New
Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS) India and Britain Thursday launched economic
and financial dialogue to deepen business ties and agreed to
intensify cooperation in counter terrorism, environment and energy
security.
British Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown held talks with
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and launched the 'India-UK economic
and financial dialogue' - an initiative to promote two-way trade and
investment taken by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his British
counterpart Tony Blair last year.
"The dialogue will help build a strong partnership and will serve as
a forum for exchange of issues on bilateral and global issues,
financial system, climate change and energy security," Chidambaram
told reporters at a joint press conference with Brown at the Hotel
Taj Mahal here.
Brown, the Labour Party's prime minister-in-waiting, underlined
enhanced cooperation between India and Britain in the crucial areas
of combating terrorism in all its forms by striking at financial
sources of terrorists.
Outlining a robust future for India-Britain business ties, Brown
said the rate at which trade and investment are growing, exports
from Britain to India could double by 2010 and quadruple by 2020.
British environmental expert Nicholas Stern is working with the
Indian government on a report on the economics of climate change, he
said.
In the area of counter-terrorism, Brown said the central thrust of
the two countries would be on striking at the funding of terrorists
with global networks.
"We are committed to a package of steps to protect our transport
networks against terrorist strikes, especially in the context of the
2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and the 2012 London Olympics,"
Brown said.
India will participate in the plenary meeting of the Financial
Action Task Force next month. The task force aims to intensify
international cooperation against terrorism by cooperating against
organised and serious crime and new forms of criminality, including
illegal migration, drugs trafficking and trafficking in people.
In a speech in Bangalore, from where he began his three-day visit to
India, Brown had said that India and Britain "stand full square
against all terrorism and murderous extremists who practice it".
Brown will call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh later in the day
and discuss ways to give fresh impetus to strategic partnership
between the two democracies.
Foreign investment from India into Britain has exceeded the foreign
investment the other way round since 2004, making India the second
largest foreign investor in Britain, Chidambaram stressed.
Brown, accompanied by a 150-strong business delegation including
secretary of state for trade and industry Alistair Darling, will go
to Mumbai Friday to meet business leaders to deepen financial links
between the two countries.
Brown also highlighted the attractiveness of Britain as a hub for
Indian foreign investment and invited Indian companies to set up
shop in Britain.
Nearly 400 Indian companies are listed in Britain, exceeding the
total number of Indian companies listed in the New York Stock
Exchange and Nasdaq.
(c) Boloji.com :
1999–2008 : All
Rights Reserved Boloji.com is owned and managed by Boloji Media Inc Privacy Policy |
Disclaimer
No part of this Internet site may
be reproduced without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
