The Hindustan Times UK
January 11, 2004

New Delhi : People-to-people links hold the key to the "special relationship" between India and Britain, said British High Commissioner to India Michael Arthur in New Delhi.

"There is a huge volume of people to and fro between the two countries which nourishes this relationship. About 15,000 Indians are studying in the UK. Over 500,000 Indians visited Britain last year and over 400,000 Britons visited India this year," Arthur said on Monday evening.

The British envoy captivated an audience of NRIs and others with a rosy picture of the Indo-British relations at the 31st conference of Pravasi Indians organised by NRI Institute, a Delhi-based NGO involved in bringing NRIs together for developing the country of their origin.

The UK-India relationship is set to scale a new height in the coming year with a slew of high-profile events cementing the Indo-British ties.

Stressing the "comprehensive strategic partnership" between India and Britain straddling diverse fields like trade, culture, science and education, Arthur spoke about "a huge agenda to take forward" in 2005.

Some of the important events lined up for 2005 include the setting up of a joint Indo-British trade council; a move forward on WTO with India and Britain working closely in trade negotiations; and a visit by British scientists which will enable the two countries to network creatively in the arena of science and technology.

"We are big investors in each other countries. With trade estimated to reach $10 billion this year, Britain and India stand at the centre of a new business experiment," the British envoy said.

Besides, there will be increased communication between civil societies of the two countries with a major campaign that will focus on the burgeoning community of young Indians.

The NRIs settled in the UK can also play a crucial role in the referendum on the European Union (EU) constitution next year, said Arthur.

Arthur, a passionate advocate of "a very special relationship" between Britain and India, cited the EU referendum, which will decide Britain's future with Europe as an example of the increasing influence of three million NRIs settled in the UK.