Nine envoys presented their credentials to the President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil at a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The envoys who presented their credentials were: - His Excellency Mr. James David Bevan, the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom, His Excellency Mr. Idriss Raoua Ouedraogo, the Ambassador of Burkina Faso, His Excellency Mr. Joao Gomes Cravinho, the Ambassador of the European Union, His Excellency Mr. Manuel Eduardo dos Santos e Silva Bravo, the Ambassador of Angola, His Excellency Dr. Saud Bin Mohammed A. Al Sati, the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia, His Excellency Mr. Carlos Sergio Sobral Duarte, the Ambassador of Brazil, His Excellency Mr. Patrick Medecin, the Ambassador of Monaco, His Excellency Dr. Arye Kumar Jagessur, the High Commissioner of Mauritius and His Excellency Mr. Humaid Ould Ahmed Taleb, the Ambassador of Mauritania.

Welcoming the envoys the President said in two weeks time, India would be celebrating its 63rd Republic Day, which marks the adoption of its Constitution, that established a democratic framework for justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. The President referred to the global environment, which at present is complex and challenging. While forces of globalization have created an interlinked and interdependent world, on the other hand they have also enhanced the contagion effect, she said. Over the last couple of years, the world has seen how financial stability has been transmitted through trade, investment and financial flows, to other regions and countries. The President, therefore, emphasized that all countries have a stake in the orderly functioning of the global economy and hence, it is important that there is a coordinated approach to address these issues. She said that for India and other developing countries, the concern was on how these global trends impact their development prospects. In India the goal is rapid inclusive and sustainable development for meeting the aspirations of the people, in which energy, food and ecological security, are amongst high areas of priority, she added. She also spoke about the need for the international community to combat terrorism, as it is a phenomenon that is a grave threat to global stability. She also mentioned the threat of piracy, which threatens sea lines of communication. The President also said India is keen to interact with other countries so that areas of cooperation can be extended. She also said that India will continue to reach out to other developing countries to support capacity building efforts.

The credential presentation ceremony was attended by senior members of the Missions, senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs and Rashtrapati Bhavan.

This release issued at 1530 hrs.