NEW DELHI, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Indian and foreign political and corporate leaders began a two-day conference Friday in New Delhi to address South Asian political and economic cooperation.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi were among the leaders expected to address the second annual Hindustan Times Leadership Initiative.
Indian government and opposition leaders were expected to present alternative visions of the country in the 21st century in a session to include Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and former Union ministers Arun Shourie, Arun Jaitley and Suresh Prabhu.
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Pakistani political leaders Imran Khan and Altaf Hussain were invited to provide perspectives on the problems and challenges that face South Asia.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah was also to take part in this session.
Foreign Minister K. Natwar Singh and Thai Foreign Minister Dr Surakiart Sathirathai were to speak on potential cooperation between regions.
The Leadership Initiative will also see a line-up of some of the best-known figures of India's corporate world, who hope to place India's economy on the world map.
