Eurozone crisis to dampen global market, hit India: PM Manmohan Singh

NEW DELHI: Ahead of his departure for the G 20 summit in Mexico, PM Manmohan Singh said Saturday that the ongoing economic crisis in Europe will further dampen global markets and adversely impact India’s growth. Singh expressed hope that European leaders will take “resolute action” to resolve the financial problems facing them.

“This situation in Europe is of particular concern as Europe accounts for a significant share of the global economy and is also India’s major trade and investment partner,” said the PM, adding that the G-20 meet was taking place in the shadow of the economic crisis in the Eurozone and a faltering global economy.

From Los Cabos, Singh will also travel to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to attend the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). Emphasising on the need to revive global growth, Singh said it was imperative that the G-20 countries work in coordination to implement policies that promote sustained growth. “I will stress the need to ensure primacy of the development dimension in G-20 deliberations and the need to focus on investment in infrastructure as a means of stimulating global growth,” he added.
Describing BRICS as the new growth poles of the global economy, he said that, as current Chair of BRICS, India will host an informal meeting of BRICS leaders prior to the commencement of the G-20 summit to exchange views on the agenda of the summit.

Speaking about the Rio+20 conference, which is likely to debate complex and contentious issues such as green economy and sustainable development goals, Manmohan Singh emphasized that the cardinal principles of Rio 1992 should not be diluted, particularly the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities as well as equity, which have been at the core of global sustainable development efforts.