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G-15 communique will censure cross-border terrorism: PM

J Sesha Sai in Montego Bay

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee says the final communique of the G-15 summit will include a paragraph against cross-border terrorism. The communique will be issued today.

Addressing the media informally at a reception hosted in his honour, Vajpayee said Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has agreed to whittle down the extreme position he had taken at the inaugural session of the G-15 summit in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Vajpayee said the G-15 leaders, who went on a retreat on Thursday, have decided to hold regular meetings to thrash out a consensus and a common agenda, helping them to voice their stand collectively with G-8 members.

Stressing the importance of identifying the highest common factors among G-15 members, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh said this would enable them to voice their concerns to the developed world. He said the trade ministers of the G-15 bloc will meet in New Delhi later this year to thrash out these HCFs.

The summit has also expressed concern about the lack of a regulatory mechanism for currency, and decide to arrive at consensus on the issue at the earliest, he said, adding that the "colonialism of currency" should end.

The G-15 members also agreed that there was need for a consensus on the importance of collective bargaining on issues pertaining to the World Trade Organisation besides employment, social concerns and employment, the minister said.

Terming the Montego summit as the "productive one" in recent times, he said its outcome had far exceeded his expectations.

Asked if the absence of nine of the 17 heads of state at the summit had affected its importance, he said the leaders had strong reasons to keep away. He said their absence had not affected the summit in any manner.

India will play a key role in narrowing down the differences between the G-15 and G-8 countries on the global economic crisis.

Disclosing this, an external affairs spokesperson said India would strive to start a meaningful dialogue between the G-15 and G-8 blocs.

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