CHENNAI: British Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Jeremy Browne on Tuesday said that Britain was planning to expand its presence in India and put an end to the row over British aid flowing into the country saying that the aid is to alleviate poverty and not to secure contracts through indirect means.His statement comes in the wake of British parliamentarians putting pressure on Premier David Cameron to cut £1 billion aid budget to India after it announced that it would buy French warplanes instead of the UK-backed Eurofighter Typhoon.Speaking to reporters after a talk at the Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), he said the aid was to reach out to the poor in India and tackle infant mortality.The minister also said that his country was planning to expand its presence into India’s new and exciting business centers. “We want to widen our focus ...and are currently discussing plans with your authorities to expand our presence...,” he said, adding that it was going to increase it to 30 diplomatic officers in frontline offices.He also took a swipe at Iran and said that the country sponsored terrorism and abused human rights. The minister also said that Britain did not want to see nuclear arms race in the Middle East and was okay if Iran used nuclear power for civil purpose.
Comments
0 comment