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Indo-British Parliamentary Forum launched

By Our Special Correspondent

The External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, lighting a lamp to launch the Indo-British Parliamentary Forum organised by the FICCI in New Delhi on Thursday. Also seen (from left) are: the FICCI president, A.C. Muthaiah, the chairman of IBPF, Praful Patel, the Minister of State for External Affairs, Digvijay Singh, and the Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, Najma Heptullah. — Photo: V. Sudershan

NEW DELHI APRIL 17. The External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, said today that India and the U.K. had a "difference of opinion" on Iraq but stressed that no single issue defined relationships between countries.

Launching the Indo-British Parliamentary Forum here, he said: "despite differences, we go on."

Highlighting the longstanding ties between the two countries, he observed that parliamentary democracy could be a two-way traffic only between democracies. "This is something which binds India and the U.K. together," he said.

Mr. Sinha said Indo-U.K. relations had reached "newer dimensions" after the New Delhi Declaration signed in January last year by the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair. The two sides had pledged to identify and develop new areas of partnership.

The forum launched under the auspices of the Federation of Indian Chambers for Commerce and Industry (FICCI) seeks to provide momentum and mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation in diversified areas. It will be chaired by Praful Patel, Rajya Sabha MP, and co-chaired by Renuka Choudhary, Lok Sabha MP.

In a message at the launch of the forum, John Reid, Leader of the House of Commons, said that India's vibrant culture and economy, international influence and traditions of freedom and democracy made her an obvious partner for the U.K.

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