Press Release

MOS (PK) addresses Leader’s Panel at the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia

01/09/2009

The Minister of State for External Affairs of India Mrs. Preneet Kaur presented India’s perspective on ‘New global governance for the 21st Century’ while participating in the Leader’s Panel at the Bled Strategic Forum meeting being held in the lakeside resort of Bled in Slovenia from 30th to 31st August 2009. Also participating in the Panel that was chaired by the Slovene Foreign Minister were the Prime Minister of Macedonia, Speaker of the Czech Republic, Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg and the Foreign Minister of Turkey. The Forum was earlier inaugurated by the President of Slovenia, Dr. Danilo Tuerk.

In her presentation to the Panel, Mrs. Kaur highlighted the various global challenges facing the world including international terrorism, climate change, food and energy security and the adverse impact from the on-going global financial and economic crisis. She also pointed to the primary challenge of elimination of poverty in developing countries and their rapid socio-economic development. On global governance, she underlined that working to make UN Security Council more representative of developing countries in both categories of membership would significantly enhance the effectiveness of the United Nations.

Mrs. Kaur said that successful completion of the Doha Round Trade negotiations could provide some fresh momentum and in this regard referred to the informal trade ministers meeting being hosted by India later in the week. She further said that it was important to ensure that the outcome o the trade negotiations remained faithful to the Doha mandate that placed the interests of developing countries at the heart of the negotiation.

On Climate Change, Mrs. Kaur said that equity should be a key consideration while the world seeks to lay down a long term vision and a plan of action for the period beyond 2012. She emphasized that this should be in line with the agreed principle of common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities. She also dwelt on the efforts being taken by India nationally to minimise carbon dependence while delivering on development.

Finally, Mrs. Kaur said that in any new system of global governance it must also have built into it a flexibility to change as the world continued to evolve. In this regard she noted that it was important to be imaginative and think creatively.

New Delhi
September 01, 2009