APPG hosts the new Indian High Commissioner at Parliament

Tuesday 29th March 2016 11:21 EDT
 

Virendra Sharma, Labour MP for Ealing Southall and Chairman of the Indo British All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), hosted a meeting for the new Indian High Commissioner, Mr Navtej Sarna, in collaboration with the Commonwealth All Party Parliamentary Group. The Chair of the Commonwealth APPG, Sir Henry Bellingham MP, was on the platform along with Mr Sharma and the High Commissioner.

Virendra Sharma welcomed the High Commissioner to Westminster and introduced him to both APPGs. He said that this was the main purpose and aim of the day’s event.

The role of the Indo British APPG is to discuss general issues about what is happening in India and the UK to see how parliamentarians can assist in promoting and strengthening the relationship between the two countries. Mr Sharma told the Asian Voice that they were working closely with the High Commissioner’s office in order to exchange views and work together to find ways to take the relationship further.

Mr Sharma is pro-European and talked about the importance of the Commonwealth, saying that he supports staying in Europe, but thinks that it is important to work to strengthen Britain’s relationship with the Commonwealth at the same time.

Also sitting in the room were India’s Deputy High Commissioner Virander Paul, and various peers including Lord Raj Loomba. Steve Pound, Labour MP for Ealing North, was present, as was the Conservative Mr Bob Blackman, MP for Harrow East. Mr Blackman is also the Vice Chair of the Indo British APPG. There was a good number of other parliamentarians present too.

Pro-Europe Sir Henry Bellingham spoke after Virendra Sharma, welcoming the High Commissioner.

He discussed the importance of the Commonwealth and that it had a significant role in the current British debate about whether or not the UK should stay in Europe. He spoke about the continuing impact of the Commonwealth and the role of India.

The general view of the meeting was that members supported the UK remaining in Europe but that the UK should work with the Commonwealth to build trade, culture and tourism.

Questions came readily from members, with some of the more egocentric ones spending considerably more time than others providing long preambles about themselves before getting round to asking their question.

The questions were fairly vigorous and mainly centred on the issue of student visas and defence.

One of the MPs raised the topic of Kashmir and another asked about human rights. To both points, the High Commissioner, Mr Sarna, said that India “Was very comfortable with itself” in the way in which it was handling the respective situations.  


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