Date:11/01/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/01/11/stories/2005011100360900.htm

Back CII summit in Kolkata from tomorrow

Our Bureau

New Delhi , Jan. 10

THE Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, will inaugurate the 11th Partnership Summit, the flagship event of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to be held in Kolkata from January 12 to 14.

The summit, to be held Kolkata after eight years, will see strong participation from around 27 countries and around 60 speakers.

While the EU Trade Commissioner, Mr Peter Mandelson, will lead a team from the European Union, Ms Patricia Hewitt, UK's Trade and Industry Secretary will lead a 20-member business team from Britain, informed a CII release. US Senator Mr Jeff Bingaman will lead a Congressional delegation on Science and Technology for the international event.

The theme for the Partnership Summit 2005 is `Partnerships for Development'.

Union Ministers, Mr Kamal Nath, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munshi and some of India's industrialists led by Mr Ratan Tata would take part in the event.

Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal; Mr Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister of Assam; and Ms Vasundhara Raje Chief Minister of Rajasthan, will also speak at the Summit, added the statement.