UK natural choice to be Kerala's partner: Envoy

KOCHI: British High Commissioner to India Sir James Bevan Wednesday asked Kerala to treat Britain as the first choice for partnership.

He was speaking at the Emerging Kerala-2012 investor meet that was inaugurated here by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh earlier in the day.

Listing the advantages of the United Kingdom in many specialised areas - from raising capital investment to providing skilled manpower, and from innovation to education, Bevan said Kerala is looking for investment and Britain is specialised in raising capital for investment.

"Kerala is looking for infrastructure support and urban planning and we do make roads and build towns across the world. Kerala is looking for manufacturing, we are the leaders in the sector. India wants to educate its people, we have the top ten universities of the world in our country. There is a very close match between what Kerala is looking for and what Britain has and vice versa," said the British diplomat.

He has come with the biggest-ever trade delegation from his country, representing all major sectors and aims to forge relations because of the state's significance and prospects.

Foreseeing ambitious and strong bilateral ties with Kerala in the next five to ten years, Bevan claimed that Britain had everything that Kerala and India were looking for to boost the economy, and pitched his country as one of the finest destinations in the world to do business with and forge partnerships.

Among those who have arrived with him are Jeff Cao, Asia-Pacific head of London and Partners, Navjit Gill of Rolls Royce Marine India, and Padraic Kelly, managing director of Happold Consulting.