Indian president to meet Brown in state visit

Indian President Pratibha Patil was to meet Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Wednesday during the second day of her state visit, which aims in part to boost trade links.

Patil received a red-carpet welcome from Queen Elizabeth II after becoming the first Indian head of state to visit Britain for almost 20 years.

The monarch hosted a banquet Tuesday for Patil, the first Indian woman to be elected to the ceremonial role, at her Windsor Castle residence west of London, where the president is staying during the three-day trip.

Queen Elizabeth paid tribute at the dinner to the strong historic ties between India and its former colonial power, and the contribution of ethnic Indians in Britain.

"Britain and India have a long shared history which today is a source of great strength in building a new partnership fit for this new century," she said in a speech.

The 148 guests included Brown, senior royals, "Harry Potter" author J. K. Rowling and leading members of Britain's Indian community.

The Queen also remembered the Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people and injured more than 300 others last November.

Patil, in her speech, highlighted the shared values of the two countries and praised the multicultural diversity of London.

She also invited Queen Elizabeth to visit New Delhi next October when the Indian capital hosts the Commonwealth Games.

"Your majesty, the ties between India and the United Kingdom are built upon shared values and traditions," Patil said.

"We are vibrant democracies with a free press and active civil societies, we both believe in freedom, dignity and respect."

Improving trade links and boosting British investment in India are high on the agenda for the visit, which includes talks with Brown on Wednesday, Indian officials have said.

Britain is the biggest European investor in India and trade between the two countries was worth 12.6 billion pounds in 2008, according to the Foreign Office in London.

The countries also cooperate closely on issues including counter-terrorism and non-proliferation.

The president was also set to visit the Natural History Musuem and the Indian high commission on Wednesday, where she was to receive a collection of letters by Mahatma Gandhi on behalf of the republic.

Patil was then meeting Indian business leaders, before seeing Brown and joining a reception hosted by heir to the throne Prince Charles and a banquet laid on by the lord mayor of the City financial district.

Some 1.3 million ethnic Indians live in Britain, representing about two percent of the population, according to Foreign Office figures.

Patil, who arrived on Monday, will also join the queen on Thursday in launching a baton relay for the Commonwealth Games, starting Buckingham Palace and travelling through 70 countries before reaching New Delhi for the start of the games on October 3 next year.

Patil will also visit Cyprus before returning home on Saturday.