Monday, July 3 2006 17:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Brussels: Goa will host next February a meet aimed at helping Indian cities improve its infrastructure by leveraging Europe's expertise.

The event, 'Urban India 2020', has been organised by the Paris-based EuroIndia Centre and will provide the first congenial platform for interaction among some 200 urban stakeholders, decision-makers, academics and policymakers from India and Europe.

They will exchange their best urban practices, in order to find mutually beneficial cooperative avenues.

European cities have become increasingly keen to engage with emerging Indian cities that are struggling to develop at a pace in sync with the rapid growth of the economy.

At the event, Indian cities will also be able to study the European model of international city-to-city cooperation that facilitates the sharing of proven expertise.

The event is expected to give a boost to the National Urban Renewal Mission of the Indian government.

The EuroIndia Centre was founded in 2002 as a not-for-profit association with the objective of bringing Europeans and Indians together to join hands for a shared future, according to INEP agency.

It recently elected a new board comprising of co-presidents Collete Mathur, senior advisor for India and South Asia to the board of the World Economic Forum, and Anand Mahindra, CEO of Mahindra & Mahindra.

Former French prime minister Raymond Barra who was the original executive board president of the organisation has been promoted to the co-president emeritus position to join fellow Co-President Emeritus Manmohan Singh, Indian prime minister.