HAGUE PLANS TO VISIT INDIA
London, May 27 (PTI) New British Foreign Secretary William Hague plans to visit India an emerging superpower with which his government is trying to build a "genuinely
A trip by Prime Minister David Cameron is also thought to be under consideration, The Times daily reported Wednesday.
The priority given to relations with Delhi was mentioned in the Queen's speech Tuesday which stressed on the need for "an enhanced partnership with India".
The Foreign Secretary's aides said later that the country was considered vital to forging a "distinctive British foreign policy".
Before the May 6 parliamentary elections, Hague said Britain needed to reach out beyond traditional allies in the US and Europe and that has remained a priority for the coalition government.
An aide to Hague suggested that relations with India had lagged behind those with China by about five to ten years.
The aide said: "The truth is that this is a key relationship that has been neglected and we aim to address that."
Ministers hope to finalise trade and research deals between British and Indian companies on green energy and other climate change technologies before Hague's visit.
Greg Barker, the Energy Minister, is expected to lead a delegation of British businessmen to Delhi in early summer.
The report, quoting a government source, said India's economic expansion and the arrival of a new generation of politicians less conditioned by attitudes to the colonial past meant that Britain was well placed to exploit existing links.
"We need to better recognise India's rising global influence and work closely with the Indian Government to address the many challenges facing South Asia," a Foreign and Commonwealth Office briefing note said.
It also cited development, regional stability, trade, energy security, climate change and counter-terrorism as areas where India was "critical" to Britain's interests.
In addition to India, Hague has identified Brazil, Japan, Singapore and Chile as other early priorities.
The new Conservative-Liberal Democrats government in the UK is hoping to turn the cultural and trade ties with India into a "genuinely special relationship".