For the first time in ten years, a British envoy will meet with the BJP's Narendra Modi, under the instructions of the British foreign minister for India, Hugo Swire.
In a statement, Swire said: "this will allow us to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest and to explore opportunities for closer cooperation,"
Modi, currently the chief minister for the state of Gujurat, is seen as the strongest opposition candidate for the general elections in two years time.
The meeting would be the first such diplomatic engagement by the West, after religious riots rocked the state ten years ago. In 2005, Modi was denied a diplomatic visa to the US, and had his B-1/B-2 visa revoked on the grounds that any foreign government official who "directly carried out, at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom" ineligible for the visa.
An official at the British High Commission in New Delhi, was quoted by Reuters as saying the policy shift was due to the state's 'dynamic economic and business climate and came after high-profile convictions of some politicians in the state over the riots'.
The official said, "If you can't engage at a senior political level, it is harder to spot opportunities."
