The India-UK Round Table was set up in April, 2000 as a high level civil society dialogue in between India and the United Kingdom with the objective of promoting greater understanding of each other's position on a range of issues and strengthening the on-going bilateral cooperation between the world's oldest and largest democracies.

2. The Round Table includes eminent personalities from all walks of life and meets approximately every nine months, alternately in India and the UK. After each meeting the Co-Chairmen submit the recommendations of the Round Table to their respective Governments.

3. The Round Table has met eight times so far and has focussed on those aspects of the bilateral relationships that can be fruitfully addressed in such a forum, including movement of peoples, education, science and technology, trade and investment, outsourcing, arts and culture as well as perceptions of India and UK in each other's countries' public opinion and the media. The Round Table has also lent its weight to the strengthening of India-UK political ties, particularly by focussing on the implementation of the New Delhi Declaration (January 2002) and Joint Declaration (September 2004), and to enhanced cooperation in the areas of counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, parliamentary contacts and reform of the UN Security Council. All members of the Round Table are united in recognising that India, by virtue of its size and weight in global affairs, should have a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.

4. In the area of trade and investment, the Round Table has sought to enhance awareness of India as an attractive destination for Foreign Direct Investment from Britain. It has worked for the simplification of UK regulations for visas and work permits for foreign IT and other professionals. It has encouraged greater contacts between Indian and UK trade and industry associations and greater involvement of non-resident Indians in the promotion of trade and investment between the two countries.

5. In the field of education, it has sought to reverse the declining trend of Indian studies in British universities. The Round Table has also promoted linkages between India and UK research and academic institutions. There are now over 40 links between Indian and British institutions. In the area of science and technology, the Round Table has encouraged greater collaboration between scientists, as evidenced by the creation of the India-UK Science Networking Fund.

6. The Eighth Meeting of the India-UK Round Table was held at Devonshire Arms Hotel, Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire on February 6 & 7, 2005. The meeting was co-chaired by Lord Swraj Paul and Ambassador Mohammad Hamid Ansari. The discussions at the eighth Meeting of the India-UK Round Table focussed on the Prime Ministers' initiative on bilateral relations, economic affairs, trade & investment, movement of peoples, education, culture and public diplomacy.

� The Report of the Eighth Meeting of the Round Table