Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who met African leaders in Durban on Wednesday t night , reiterated India's resolve to assist Africa and said the BRICS forum offered another avenue for cooperation.

In his statement at the BRICS Leaders-Africa Dialogue Forum, the Prime Minister said Initiatives like the BRICS Bank could further leverage the collective capacity of these countries to assist transformation of Africa.

He added India remains committed to this objective. Dr. Singh expressed India's readiness to work with African countries on e-governance to help bridge the digital divide in Africa and called for increasing people to people contacts.

The Prime Minister said India could also share its experiences of participative political institutions, local governance, media and civil society with Africa.

He said his government is reviewing the terms and conditions of lines of credit so that they meet the budgetary requirements of African countries and their own development priorities.

Earlier, in a joint declaration, the BRICS leaders expressed grave concern at the Syria situation and opposed threats of military action and unilateral sanctions against Iran .

On Afghanistan the leaders underscored the need for more effective regional and international cooperation for the stabilization of Afghanistan. This includes combating terrorism.