Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in South Africa on Saturday to expand trade links. Singh, accompanied by an entourage of Indian business leaders and government officials, began his four-day state visit in Durban, the hub of South Africa's Indian community and home to the nation's main port. Singh will hold talks with South African officials in a bid to boost investments in a number of key areas, including telecommunications and textiles. "I hope we will be able to identify steps to enhance our current commercial and economic relationship," Singh said in a statement before leaving for South Africa. The two sides are also likely to explore opportunities for civilian nuclear energy cooperation that could help India source uranium to power its atomic plants while boosting South Africa's expertise in an area seen as key to its growing economy. India produces just over 0.5 percent of global uranium output and is looking to Australia, South Africa and other nations to help meet its demand for the mineral. South Africa is estimated by some to hold about 10 percent of global uranium reserves. Trade between the two countries reached $4 billion during 2005/06, and they say they want to treble that figure by 2010. Singh is due to hold talks with South African President Thabo Mbeki less than three weeks after the two leaders met along with Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brasilia as part of a three-nation forum formed to boost cooperation between developing nations.
