New Delhi: India is likely to "mentor" a least developed country (LDC) in Asia, besides set up a pharma unit in Africa to help in the battle against HIV/AIDS.

The proposals were made at a meeting here on Wednesday between U.N. Under Secretary-General Anwar-ul-Choudhury with Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran.

The pharmaceuticals unit offer follows the TRIPS declaration in the World Trade Organisation that allows LDCs to produce generic drugs at a cheaper cost over a six-year period.

Mr. Choudhury, in charge of the special U.N. division for LDCs, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, said India had been urged to provide special support to a single LDC. Brazil has already offered support to Guineau Bissau, while South Africa had been urged to take on either Zambia or Lesotho.

He said the U.N. would be keen on India becoming a mentor of one of the LDCs in Southeast Asia, such as Cambodia, Laos or Myanmar, as it already has close ties with LDCs in South Asia.

The role of India, China, Brazil and South Africa in assisting LDCs would be highlighted at a special U.N. forum later this year, he added.

During the talks with Mr. Saran, Mr. Choudhary said, a proposal for India providing some drugs free to LDCs was raised. He felt the Indian private sector could provide support to its counterpart in these countries. Some of the industries identified for assistance are the pharma sector, electronics, food processing and the IT sector.

$ 500 million assistance

He appreciated that India had already committed $500 million as assistance to eight West African countries under the ``Team-9'' programme. Of these six were LDCs.

This would form part of the total aid of $ 600 million that it had allocated for LDCs from 2002 to 2010.

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