May’s India visit to give new opportunity to strengthen ties’

British Prime Minister Theresa May’s upcoming visit to India will offer a new opportunity to further strengthen the “already strong” bilateral ties and promote trade and investment, Chancellor of Exchequer Philip Hammond has said.

“As we prepare for the visit of Prime Minister (May) to India, Britain-India relations are already strong, with (Narendra) Modi as Prime Minister giving new opportunities for further strengthening these relations,” Hammond, the Special Guest at the Diwali reception organised by the Hinduja family, said on Wednesday.

“In this NRIs can play the role of more than a bridge. They can help promote trade and investment and growing cultural relations,” he said. It was no co-incidence that this is her first visit outside the European continent,” Hammond said, adding that the meeting between the prime ministers of the world’s oldest and largest democracies assumes importance.

May, 60, will be in India between November 6 and 8 on the invitation of Modi. It will be her first bilateral visit outside Europe during which she will hold talks with Modi and review all aspects of India-UK strategic partnership post- Brexit.