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http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391638&a=KArticle&aid=1176453271216
UK HOSTS 10TH UK-INDIA ROUND TABLE (13/04/07)
Today marks the start of the 10th UK-India Round
Table, which is being held at Ditchley Park Conference
Centre near Oxford. Hosting a meeting with the Round
Table, Sir Peter Ricketts, Permanent-Under-Secretary
and Head of the Diplomatic Service said:
'The UK Government is strongly committed to the
strategic partnership with India. Our links with India
and the contribution of the community of 1.5 million
people of Indian descent living in the UK are of vital
importance to our society and economy. India is also
the world's largest democracy and is rapidly becoming
one of the world's economic powerhouses. India shares
our values and views on many of the big issues, and
the UK and India are increasingly working together in
tackling the big global challenges such as climate
change and counter terrorism.
'The UK-India Round Table has played a fundamental
role in strengthening professional and
people-to-people links, for example, promoting
research and educational links between UK and Indian
institutions through the UK-India Education and
Research Initiative (UKIERI). This is an excellent
example of how the Round Table's deliberations can
lead to a real policy impact.'
The Round Table will be discussing a number of issues
including bilateral relations, education and research,
business and investment, and global governance.
Notes for Editors:
1. The UK-India Round Table was established by the
late Robin Cook and the then Indian Foreign Minister
Jaswant Singh in April 2000 to look for ways to
regenerate and strengthen the bilateral relationship.
It is intended to offer a civil society forum outside
the normal government-to-government channels to
explore ways of deepening the UK-India relationship.
2. The Round Table meet approximately every nine
months, alternately in India and the UK. The last
meeting took place at the Hotel Taj Exotica, Goa from
9-11 March 2006.
3. UK participants include:
The Rt Hon Lord Patten of Barnes CH (Co-Chairman);
Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea CBE DL (Chairman,
Indo-British Partnership Network);
Richard Lambert, Director General, CBI;
Sir Tim Lankester KCB, Corpus Christi College, Oxford;
Mr John Manzoni, BP;
Nick Pearce, Institute for Public Policy Research;
Jon Snow, Channel 4 News;
Ms Patience Wheatcroft, Sunday Telegraph; and
Sir Michael Arthur KCMG, British High Commissioner,
New Delhi.
4. Indian participants include:
Dr. Nitin Desai, Special Advisor for World Summit on
Information Society and former Under Secretary
General, United Nations (Co-Chairman);
Dr. Ashok S. Ganguly, Chairman, ICICI OneSource
Limited;
Mr Uday S. Kotak, Exec. Vice-Chairman & MD, Kotak
Mahindra Bank Limited;
Mr M Malhotra, Secretary General, Rajiv Gandhi
Foundation;
Mr Tarun Das, Chief Mentor, Confederation of Indian
Industry;
Mr Harpal Singh, Chairman & MD, Fortis Healthcare
Limited;
Dr. Deepak Nayyar, former Vice-Chancellor, Delhi
University;
Mr Vinod Mehta, Editor, Outlook; and
His Excellency Kamalesh Sharma, High Commissioner of
India in London
Cip
