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India-UK Joint Press Statement
during UK Prime Minister's visit
29/07/2010
India and the UK: An Enhanced Partnership for the Future
UK-India Summit talks were held on 29 July 2010 in New Delhi, during
the State visit to India of the British Prime Minister Rt. Hon.
David Cameron, MP.
2. The British Prime Minister expressed his gratitude for the warmth
of the welcome which had been extended to him and his colleagues on
his visit to India, and set out his hope to achieve a transformation
of the relationship between the two countries over the coming years.
3. The two Prime Ministers and their colleagues had a detailed and
fruitful discussion. They agreed that the India-UK relationship had
great potential for growth, to the benefit of both countries, and
that both Governments should invest further effort in working to
take it to a new level in the future.
Trade, Investment and Energy
4. The two sides agreed that we should be ambitious in seeking to
substantially increase trade and significantly increase investment
between the UK and India.
5. They agreed to establish a new India-UK CEOs Forum to help
achieve this. This will be a small, high-level body, co-chaired by
Peter Sands (CEO of Standard Chartered Bank) and Ratan Tata
(Chairman of Tata Group). It will meet alternately in India and the
UK and will make recommendations to the two Governments on how to
increase levels of trade and investment in each others’ economies.
6. Both sides also agreed to review the mandate, composition and
structure of relevant existing bilateral bodies in the area of
trade, investment and economic cooperation, in order to re-energize
our joint efforts.
7. Both sides discussed India’s particular interest in attracting
international as well as domestic investment in infrastructure over
the next decade, and how best the two Governments could enable and
encourage this. They agreed to establish an India-UK Infrastructure
Group, led by the two Governments and drawing on the expertise of
the private sector, which would help identify barriers to investment
and potential solutions.
8. Discussions were also held on a Memorandum of Understanding
between Government of India and UK Trade and Investment to enhance
investment in the Roads sector, and the two sides looked forward to
its early finalisation.
9. Both sides agreed to explore initiatives that will create
resources and incentives to help businesses deploy renewable energy,
particularly for the poor.
10. They also welcomed the new opportunities that had opened up for
co-operation in the civil nuclear power sector, following the
signature earlier this year of the UK-India Civil Nuclear
Cooperation Declaration. This has created opportunities for wide
ranging cooperation between the countries in the nuclear field
including with regard to nuclear trade and exchanges between
scientific institutions.
11. The two Prime Ministers agreed on the importance of
international trade in supporting recovery in the global economy.
They expressed their strong support for the conclusion of a
Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement between India and the
European Union by the end of 2010. They also agreed on the
importance of pressing for a conclusion of the Doha Round at the
earliest opportunity.
Education Science and Research
12. Both sides agreed that India and the UK had much to gain from
co-operation in Education, Science and Research, and a new emphasis
on jointly funded collaborative research programmes. The two
Governments had agreed to launch a new phase of the successful
UK-India Education and Research Initiative. The first phase of this
jointly-funded initiative had helped establish over 400
collaborative ventures between Indian and British universities and
schools between 2006 and 2011. The new phase will run for a further
five years, from 2011 to 2015, and as before, both Governments will
contribute to it.
13. Both sides welcomed the initiative of Department of
Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India and the Wellcome Trust,
London to come together in a new collaboration to support the
development of innovative healthcare products at affordable costs.
Defence and Security
14. The two sides welcomed the development of broad-based UK-Indian
co-operation in the Defence sector. They noted the joint Army
exercise, Shamsheer Bugle, which took place in India in June, and
the joint Naval exercise, Konkan, which is presently underway in
India. They looked forward to the joint Air exercise, Indra Dhanush,
which would take place in India in October.
15. The two sides noted the threats both our countries faced from
terrorism, and welcomed the strong growth in our co-operation in
countering it. They noted the excellent co-operation between the
Delhi Police and Metropolitan Police in preparing for the 2010
Commonwealth Games, and looked forward to a safe and successful
Games in October. They resolved to continue this relationship in
preparation for the 2012 London Olympics and 2014 Glasgow
Commonwealth Games.
16. The two Prime Ministers had a detailed discussion of global
security challenges. They agreed on the importance of achieving
stability in Afghanistan, so that it did not again become a source
of security threats to the region and the world. Both Prime
Ministers agreed on the importance of reforming the UN Security
Council, with the aim of a permanent seat for India. Similarly, the
two sides discussed the need to work together in international
economic fora, including the G20. They agreed to work together to
strengthen the Commonwealth.
People To People Contacts
17. The two Governments agreed on the need to boost dialogue and
exchanges between our two national Parliaments, and warmly welcomed
the planned visit by the Honourable Speaker of the Lok Sabha and a
delegation of Members of the Indian Parliament to the UK this
autumn.
18. The two Prime Ministers welcomed the creation of the UK-India
Future Leaders Network, which will help create and sustain links
between some of the most dynamic young leaders in our societies.
19. The two sides announced the signature of an India-UK Memorandum
of Understanding on Cultural Co-operation, which will provide a
framework for a significant expansion of the rich cultural exchange
between India and the UK. This expanded activity will include the
first-ever exhibition in India of the Indian-born sculptor Anish
Kapoor, in Delhi and Mumbai. Complicite Theatre will bring its
acclaimed production of ‘A Disappearing Number’, inspired by the
life of the Indian-born mathematical genius Ramanujan, to Mumbai and
Hyderabad. And the first edition of the Hay Literary Festival in
India will take place in Thiruvananthapuram in November. The
UK-India Museums and Galleries Partnership Agreement, signed in
June, will see closer collaboration between museums in India and the
UK in knowledge sharing, exhibitions, education and conservation; a
joint initiative by all of Edinburgh's Festivals to develop
India-focused programming from 2012 to 2014; and ‘Shard’, a new
programme to support the digitisation of records of common interest
to both India and the UK.
20. Both sides welcomed plans by the concerned Indian agencies for
the manifestation of the year long celebration in the UK of
Rabindranath Tagore’s 150th Birth Anniversary, commencing in May
2011.
New Delhi
July 29, 2010 |
