Gordon Brown hails UK India relationship

Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi. the PM said that the two countries had established a "strategic partnership of equals" and had made progress in a number of shared priorites such as trade and the economy, health and education development, climate change and security and terrorism.

The Prime Minister, who was accompanied by a delegation of business leaders on his trip, announced that deals with a value of £10 billion were in the process of being concluded "for the benefit of both economies". Trade between the UK and India was increasing at a rate of 20 per cent a year, he added.

Mr Brown highlighted an aid package of £825 million that would help put four miillion more children in schools by 2011, and announced further assistance to help build 13 universites and science institutes around the country. A long-term education forum would also be established along with increased exchange of students between British and Indian universities, he said.

Last week, the PM said that the British Council would also be training 750,000 tutors to boost English language learning over a five-year period.

On security, the UK and India have agreed to push for an international convention on combatting terrorism, including common standards for security procedures in airports and joint strategies for tackling extremist ideologies.

Following the Bali summit on climate change, the PM said that the UK and India would cooperate on establishing a global carbon market and that the UK would do more to share technology and expertise aimed at building a low carbon economy.

Mr Brown also said he would support reform of world institutions such as the United Nations to refelct the changing world order and India's status as an emerging economic giant and "the world's biggest democracy". India has been pressing for membership of the United Nations Security Council along with other nations such as Brazil and Japan. - Source: By 10 Downing Street