Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will present India's initiatives towards safety concerns and measures to tackle threats posed by nuclear terrorism at 2012 Seoul Nuclear Summit. Meanwhile, he will make an official visit to the Republic of Korea at the invitation of President Lee Myung-bak.
"India is expanding its nuclear power programme to diversify its energy mix and enhance energy security. In order to retain public support for harnessing the benefits of nuclear energy, we must be able to assure them of the highest levels of nuclear security and safety. This is even more important after the Fukushima accident in Japan last year," said the Prime Minister ahead of his scheduled departure to Seoul.
The world leaders from the various nuclear-powered countries will take part in this summit to contemplate on the course of actions to tackle both the safety concerns and terror threats surrounding nuclear programmes.
In 2010, US President Barack Obama was the first to organise this kind of summit on the nuclear concerns in Washington. Noting that, Singh said, "I expect the Seoul Summit to review actions that countries have taken to strengthen nuclear security since we last met in Washington, and recommend further steps to enhance the global nuclear security architecture."
"I will highlight the high priority we attach to nuclear security, safety and non-proliferation, and our impeccable record in this regard. I also intend to underline India's continuing support for a world free of nuclear weapons," he added.
The Prime Minister commenting on his first official visit to the Republic of Korea, said, "I look forward to my bilateral meeting with President Lee to undertake a comprehensive review of our relations with the Republic of Korea, and identify new steps for the future. The Republic of Korea is a Strategic Partner and an important pillar of our "Look East" policy. We have a vibrant trade and investment relationship. Our partnership in science & technology, education and energy holds enormous promise."
Meanwhile, he said that he would take this opportunity to strengthen the strategic partnership with Korea, which has shared a number of interests with India on a rage of emerging politics.
"I will use my meeting with President Lee to exchange views on important regional and international developments. I also look forward to meeting leading Korean business leaders, who play a key role in bringing our two countries together," the Prime Minister concluded.
