Naveen opens UK in Odisha campaign

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar, Aug 26: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the ‘Celebrating Partnerships – UK in Odisha’ campaign here today.The campaign, which will run from 26-28 August, will include a number of events to highlight UK expertise and take forward the Odisha-UK partnership especially in the areas of education, urbanisation and tackling climate change.The event is being organised by the British Deputy High Commission and the British Council Kolkata.UK Minister the Rt Hon Desmond Swayne MP, who is visiting Odisha, called for closer Odisha-UK partnership in the future.Highlighting the close partnership between the UK and Odisha during the past three decades, the Minister said: “Since 2010 the UK-India relationship has undergone an important transformation.Together we have built a stronger, deeper partnership based on mutual respect.Trade links have been strengthened, business and innovation flourishes and extreme poverty continues to fall.“Odisha is one of the most vibrant and dynamic states in India.The state government is committed to poverty reduction and we will continue to work together, sharing skills and expertise.The UK wants to be Odisha’s partner of choice on its development journey towards increased prosperity.I am confident that the best days of our relationship are yet to come.”In November 2012, the UK government announced it would end its programme of financial grant aid to India by the end of 2015.The new UK-India development partnership will instead be based on technical assistance programmes, focused on sharing skills and expertise; investments in private sector projects focused on helping the poor; and working in partnership with India on global development issues like food security and climate change.British Deputy High Commissioner Scott Furssedonn-Wood is leading a delegation of UK companies specialising in urbanisation and SMART cities, climate change specialists and UK education experts to participate in the various events.Commenting on UK in Odisha, Furssedonn-Wood said: “We are celebrating a new era in the United Kingdom’s relationship with the great state of Odisha.Thanks to good governance and social and economic development, Odisha’s future is bright.We want to be a partner for the state as it builds that future.We want more talented young Odishans to study at the UK’s world class universities.“We want more British companies – and I’ve brought 10 Great British companies with me this week – to bring their world class products and services to Odisha.We want to share more UK ideas and expertise as Odisha rises to the challenges of urbanisation and of climate change.Above all we want stronger, deeper connections between our people so the partnership between the UK and Odisha will shape our shared future for the better.”Apart from the core business, climate change and education events, The British Council will be running a festival of Shakespeare films in schools and colleges in Bhubaneswar selected especially keeping local curriculum in mind.From the BBC’s Shakespeare Collection, the Council will screen The Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, All’s Well That Ends Well, As You Like It and The Taming of the Shrew. The UK is also supporting the Jungle Crows Foundation to organise a ‘Odisha Rugby World Cup Jamboree 2015’.Eight teams of Bhubaneswar school girls and boys will play their own version of the Rugby World 2015 which will take place in England in September and October this year.