UK Prime Minister David Cameron is trying his best to woo India by rekindling a 'special relationship' between the UK and India. CNN-IBN's chief diplomatic correspondent Paarull joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on how India could benefit from this.
Q. Given that Wetland is a British company , do you really thing UK is going to cooperate with India? Asked by: Sandeep
A. Well yes, Cameron has already batted for AW, blaming the Italian parent finmeccanica for alleged bribes. But the quality of British info will first and foremost depend on the quality of the CBI probe.
Q. Is easing Visa Norms or some frill like that, is what India wants. Will England help India in International issues, like LOC, International Relations etc. And will they give us some deal that will help us improve balance of payments? Asked by: Narayan
A. Cameron is here to create jobs and push investment for Britons. Even the offer on visas is driven by the competition Britain faces from Asia and America in attracting Indian students and investors. One shouldn't expect anything else.
Q. Do you think the visit of British PM to India will be closely watched out from other competitive nations? Asked by: deepak krishnamurthy
A. Yes, he's here just days after Hollande who was on a similar trade mission. Underlying how Europe's debt stricken states want to tap into one of the world's fastest growing economies.
Q. Is the the visit more Ceremonial Than Substance? Asked by: Rohan
A. The two leaders have discussed how to strengthen trade, business, security and defence ties. They have discussed Pak, Afghanistan, Iran - all of which have an impact on India's security. So, there is substance although no major deals have been inked.
Q. The major takeaways for India? Asked by: Malvey
A. Exchange of views on Afghanistan is one. Political momentum to India EU FTA negotiations is another. Agreement to negotiate a civilian nuclear partnership is a third. A new cyber terrorism pact is another. Plus the promise of easier and faster visas for students and businessmen.
Q. Where Do Indo-UK Relations Stand? Asked by: Farhan
A. No major irritants but scope for improvement particularly on the trade front and on Afghanistan -- where Delhi is suspicious abt britain's attempts to broker a deal between Afghanistan and Pak on Taliban reconciliation.
Q. Guess, last year British PM visited Pak and now he is visiting India? Do you think, he would have discussed security issues with Pak as well? Asked by: deepak krishnamurthy
A. Of course, Pak's export of terrorism to the UK is a big headache. and now with withdrawal from Afghanistan looming, Britain has begun attempts to negotiate a deal between Pak and Afghanistan which will involve a role for the Taliban.
Q. Indo-UK Relations: What sort of partnership is It? Asked by: Farhan
A. They are partners in security, defence, counter terrorism, investment, trade, culture, climate change, education - to name just a few sectors. Since 2010, over half of the UK cabinet has visited India with an average of one Minister a month!
Q. One of the major issues being discussed in UK media is "Should UK apologise for British rule in India?" Does History play a role in diplomatic relations? Asked by: Praveen
A. English, love for cricket, chicken tikka masala, half a million Britons of Indian descent -- all promote diplomatic ties and all have their roots in shared history! but for many Indians, shared history is also about excesses of the Raj. There is a view that an apology can do some good and no harm.
Q. UK Prime Minister David Cameron's visit a Success? Asked by: Isha
A. Yes, in the sense that it went to plan - mostly. But the British may feel disappointed that a lot of attention in the media space went to AgustaWestland.
Q. What are the possible fruitful outcomes of this meet? Asked by: Mrigank Shekhar
A. Please refer to earlier answer.
Comments
0 comment