| NIA Joins High-Powered Delegation to India | | Print | |
| Thursday, 26 August 2010 | |
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NIA CHIEF EXECUTIVE KEITH PARKER took part in one of the most high-powered delegations ever to visit India. 50 chief executives accompanied the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, and Chancellor, Business Secretary, Culture Secretary and other leading members of government with the aim to build new business relationships and develop trading relationships with what is one of the fastest-growing and dynamic economic powers. Nuclear was high on the agenda, and was quickly recognised by the Prime Minister, Business Secretary Vince Cable and a slew of Indian ministers as a priority sector for cooperation and collaboration between the UK and India. One of the key announcements made by the Prime Minister was that export licenses for civil nuclear will be approved, unlocking a potentially lucrative market for British companies. This casts a sharp shift in Britain’s nuclear proliferation policy as a vote of confidence in India, showing the prime minister considers the commercial opportunities to outweigh the security risks. Speaking on the issue, Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “There are obvious security sensitivities. We are conscious of those, as are the Indians. But within those constraints we really want to push ahead with civil nuclear co-operation. That would be quite a big sector within which we could really make progress”. The positive remarks made about the UK Nuclear Industry sit well with the delegation’s aim of paving the way for British companies in new and emerging markets around the world. The most positive signals yet have been expressed about British nuclear and there is now consolidated recognition that the industry is ideally placed in assisting and advising nations looking to responsibly develop civil nuclear programmes. Another area of agreement which holds potential benefit for the nuclear industry is the announcement to extend the successful UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI). This scheme has already created up to 600 new partnerships between UK and Indian institutions at all levels of the education system. The new programme will be funded by both governments. Comments (0)
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