India, Germany review security situation in Pak, Afghanistan
India and Germany today reviewed the security situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asserting that terrorism will have to be fought 'on all fronts and not selectively'.
Singh and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who arrived here this morning, held wide-ranging talks on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.
"We discussed the developments in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Terrorism is a serious challenge which will have to be fought on all fronts and not selectively," Singh told a joint press conference with Merkel after the talks.
After the talks, India and Germany signed four agreements for cooperation in vocational education, medical research, science and technology and nuclear physics.
Asked about the use of nuclear energy, Singh said every effort would be made to ensure that all safety norms and generation and utilisation of nuclear energy are world class.
"Today our nuclear energy is three per cent of our total energy generation. Our capacity is less than 5,000 MW. We want to raise it to 20,000 MW by the year 2020," Singh said. He said if India has to meet the emission targets, the country will have to have a combination of nuclear energy and renewable energy sources.
On the selection of new IMF chief, the Prime Minister said he did not discuss the issue with Merkel but favoured "the best available" person regardless of nationality. "India's view is well known...the best available person regardless of nationality should be selected for the prestigious post of IMF chief," he said.
Queried about their discussions on UNSC reforms, Singh said both India and Germany were on the same page on the issue and were of the opinion that the body should reflect the contemporary reality of the world.
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