After Japan agreeing to partner Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit-2009 slated to be held next month, it is now United Kingdom that is seeking to strengthen business ties with Gujarat. In the third week of December, over 65 British MPs have signed an Early Day Motion (EDM) to support the Vibrant Gujarat campaign, said government sources close to the development.
Chief Minister Narendra Modi told Business Standard that he was overwhelmed with the response recieved and welcomed the efforts.
"It is for the first time in British Parliament history that so many MPs have supported for an event happening outside the country," Modi said.
The event is being viewed as a victory of sorts for the chief minister who had earlier cancelled his trip to UK in April 2005, citing security reasons. Apparently, Modi had cancelled his visit to UK after he was earlier denied a diplomatic visa to enter the United States in March 2005.
The US Embassy, had described Modi as a foreign government official responsible for, or directly carried out, severe violations of religious freedom and even cancelled his tourist/business visa.
Barry Gardiner, whose Brent North constituency in Northwest London comprises up to 50,000 Britons of Indian origin has moved the EDM and many of them are from Gujarat, state government sources said.
All this has been done without the state government or the chief minister approaching UK and this shows the confidence that investors have in the state, he added.
The motion “celebrates Britain’s role as the largest foreign direct investor into the State of Gujarat, birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and welcomes the Festival of Vibrant Gujarat linking commerce and culture as a focus of community harmony for all the people of Gujarat.”
The United Kingdom was a partner country at the resurgent Gujarat partnership meet, which took place on February 8-9, 2002, before riots broke out later in the month.
A delegation of 40-odd industrialists lead by Japanese External Trade Organisation (JETRO) and officials of the ministry of international trade and industry (MITI) will attent the Vibrant Summit.
Companies like Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Honda are likely to attend the Summit, sources said.
