President Patil leaves for London, Cyprus

New Delhi, Oct 26 (PTI) India's President Pratibha
Patil Monday left on a two-nation state visit to the UK and
Cyprus during which she will receive the Commonwealth baton
from Queen Elizabeth, marking initiation of the year-long
relay of the symbol of the sporting event to be held here next
October.

London will be the first stop of Patil's week-long
two-nation tour that will also take her to Cyprus.
During her visit to Britain, first by an Indian
President after 20 years, she will hold talks with Prime
Minister Gordon Brown and meet Leader of Opposition David
Cameroon. Queen Elizabeth will host a banquet in honour of the
Indian President.
The highlight of the visit will be presentation to the
President of some letters of Mahatma Gandhi and a piece of
khadi cloth by two prominent Indians -- Nath Puri and Ghulam
Noon -- who have purchased these in an auction.
In 1990, the then President R Venkatraman had paid a
State visit to the UK. Prior to him, V Radhakrishnan had
visited the country in 1963.
In the second leg of the visit, the President will
travel to Cyprus where she will meet President Demetris
Christofias and other senior leaders. The visit comes about
two decades after former President R Venkataraman travelled to
the island nation. MORE PTI SKL
ANU


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