The centre is now open for up to 200 appointments a day…reports Asian Lite News
A new Indian visa centre has been opened in Marylebone, central London, for swift processing of applications, along with other initiatives like doorstep service and document verification facility.
The visa centre, which was inaugurated on Tuesday by Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, will be operated by VFS Global — the outsourcing and technology services provider for governments and diplomatic missions.
“The number of appointments we have been able to do has increased greatly… to about 40,000 per month, thanks to our partners at VFS,” Doraiswami said in a video message shared on Twitter.
He added that opening of a new visa processing facility “should be able to facilitate greater access and greater ease of applications”.
The centre is now open for up to 200 appointments a day, according to the Indian High Commission in London.
The new centre is the third Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in London, with a total of 10 IVACs across the UK in Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, central London, Hounslow, Leicester, and Manchester.
Doraiswami also announced that a new process is being introduced for those travelling as a group, typically, via a travel agency to the same destination using the same flights.
A Visa at Your Doorstep (VAYD) service, at a cost of around GBP 180 within 25 miles of a centre, has also been introduced for those travelling to India from the UK.
“For passengers looking for an easier way of getting visas, our visa service provider will be rolling out Visa At Your Doorstep services. You will be able to have your visa collected from your residence and brought to you after processing against a cost,” Doraiswami said.
“The new IVAC will increase the visa application capacity in London by providing additional appointment slots. This along with the recently opened visa centre in Glasgow will double the capacity of visas handled by VFS Global,” said Aditya Arora, COO, VFS Global.
There has been a massive surge in demand for Indian visas, with travellers from the UK reporting long waits and in some cases having to cancel trips due to in-person visa application rules.
India's new visa centre opens in London to address delays. (Credit : Twitter@HCI_London)
A Visa at Your Doorstep (VAYD) service, at a cost of around GBP 180 within 25 miles of a centre, has also been introduced for those travelling to India from the UK…reports Asian Lite News
A new Indian visa centre has been opened in Marylebone, central London, for swift processing of applications, along with other initiatives like doorstep service and document verification facility.
The visa centre, which was inaugurated on Tuesday by Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, will be operated by VFS Global — the outsourcing and technology services provider for governments and diplomatic missions.
“The number of appointments we have been able to do has increased greatly… to about 40,000 per month, thanks to our partners at VFS,” Doraiswami said in a video message shared on Twitter.
He added that opening of a new visa processing facility “should be able to facilitate greater access and greater ease of applications”.
The centre is now open for up to 200 appointments a day, according to the Indian High Commission in London.
The new centre is the third Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in London, with a total of 10 IVACs across the UK in Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, central London, Hounslow, Leicester, and Manchester.
Doraiswami also announced that a new process is being introduced for those travelling as a group, typically, via a travel agency to the same destination using the same flights.
A Visa at Your Doorstep (VAYD) service, at a cost of around GBP 180 within 25 miles of a centre, has also been introduced for those travelling to India from the UK.
“For passengers looking for an easier way of getting visas, our visa service provider will be rolling out Visa At Your Doorstep services. You will be able to have your visa collected from your residence and brought to you after processing against a cost,” Doraiswami said.
“The new IVAC will increase the visa application capacity in London by providing additional appointment slots. This along with the recently opened visa centre in Glasgow will double the capacity of visas handled by VFS Global,” said Aditya Arora, COO, VFS Global.
There has been a massive surge in demand for Indian visas, with travellers from the UK reporting long waits and in some cases having to cancel trips due to in-person visa application rules.
Maharshtra’s minister for Tourism, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Woman and Child Development BJP loyalist Mangal Prabhat Lodha – a reputed builder and politician will join his wife Dr Manju Lodha to launch her book ‘’Ankahin Kahaniyan’’ at the Nehru Centre, London at 6.00 pm on 4th November, reports Asian Lite’s Rahul Laud
Big wigs from trade, industry, government and Indian High Commission offices are expected to attend the launch and rub shoulders with India’s Maharashtra state minister. Director of Nehru Centre, renowned author, writer come diplomat, First Secretary, Culture Amish Tripathi is also expected to attend the glamorous launch.
Manju Lodha, a writer, poet, and philanthropist is the Chairperson of the Lodha Foundation which is involved in social activities. Author of 11 books , Manju is an orator and is never short of words. She takes care of Lodha Dham – a religious complex. She is the Founder of Gyan Gangitri Kavya Manch, which is the only women’s literary organization for the development of literacy skills for housewives in Mumbai. She is running 3 libraries, which include the world’s largest religious library with over six lac religious books and one ‘Mobile’ library. She has written 11 books in all.
The book ’Ankahin Kahaniyan’’ pays homage to India’s greatest revolutionaries and freedom fighters and narrates their emotional yet inspiring stories that laid the forefront of India’s freedom and constitution. “It is about all the heroes of our country, be it soldiers, warriors, kings, and sultans, revolutionaries, freedom fighters, politicians who have led the country through very tough times and steered the country towards betterment and who are unsung ,” says Manju.
“This book is an ode to visionaries that revolutionised India through social, cultural and industrial reforms and an amalgamation of stories that have inspired me in my journey as an author, poet and philanthropist,” Manju added.. From the powerful story of Savitribai Phule that revolutionized the Indian education system, to accounts of General Tatya Tope’s rebellious victories, this book aims to inspire the youth of our nation through tales that are left untold.
Later minister Lodha will be joined in London by his core tourism team from Maharashtra – Saurabh Vyas IAS, secretary tourism; Dr B N Patil IAS Director, Directorate of Tourism and Dr Dhananjay Sawalkar, Dy Director, Directorate of Tourism Tourism who will pitch to attract tourists and trade at the World Travel Market between 7-9 November in London.
This year’s Pilot Careers Live event is being supported by British Airways, EasyJet and Loganair…reports Asian Lite News
The 2022 Pilot Careers Live event will be held in London on November 5.
Pilot Careers Live has been running Europe’s leading flight training events for over two decades.
The event will begin at 9am on Saturday at Sofitel Heathrow Terminal 5 and will offer the chance to find out latest information about a career as a pilot, speak to leading Flight Training Organisations, watch live seminars, interviews and ask questions.
The must-not-miss event is being supported by British Airways, EasyJet and Loganair and will cover wide range subject including Training routes, Ground school, UK vs EASA licences, APS/MCC, Selection process, Job potential and Pilot and cadet welfare.
Event organisers, Pilot Career News, are committed to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and are encouraging delegates from Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities to attend. To show their support, they are offering a 20% discount to readers of Asian Lite.
To get your discount enter the promotional code: ALNLHR20 on the PCL ticket page at www.pilotcareernews.com/live/london-november-2022.
The UK Foreign Secretary also called on countries to work together to fight online terrorism – including global terror recruitment campaigns.
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly addressed the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee in New Delhi on Saturday and stressed the need to curb the exploitation of emerging technologies and starving terrorists of the vital funds used in terror activities.
Speaking at the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee in New Delhi, he called on countries to work together to fight online terrorism – including global terror recruitment campaigns.
“We have made tacking illicit finance a core pillar of our cooperation with international partners like the UAE,” he said on ‘Countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes’.
“If we are to keep our people safe, we must comply with human rights and we must continue to work together and with all parts of our communities to discredit the narratives of hate, to counter radicalisation… to foil plots, to starve terrorist of the finances and the emerging technologies that they would use, to do us harm,” he added.
Terming terrorism as a global problem and a global threat, UK Foreign Secretary started off his address by thanking External Affairs Minister Jaishankar for using India’s Security Council presidency to focus on this crucial issue.
"India is an incredibly important international partner. I'm very pleased that it's my first visit as the newly appointed Foreign Secretary."
— Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) October 28, 2022
On the emerging technologies, Cleverly said, within the space of just two decades, terrorists have gone from circulating crackly voice recordings from the depths of Tora Bora to global online recruitment and incitement campaigns to live-stream attacks.
To counter this threat posed by technologies, UK Foreign Secretary said Britain also working with the G7 and Global Internet Forum to counter terrorism. “We continue to press tech companies amongst whom are also the internet’s biggest players to crack down even harder on the extremist content online,” he added.
Cleverly said his country has taken a host of measures in recent years to combat terrorism such as, setting up the Counter Daesh Communication Cell in London and launching a counter-unmanned aircraft strategy.
“We are funding new counter-drone technologies and working through the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum to ensure that we do more to stop terrorists from misusing drones,” he added.
It comes after he paid his respects on Friday at the Taj Palace Hotel in Mumbai, to those who lost their lives in the city’s 2008 terror attack, including three British nationals.
During the visit, the UK Foreign Secretary announced further collaboration between the UK and India through British International Investment.
The UK Foreign Secretary is due to meet minister Jaishankar today to discuss the latest on the 2030 Roadmap, the landmark commitment to boost cooperation between the UK and India over the next decade. (ANI)
Boris Johnson was forced to step down on July 7 following a series of resignations of cabinet members, who protested against his scandal-plagued leadership
Merely three months after he was ousted from power, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson landed in Britain on Saturday from a Caribbean holiday to launch a formal bid for the Conservative Party leadership, following Liz Truss’s resignation this week, according to UK media reports.
Johnson was forced to step down on July 7 following a series of resignations of cabinet members, who protested against his scandal-plagued leadership. Johnson now expressed his willingness to enter the PM race, saying he is “up for it.”
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak in the Johnson cabinet was also quick to mark his bid for the Tory and the British Prime Ministership having secured more than a hundred nominations – which is the minimum requirement to contest for the post.
Sunak late Friday became the first Tory leadership contender to reach the 100-nomination threshold to run for party leader following the resignation of Prime Minister Liz Truss, reported Independent citing campaign sources.
Sunak, who fell to Truss in the last leadership contest, got the backing of at least 100 Conservative Party lawmakers to enter the UK PM race.
This is a key development after Liz Truss’ resignation as UK Prime Minister on Thursday which threw the country into political turmoil and left it scrambling for a stable government, as the opposition reiterated its demand for a general election.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak as they make their way up the staircase of No10 Downing Street to give a press conference on the Coronavirus. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
On Friday, Penny Mordaunt, the Tory leader in the House of Commons too threw her hat in the ring. “I’ve been encouraged by support from colleagues who want a fresh start, a united party and leadership in the national interest,” Mordaunt tweeted.
Tory MPs will vote on Monday, and two candidates will be put forward to the Tory membership unless one pulls out. The result will be announced on Friday, October 28.
It is pertinent to note that Truss became the shortest-serving British PM after she stepped down, stating that she recognises she “cannot deliver the mandate” on which she was elected. Truss said she would step aside for a new leader to be chosen within the next week.
In view of Truss’s resignation, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer issued a scathing statement that ripped into the Conservative Party and called for a general election.
After 12 years of “Tory failure,” he said the British people deserve so much better than this revolving door of chaos. “We need a general election now,” he said.
Truss stepping down was preceded by the sacking of UK Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng and the resignation of Home Secretary Suella Braverman tendered her resignation. Liz only remained in power for 45 days after succeeding Boris Johnson last month. (ANI)
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak leaves the Prime Minister Boris Johnson weekly Cabinet Meeting inside No10 Downing Street on his way to deliver his 2021 Budget to the House of Commons. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
Rishi Sunak, who fell to Liz Truss in the last leadership contest, got the backing of at least 100 Conservative Party lawmakers to enter the UK PM race.
Conservative British politician of Indian descent Rishi Sunak is quick off the mark to bid for the leadership of the Conservative Party and the British Prime Ministership having secured more than a hundred nominations – which is the minimum requirement to contest for the post.
Sunak, late Friday became the first Tory leadership contender to reach the 100-nomination threshold to run for party leader following the resignation of Prime Minister Liz Truss, reported Independent citing campaign sources.
Sunak, who fell to Truss in the last leadership contest, got the backing of at least 100 Conservative Party lawmakers to enter the UK PM race. This is a key development after Liz Truss’ resignation as UK Prime Minister on Thursday which threw the country into political turmoil and left it scrambling for a stable government, as the opposition reiterated its demand for a general election.
Former UK PM Boris Johnson had also expressed his will to enter the PM race saying he is “up for it.” On Friday, Penny Mordaunt, the Tory leader in the House of Commons too threw her hat in the ring. “I’ve been encouraged by support from colleagues who want a fresh start, a united party and leadership in the national interest,” Mordaunt tweeted.
After Sunak reached the 100 nomination mark Conservative MP for Bournemouth East tweeted, “The free mkt experiment is over – it’s been a low point in our Party’s great history. The reset begins. Time for centrist, stable, fiscally responsible Government offering credible domestic & international leadership. Honoured to be the 100th Tory MP to support #Ready4Rishi.”
File photo shows Boris Johnson hosting the Prime Ministers Business Council alongside Rishi Sunak and leading business figures in 10 Downing Street. Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street
Former Health secretary Matt Hancock also confirmed his support for Sunak. He tweeted, “I have worked incredibly closely with Boris, Rishi & Penny in Government. I admire all three. With the challenges we face today: economic crisis & the need to restore authoritative leadership, Rishi Sunak is the best person to lead our country. I’m voting Rishi & hope you do too.”
Meanwhile, Tory MP Nigel Mills said it was a “mistake” for him not to back Sunak during the summer’s leadership contest. Mills tweeted, “A few weeks ago I changed my mind and didn’t back Rishi Sunak. I’m not making the same mistake again, he is clearly the prime minister we need to restore stability and tackle the many serious challenges facing the country.”
Tory MPs will vote on Monday, and two candidates will be put forward to the Tory membership unless one pulls out. The result will be announced on Friday, October 28.
It is pertinent to note that Truss became the shortest-serving British PM after she stepped down, stating that she recognises she “cannot deliver the mandate” on which she was elected. Truss said she would step aside for a new leader to be chosen within the next week.
A few weeks ago I changed my mind and didn't back @RishiSunak. I'm not making the same mistake again, he is clearly the Prime Minister we need to restore stability and tackle the many serious challenges facing the country.
“I came into office at a time of great economic and international instability. Families and businesses were worried about how to pay their bills, Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine threatens the security of our whole continent and our country has been held back for too long by low economic growth,” she said in a statement.
“I recognize though, given the situation, I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party. I have therefore spoken to His Majesty the King to notify him that I am resigning as leader of the Conservative Party,” she added.
Shortly after Truss’s resignation, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer issued a scathing statement that ripped into the Conservative Party and called for a general election.
“After 12 years of Tory failure, the British people deserve so much better than this revolving door of chaos. We need a general election now,” he said and added that “Each one of these crises was made in Downing Street but paid for by the British public. Each one has left our country weaker and worse off.”
“The British public deserves a proper say on the country’s future. They must have the chance to compare the Tories’ chaos with Labour’s plans to sort out their mess, grow the economy for working people and rebuild the country for a fairer, greener future. We must have a chance at a fresh start. We need a general election – now,” he added.
Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks at the UK House of Commons. (UK Parliament_Jessica Taylor)
Truss stepped down a day after Indian-origin Home Secretary Suella Braverman tendered her resignation, citing “technical infringement of the rules” she committed while sending official documents.
In the letter addressed to PM Truss, she also expressed concerns about the direction of the government and said key pledges made to voters have been broken.
Braverman comes less than a week after UK Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng was fired after serving for less than six weeks. Kwarteng was sacked after the new government’s September 23 plan of massive tax cuts resulted in the plunging of British government bonds.
Earlier, Truss defeated former Chancellor of the Exchequer Sunak through a postal ballot of all Conservative members. Truss secured 81,326 votes while Sunak got 60,399 votes.
Sunak had thanked supporters who backed him in the Conservative Party race and said now it was time for all of them to unite behind the new UK Prime Minister Liz Truss.
The Tory leadership race was triggered after Boris Johnson was forced to step down on July 7 following a series of resignations of cabinet members, who protested against his scandal-plagued leadership. Sunak and Truss rose to the Conservative ranks to end up as finalists for the contest for the post of UK Prime Minister. (ANI)
The integration of customer satellites into the rocket has been taking place in the newly inaugurated Space Systems Integration Facility (SSIF) at Spaceport Cornwall…reports Asian Lite News
Thousands of people visited the exhibition, led by the UK Space Agency, as part of the countdown to the first launch by Virgin Orbit from Spaceport Cornwall.
Families took part in a range of exciting, free space-themed activities and hands-on exhibitions, including a Virtual Reality experience offering the opportunity to experience what it’s like to be at Mission Control, the chance to try on a real astronaut suit and handle a real meteorite.
Science Minister Nusrat Ghani, who officially opened the event, said, “We are proud to be playing an important part in the first ever satellite launch from UK soil, and we want to harness this incredible opportunity to inspire more young people to consider careers in science, engineering and space. By establishing the UK as the leading European base to launch small satellites, we can build on our existing strengths in space manufacturing to create new jobs, grow the economy and attract significant investment into our growing space sector.
Following a successful wet dress rehearsal by Virgin Orbit in the US, the real LauncherOne rocket and its carrier aircraft – an adapted Boeing 747 dubbed “Cosmic Girl”– arrived in the UK last week. The integration of customer satellites into the rocket has been taking place in the newly inaugurated Space Systems Integration Facility (SSIF) at Spaceport Cornwall.
The mission, which has been named ‘Start Me Up’ in tribute to the iconic British band, the Rolling Stones, will mark the first orbital launch from the UK, meeting a key ambition of the Government’s National Space Strategy, as well as the first commercial launch from Europe and the first international launch from Virgin Orbit.
Ian Annett, Deputy CEO at the UK Space Agency, said, “Our work to establish launch capabilities in the UK is already bringing new growth through investment and jobs into local communities, and inspiring a new generation of space professionals whether in science, engineering, law and other disciplines. A strong space sector depends on attracting future talent, so it was fantastic to see so many young people inspired by our full-size replica rocket in the centre of London and the activities this weekend. I hope we have ignited a passion for future space careers in many of them and made people aware of how space contributes to global sustainability and our prosperity as a nation.”
In China, where the BBC is available only in foreigners’ residences and selected hotels, the state censor would blackout the transmission every time anything uncomplimentary was said about the People’s Republic…reports Asian Lite News
The BBC has given a controversial burial to one of its popular current affairs programmes – ‘Dateline London’ – after its remarkable 25-year run.
The decision has disappointed many within and outside Britain, for the weekend half-hour programme, which discussed subjects of international interest and was aired on both domestic and world services of the BBC, commanded a viewership of 12-15 million, according to its executive producer Nick Guthrie. It was also reportedly quite inexpensive to produce.
Absolutely stunned and saddened that Dateline is being pulled. Literally an oasis of sanity. BBC set to pull the plug on Dateline London after 25 years of news debate show | BBC | The Guardian https://t.co/IfKm1LM52J
A significant section of Dateline’s audience was in India, ranging from Indian diplomats to influential folks who regard the BBC to be a credible source information.
In China, where the BBC is available only in foreigners’ residences and selected hotels, the state censor would blackout the transmission every time anything uncomplimentary was said about the People’s Republic.
In a ‘goodbye speech’ at a Dateline farewell party, Guthrie, a BBC veteran since 1968, hinted the broadcaster’s management had succumbed to pressure from the British government by scrapping the programme.
He said: “Just because a particular group, government, lobby groups, whatever, object to views expressed by others does not mean the BBC has to kow-tow. All the more important it has to stand up robustly for freedom of speech.”
Since the premiership of Margaret Thatcher, the BBC, a public broadcaster under a Royal Charter, has often been under pressure when a pro-private sector Conservative party is in power. This was most acutely felt when Boris Johnson was recently the Prime Minister. His government threatened cuts to the organisation’s funding, which come from licence fees from UK households.
Dateline, with a panel of mostly foreign correspondents stationed in London, reflected independent views, with no restrictions on fair criticism of authorities, including the British establishment.
In anticipation of cuts, the BBC embarked on an economy drive, including merging channels.
A spokesperson for the BBC stated: “As a 24-hour news channel (referring to the domestic service, which was one of platforms premiering and repeating Dateline), we are constantly reviewing our output and exploring how our schedules can best deliver news content that is valuable and relevant to viewers.”
She went on to say: “As the channel’s output has evolved, we now have a number of programmes that offer a similar experience to our audience, from ‘The Context’ with Christian Fraser to ‘Unspun World’ with John Simpson.”
Guthrie mentioned in his speech: “I am concerned the BBC has decided to merge News 24 with World TV. I am sad they could not find a spot for Dateline on the new channel. As I find BBC people talking to BBC people (however brilliant they are), no substitute for lively discussion between outside experts and opinion makers. Why? Because the BBC people are not allowed opinions and it is opinions that the public wants to hear.”
The first presenter of Dateline was Charles Wheeler, an impeccable BBC journalist, who was the network’s correspondent in India in the late 1950s and early 1960s, married an Indian and was Boris Johnson’s father-in-law. The programme was granted a mere six-week contract.
Guthrie claimed there were only three formal complaints about Dateline’s content in its quarter of a century existence. One of these was from the Indian government, which objected to the London correspondent of Hindustan Times criticising the late Queen Elizabeth’s mother, known as The Queen Mother, ‘over something’!
Dateline London is the only BBC News output that I watch unfailingly every week. There's clarity to experienced foreign correspondents, with global perspective, who have seen many administrations come and go, and are not afraid of losing access.
“Every week for those past 25 years some of the most distinguished commentators and foreign correspondents based here in London have been able to give their views on current events,” Guthrie underlined.
For 15 of those years, Ashis Ray, who was previously a presenter of South Asia Survey on the BBC’s World Service and then South Asia bureau chief and editor-at-large at CNN, was a familiar face on Dateline as the London correspondent of The Times of India, Business Standard and other Indian publications.
“I will miss Dateline,” he reflected. “It involved polite, yet enlightening and penetrative submission of views, mostly very well moderated.”
The Lord Mayor of the City of London said that the UK has a very good trade relationship with the GCC region as a whole…writes Muhammad Aami
The Rt Hon the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Vincent Keaveny, has expressed his hope to strengthen the ties between the UAE and the United Kingdom, particularly in the financial and professional services sector.
“I am looking at the breadth of the financial services ecosystem here in the UAE during my two-day visit,” he told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) in an exclusive interview in Dubai.
“I am meeting a number of leaders here in Dubai, for instance, the Governor {Essa Kazim} of Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), and in Abu Dhabi, I will be meeting with representatives of a number of organisations,” he said.
Vincent Keaveny is the 693rd Lord Mayor of the City and heads the City of London Corporation. He is the international ambassador for the UK’s financial and professional services sector.
Green Finance Agenda
He said that the UK is focusing on the Green Finance Agenda and is really looking forward to the work done in the Emirates around the moves towards net zero. “I know that Emirates has ambitious plans to achieve net zero.”
The UAE is hosting the COP28 climate conference in Dubai in November 2023. “We are thinking how we can work together through sharing our experience since hosting of the COP26 in the United Kingdom, to make COP28 a huge success,” Vincent Keaveny said.
UAE significant trading partner of the UK
The Lord Mayor of the City of London said that the UK has a very good trade relationship with the GCC region as a whole. “the trade is around 35.5 billion British pounds and the UAE makes up roughly about a third of that, so it is a significant trading partner of the UK.”
“Of course, we would always like it to be greater and I am sure that would be beneficial for both the UAE and the UK,” he said, urging more should be done to bring the two countries closer in the financial and professional services sectors.
Negotiations on Free Trade Agreement with GCC
He revealed the status of the ongoing negotiations of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the GGC and the United Kingdom and said that the City of London strongly supports {the agreement}.
“In the first round of talks completed last week for the FTA, there are proposals on the table for both sides. The GCC member states and the UK are considering {them},” Vincent Keaveny said, adding that the second stage of negotiations will commence in the coming weeks.
However, he said that it is always difficult to negotiate these things at a multilateral level with a number of member states involved. “but I am optimistic, probably more optimistic than the last time when I visited the UAE a year ago about being able to get a GCC agreement finalized.”
“I am hoping that we will move ahead, and with the political will on both sides, we might get an agreement in the first half of 2023.”
“As lord Mayor of the City of London one of the things I am doing on my travels in the region, is encouraging the member states really to negotiate, and engage with the negotiations to work hard to get an agreement in place,” he added.
Business Opportunities for Emirati investors
The Lord Mayor of the City of London said that there are a whole host of business opportunities in the UK at the moment and it is a very good time to look at these investments.
He named sectors for potential investment, which includes green sustainable investment, particularly in the infrastructure sector, and Financial Technology (Fintech), saying that “Emirati investors should certainly be looking {to invest in these areas} in the UK at the moment.”
The UK is the leading exporter of financial services across the world, to the value of £64bn, according to the City of London Corporation. The city houses more foreign banks, and accounts for more international bank lending, than any other centre.
