Solve global issues keeping poor in mind: G5 tells G8 (Lead)

In a strong message ahead of the G8 meet here, the emerging economies of the G5 including India Wednesday asked the grouping of the industrialised nations to find global solutions to international problems without compromising the interest of developing and poor countries.

At the end of their meeting here, the leaders of the G5 countries - China, India, Mexico, Brazil and South Africa - specifically mentioned the financial crisis, protectionist issues in trade, climate change and food security as the issues that the G8 needs to address.

The G5 declaration comes on the eve of the grouping's meeting here with G8, which includes the US, Britain, Russia, Germany, France, Canada, Japan and hosts Italy.

"The developing countries are the most affected by high food prices. We agreed that agriculture and food security need to be placed at the core of the international agenda," Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told a press conference addressed by the leaders of the five countries.

"We will see tomorrow the importance of maintaining adequate flow of finance to the developing countries and also of keeping markets open by resisting protectionist pressures.

"We would like to engage in a dialogue with our developed country partners on an equal footing," he added.

"We recognise our obligations to preserve our environment. But climate change cannot be addressed by perpetuating the poverty of the developing countries. We need to evolve a strategy of growth that brings about a higher standard of living without harming the environment," Manmohan Singh said.

The G5 declaration, which will now be taken up at the G8 meet here Thursday, "reflects many of the concerns and priorities of the developing countries", the prime minister said.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said: "We cannot discuss issues like food security and climate change without keeping the economic crisis in mind. The developing countries have suffered the most because of these issues."

His South African counterpart Jacob Zuma added that the world is confronted by multiple crises and the G8-G5 meet should collectively find solutions to these challenges.

Last updated on Jul 9^th, 2009 at 06:53 am IST--IANS