Obama calls Singh ahead of G 20 meet

As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh leaves for two crucial back-to-back international summits on Saturday, India on Friday cautioned against trade restrictive measures and protectionism in the garb of pushing for green economy norms.

United States President Barack Obama spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over phone and discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest, including the raging Eurozone crisis.The two leaders agreed to work to strengthen the global economy to cope with shocks from the Eurozone, the White House said in a statement on 14 June.

 "The leaders agreed on the importance of steps to strengthen the resilience of the global economy in response to persistent risks in the Eurozone and elsewhere and on focusing on measures to boost global growth," the statement said.

The President and the Prime Minster also agreed to work closely together towards a successful two-day G-20 Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, from June 18.

The summit is likely to be dominated by the crisis in Europe, which - combined with slowing growth in China and India - poses a threat to the world economy.

The ongoing European sovereign debt crisis has made it difficult or impossible for some countries like Greece and Spain in the euro area to re-finance their government debt without the assistance of third parties.

The call between the two leaders came after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held the third US-India Strategic Dialogue with visiting External Affairs Minister S M Krishna.

On 11 June, the US exempted Indian and six other countries from tough new sanctions after they cut back on oil imports from Iran. On a eight-day foreign tour, Dr. Singh will attend the seventh summit of the Group of 20 developed and developing countries(G-20) starting in the Mexican resort town of Los Cabos on June 18th and the Rio+20 Summit in Rio De Janeiro.

The Rio Summit, commencing on 20^th June, is being held 20 years after the first Earth Summit, a landmark gathering, in a renewed bid to rally the world behind a common environmental blueprint.

"We do not want trade restrictive measures or protectionism in the name of green growth," Environment Minister Jayanti Natarajan said briefing newsmen ahead of the Rio+20 Summit.

In the run up to RIO+20, the theme of "Green Economy" has attracted wide attention.

India is of the view that "Green Economy" as a concept will succeed only if it enhances their ability to address poverty eradication, provides adequate policy space for national circumstances and priorities, and ensures that structural changes as a result of it do not lead to green protectionism and conditionalities.

Natarajan also said that Green Economy cannot replace or supplant sustainable development.

She said India will pitch for the principle of common but differentiated responsibility at the negotiating table at the Rio Summit.

India will try to make sure that the Rio principles are reaffirmed and all sutainable developments are viewed with the approach of equity and common but differentiated responsibility so that developing countries can have their share of development, she added.

The Minister also said that financial and technological support from industrialised countries to developing nations are equally important to achieve any gradual transition to "Green Economy."

"The means of implementation are important for India," she said.

The Prime Minister leaves for Frankfurt on Saturday on his way to Los Cabos and is due to return home on 23^rd June after an overnight halt at Pretoria in South Africa.