British Trade Minister to visit Lanka
BRITAIN'S trade minister announced Friday he would lead a delegation
of businessmen to India and Sri Lanka next week to boost Britain's
bilateral business relationships with the South Asian countries. Ian
Pearson will visit India from January 16-18, and Sri Lanka from January
19-20.
The trip is the British government's third trade and investment visit
to India in a year and will be the first visit to Sri Lanka by a British
minister since the new Sri Lankan Government took office in November.
Pearson will be accompanied in India by a 25-strong business
delegation led by Indo-British Partnership Network chairman Karan
Bilimoria.
The delegation will include senior representatives from companies
such as Standard Chartered Bank, GlaxoSmithKline, Virgin Atlantic and
the London Stock Exchange.
He added that Britain is the largest European investor in Sri Lanka
and he will also meet British organisations working on post-tsunami
reconstruction.
Bilimoria said: "The relationship between Britain and India is a
strong and special one. The potential to significantly increase trade,
business and investment, both ways, between our great nations is
enormous." - (AFP) |