India expects strong statement against terrorism at G8

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will leave for St Petersburg on Sunday for the G8 summit, where India hopes for a strong statement by the G8 countries against terrorism.

"There is a need for an unambiguous approach from the international community that such acts are not acceptable. The prime minister will pitch for a united response against terrorism at the G8," said Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran in New Delhi.

"Terrorism does not only affect India, there is need for a serious effort to deal with it. There cannot be a segmented response."

The foreign secretary stressed the importance of greater information exchange, readiness to deal with each kind of terrorist phenomena and the resolve to fight it wherever terrorism exists.

On sharing information about the Pakistan connection in the Mumbai serial bomb blasts, he said there was a mechanism of sharing information with Pakistan and it was for 'our agencies to decide.'

About whether the government was hoping that G8 leaders would name Pakistan – Saran said, "It's not our business to tell G8 who they should name and who not, there is need for an unambiguous response to terrorism."

He said the forward movement of the Indo-Pak peace process was linked to the joint statement of 2004 in Pakistan's assurance that it would not allow its territory to be used to promote cross-border terrorism - "Incidents [like the blasts in Mumbai] undermine public opinion and leaves a question mark on the peace process, which makes it difficult to take the peace process forward."

At the G8 summit, which began on Saturday and concludes on July 17, the prime minister is expected to meet with G8 leaders. The schedule for bilateral meetings were still being sorted out.

The important issues for discussion will include terrorism, energy security, trade education and health.