Miliband praises Pranab Mukherjee

LONDON - British Foreign Secretary David Miliband paid handsome tributes to his opposite number Pranab Mukherjee Monday three months after raising eyebrows in New Delhi with a statement about Kashmir.

Miliband made opportunistic use of a London Book Fair event to praise Mukherjee’s ‘breadth of vision’ following the Indian external affairs minister’s call for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sri Lanka.

During a much-publicised visit to India in January Miliband was reported to have addressed Mukherjee - the senior of the two - by his first name.

His statement calling for efforts to resolve the Kashmir dispute - made in the context of the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai - also upset India before Mukherjee stepped in to declare the incident a ‘closed chapter’.

Appearing alongside the economist Amartya Sen on the opening day of the book fair Monday, Miliband said Mukherjee’s was a ‘loud and clear voice’ on the need for Sri Lankan authorities to declare a ceasefire in order to help civilians escape the current civil war with Tamil Tiger rebels.

Billed as a conversation, the half-hour event saw Miliband interviewing Sen on a variety of subjects about India, including what kind of role it would play if made a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Miliband praised India as a ‘remarkable success story in a very challenging part of the world’ - for its democracy, economic growth, traditions of tolerance and mutual respect, internationalism and traditions of thought.

India was the third largest contributor to international peacekeeping, he said.