{"id":72686,"date":"2016-07-24T14:26:32","date_gmt":"2016-07-24T14:26:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=6f3f06135ad1b3b0a366266b409e907f"},"modified":"2016-07-24T14:26:32","modified_gmt":"2016-07-24T14:26:32","slug":"press-release-foreign-office-minister-alok-sharma-visits-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=72686","title":{"rendered":"Press release: Foreign Office Minister Alok Sharma visits India"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"govspeak\">\n<p>Alok Sharma makes India his first official visit since being appointed UK Minister for Asia, travelling to Delhi today and then Mumbai after just a week in his new role.<\/p>\n<p>Mr Sharma will hold talks with Indian government ministers, senior officials and business leaders to make clear that Britain is open for business and that India and the UK share a dynamic future on the world stage.<\/p>\n<p>As modern and diverse democracies, our two countries have a natural affinity and enjoy a genuinely strategic partnership that we want to take to the next level. Our existing bonds in security and defence, business, innovation, education and culture are stronger than ever.<\/p>\n<p>Mr Sharma will also meet business and finance leaders to discuss the UK\u2019s strengths, including in financial services, \u2018Smart Cities\u2019 and sustainable energy.<\/p>\n<p>As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, NATO and the G7, the UK is a truly global player. As a long standing friend of India, we are a great fit with India\u2019s reform programme and, as partners in the G20 and Commonwealth, our growing collaboration will see both our nations prosper in the world.<\/p>\n<p>The UK Minister for Asia, Alok Sharma, said:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"last-child\">I am delighted that India will be my first official visit since taking up my appointment as a Foreign Office Minister. The UK and India have a broad and exciting partnership that includes trade and investment, climate and energy, education, health and culture, reinforced by the large, vibrant Indian diaspora in Britain.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"last-child\">Britain is open for business and thriving on the world stage. We want the strongest possible relationship with India and I want to continue our vital strategic partnership on this visit and in my new role.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>During his visit, Mr Sharma will also meet the next generation\u2019s opinion formers on foreign policy at an \u2018Emerging Voices\u2019 event.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"further-information\">Further information<\/h3>\n<p>Follow the Foreign Office on twitter <a rel=\"external\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/foreignoffice\">@foreignoffice<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Follow the Foreign Office on <a rel=\"external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/foreignoffice?ref=hl\">facebook<\/a> and <a rel=\"external\" href=\"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/b\/105922144104190309938\/+foreignoffice\/posts\">Google+<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"contact \" id=\"contact_193\">\n<div class=\"content\">\n<h3>Media enquiries<\/h3>\n<div class=\"vcard contact-inner\">\n<div class=\"email-url-number\">\n<p class=\"email\">\n              <span class=\"type\">Email<\/span><br \/>\n              <a class=\"email\" href=\"mailto:newsdesk@fco.gov.uk\">newsdesk@fco.gov.uk<\/a>\n            <\/p>\n<p class=\"tel\">\n              <span class=\"type\">News Desk <\/span><br \/>\n              020 7008 3100\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alok Sharma makes his first official visit to India<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72686"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=72686"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72686\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=72686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=72686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=72686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}