Winds of change blowing in West Asia and Africa: PM

From V Mohan Narayan
Addis Ababa, May 26 (PTI) Noting the "winds of change"
that are blowing in West Asia and North Africa, Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh today said people have the right to choose
their destiny but advocated strict adherence to the United
Nations framework while initiating any international action.
The Prime Minister's comment comes at a time when
countries like Egypt, Libya and Yemen have witnessed mass
uprisings against their rulers.
NATO forces have already undertaken military action in
Libya, where a civil war-like situation prevails, with Libyan
strongman Muammar Gaddafi facing a revolt in his country.
India has called for an end to the conflict in Libya
and has spoken against the international military action. At
the UN Security Council, India abstained from voting when the
Libya resolution was put to vote.
"The winds of change are blowing in West Asia and
North Africa. We believe it is the right of all peoples to
determine their own destiny and choose their own path of
development," he said while addressing the Joint Session of
the two Houses of the Parliament of Ethiopia.
He added, "International actions must be based on the
rule of law and be strictly within the framework of United
Nations Resolutions".
Singh who is on a tour to the African continent also
said India supports the efforts of the African Union in
bringing peace and stability to the region. The Prime Minister also made a strong pitch to the UN
to take the lead in evolving a comprehensive response to the
threat of international piracy in the Red Sea and off the
coast of Somalia to ensure unhindered maritime trade.
Simultaneously, the international community should
continue with efforts to restore stability in Somalia, he
said.
Singh, who is the first-ever Indian Prime Minister to
visit Ethiopia, said as a littoral state of the Indian Ocean,
India is ready to work with Ethiopia and other African
countries in this regard.
The Prime Minister received a standing ovation from a
packed Parliament as he entered with his wife Gursharan Kaur.
"The Horn of Africa is today faced with threats from
piracy and terrorism. International piracy in the Red sea and
off the coat of Somalia has become a well-organised industry.
It is important that the United Nations take the lead in
developing a comprehensive and effective response to this
threat," Singh said.
"We would all like the Indian Ocean to remain a secure
link between Asia and Africa through which international
maritime trade can take place unhindered," he said.
India has repeatedly voiced its serious concerns over
the threats posed by Somali pirates since about 11 per cent of
seafarers engaged by international shipping companies are
Indian nationals, some of whom have been taken hostage.
There have been over 200 attacks, including about 70
successful hijackings and ransoms believed to exceed USD 50
million have been paid to the pirates for securing the release
of hostages and ships.( Commenting on the emergence of new nation South Sudan
in next few weeks, Singh said, "We hope it will contribute to
peace and reconciliation among the people of Sudan."
Turning to changes in the structure of global bodies
like United Nations and International monetary system, the
Prime Minister said: "These are issues which have to be
tackled and resolved."
He thanked Ethiopia for its strong support to India's
permanent membership in an expanded UN Security Council.
In his address, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
said that Ethiopia and India enjoyed long standing cordial
ties on the basis of mutual respect and benefits for the
peoples of the countries.
He said the threads of historical, cultural and
political relationship have forged the two countries together.
"These two countries have stood together in many
historic moments," he added.
Talking about greater cooperation between the two
countries, Singh said India and Ethiopia must work to address
the challenges of food security, energy security, health
security, sustainable development and climate change.
He said providing affordable healthcare, particularly
in rural areas is another major challenge.
"Indian pharmaceutical companies are known for
providing cheap and good quality generic drugs. I am happy
they have begun to invest in Ethiopia," he said.
Talking about climate change, the Prime Minister said
it is essential for rich countries to share the financial
burden of combating climate change, participate in research
and development and promote transfer of technology to ensure
green growth.