'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