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India, UK launch new bilateral trade initiative

India and Britain launched a new initiative on Tuesday in an attempt to deepen ties between the two countries.

"Our partnership is not just because of our shared history but because of our common approaches and perspectives," British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said at the launch of the India-Britain Round Table.

The initiative, co-chaired by India's Planning Commission deputy chairman K C Pant and non-resident Indian industrialist Lord Swraj Paul, will present to the two governments views of opinion-makers from India and Britain.

The move is aimed at enhancing bilateral ties in trade, science and technology, energy, infrastructure and global cooperation, an Indian government official said.

The initiative was first mooted in January during the visit of India's Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh to London, he said. "The round table will be an arena for imaginative and fresh thinking on how we take our relations into and through the new millennium," Cook said at the launch. The Indian foreign minister said the two governments would not set the agenda for the Round Table.

"It is for the members of the round table to decide how to address the tasks and responsibilities. This is an evolving mechanism that has to decide on its methods of working as also the issues and matters which it wants to deal with," he said.

The round table consists of several media personalities, academics and businessmen. The Round Table is expected to have a second meeting in London later this year. Cook said India had "tremendous strength" in the information technology sector, which was 'six years ahead of Britain' and Britain could be India's 'gateway to the European market'.

Britain is one of India's largest trading partners with annual two-way trade worth around $ 4.3 billion.