Blair presses for strong EU-India trade

Prime Minister Tony Blair is eager to bolster Europe’s business ties with India at an EU-India summit that opened today, arguing the West should embrace the booming nation’s emergence as an economic power rather than fear it as a job-stealing threat.

Blair, who arrived in New Delhi late yesterday after two days of trade-focused meetings with Chinese leaders in Beijing, says wealthy nations must adapt to the fast-moving changes of economic globalization by building close relationships with new trade partners.