Britain invites India to join new global deal

"We need a new global deal between rich and poor countries that can release millions of people from poverty, ensure every child goes to school and eradicate preventable and avoidable diseases from the world," he said.

Brown said Indo-British partnership was now stronger than ever before and "it will strengthen in the years to come.

"It will not simply be a partnership for India and Britain but will be partnership that will benefit the whole world," he told the Annual Luncheon of the Labour Friends of India (LFI) yesterday.

Indo-British relations as close, Brown said India and Britain should jointly rebuild a string of international institutions from the United Nations to the Group-8 and even create new ones like a "World Bank for the Environment".

"I look forward to working with the Indian government and the Indian people in a major programme of the reform of the international institutions that will recognise the rising importance of India in the world but recognise also that India, Britain and other countries working together are the only means by which we can create the type of world that gives us peace, prosperity and sustainable development," he said.

Brown said both the countries were already working together to consider formation of a "World Bank for the environment."

Referring to the recent global economic meltdown, Brown said: "We need a new early warning system for the global economy so that we can prevent the kind of credit crunch that we have had in the last few months.

"And that is why we need an international institution that demands the support of Asian continent as well as Europe and America that can actually show it can be involved in crisis prevention as well as crisis resolution."

He also strongly pitched for India becoming not only a member of an expanded UN Security Council but also the G-8, a powerful club of rich countries.

"I believe the Security Council without India cannot be a Security Council reflecting the reality of the day and as regards G-8, we need India in this as it is one of the fastest growing economies," Brown said.

The prime minister also presented the Fenner Brockway medal, commemorating a man who was born in colonial India in 1888 and later dedicated his life to campaigning for the independence of India from British rule, to Lord Neil Kinnock, Chairman, British Council.

Stephen Pound, MP, chairman of the Labour Friends of India, said the LFI chose Lord Brockway for the medal for a number of reasons.

"As a long-term member of the Labour Party, Lord Brockway was active both inside and outside of Parliament," Pound said.

The luncheon, held at the Washington Mayfairs owned by NRI entrepreneur Joginder Sangar, was attended by most of the Cabinet ministers including Justice Secretary Jack Straw, Olympics and London Minister Tessa Jowel, leading NRI entrepreneur and British Ambassador for Overseas Business Lord Swraj Paul, former Labour leader Neil Kinnock and London Mayor Ken Livingstone.