Manmohan Singh leaves for G-20, Rio+20 summits tomorrow

NEW DELHI: As Prime Minister leaves for two crucial back-to-back international summits tomorrow, India today cautioned against trade restrictive measures and protectionism in the garb of pushing for green economy norms.

On a eight-day foreign tour, 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 18 and the Rio+20 Summit in Rio De Janeiro.

The Rio Summit, commencing on June 20, 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 acheive any gradual transition to "Green Economy."

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

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