Prez returns after UK, Cyprus visit

By Pradeep Kashyap, New Delhi, Nov 1 : President Pratibha Devisingh Patil returned to the capital this morning after week-long 'goodwill' visits to the United Kingdom and the Republic of Cyprus to further consolidate traditional friendly ties with both countries.

The President had left the country on October 26 for London on a three-day state visit. Later she left for Cyprus Capital Nicosia.

She had one-on-one talks with Queen Elizabeth in London and with her Cyprus counterpart Demetris Christofias in Nicosia.

Ms Patil is the first Indian top dignitary to have paid a state visit to the UK after a gap of 20 years and after India commenced strategic partnership in 2004.

During her stay at London, she also met British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and leaders of the Opposition parties and discussed issues of mutual interest.

The visit was marked by handing over the Commonwealth Relay Baton by the Queen to the President amid a spectacular ceremony at the Buckingham Palace and her receiving of Mahatma Gandhi's memorabilia from two NRIs.

''My visit to the UK was a reiteration of our strong commitment to the strategic partnership and our desire to further consolidate this important relationship,'' she told mediapersons accompanying her on the tour.

During her stay at Nicosia, the President overlooked the signing of an MoU between India and Cyprus for cooperation in solar energy.

The two sides discussed potential areas for enhancing economic cooperation.

The emphasis of the discussion was to expand the special political cooperation into economic cooperation.

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
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