistan and those parts
of Pakistan that are controlled by, or are in the hands of,
the Pakistan Taliban and al-Qaeda. So I believe we can make
progress over the next period of time," he added. PTI

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