British PM embarks on a two-day visit to India

The British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is presently in China, will arrive in New Delhi on Sunday on a two-day official visit to India to lay emphasis on the series of issues starting from trade ties, counter terrorism to climatic change.

In fact his five-day journey to the sub-continent started with his arrival in Beijing where he is in the process of discussing bilateral relations with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao.

The visit is seen as a concerted effort from the United Kingdom to strengthen their relations with India and China, two of the Asia’s emerging superpower.

It will be Brown’s first visit to India after he became Briton PM. During his visit, he will take part in the 4th India-UK Summit on Monday and then he will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The talk between the two prime ministers is likely to include a range of matters from improving trade ties to regional and international matters like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Myanmar.

Collaboration in health, higher education, trade and investment, immigration, science and technological cooperation and issues like terrorism and the post-Kyoto Protocol on climatic change deal from 2012 will be high on the agenda of talks.

Brown’s visit is expected to be a concrete one, as of his earlier one in Jan 2007 as Chancellor of United Kingdom where he had strongly backed India’s bid for a permanent seat on the United Nation’s Security Council.

But this one as the Prime Minister of British certainly signals a new and more positive approach in taking the relation with India.

Meanwhile in a reciprocal gesture to Manmohan Singh’s doctorate degree by the University of Cambridge, the Delhi University is planning to bestow a honour to Brown for his significant contribution in the filed of academics and public service.

Visit to China

Keeping an eye on the rate of growth of economies in China and India, it is for sure that Britain must have realised the importance in terms of over-all world business these two countries share together.

Apart from discussing all corners of improved economic possibilities the British PM will also discuss China’s Olympic preparation as they are getting ready for the Beijing 2008 Olympics (commencing from Aug 08) as London is next in the line-up to host.

However, his visit to China and India will largely focus on economic ties and a strong bilateral cooperation with these two countries.