The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Abdul Rashid, is planning an official tour of Pakistan and Bangladesh in October.
As Birmingham's First Citizen, the Lord Mayor represents a population of more than 1.5 million, of which an estimated 300,000 can trace their roots back to the Indian sub-continent.
Birmingham is one of the most ethnically-diverse city in Britain, with more than a third of the population identifying themselves as non-white. Cllr. Rashid is of Kashmiri heritage, and will be the first Lord Mayor to make an official visit to the Indian sub-continent in six years.
The Lord Mayor commented: "Birmingham is the UK's Second City. However, we are first in terms of diversity. I'm proud to represent such a culturally-diverse population, which serves as a model of community cohesion for other parts of the country.
"Hundreds of thousands of our citizens have a connection to the Indian sub-continent. I think it's important for me, as a representative of those citizens, to promote Birmingham to their countries of cultural origin."
"I believe that my official visit to Pakistan and Bangladesh will be an opportunity to raise international awareness of the social, cultural and economic contribution that has been made by Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi immigrants to the UK as a whole.
"The message I will take with me is that Birmingham is a great place to live. We also want to encourage people from around the world to visit us, and for foreign businesses to invest in the profitable opportunities Birmingham has to offer."
Baron Bhatti of Ballencrieff, a lifelong resident of Birmingham, is supporting The Lord Mayor's work. He explains: "I'm very proud that Chauhdry Rashid, who has served as my local Councillor for more than 20 years, has been given the honour of representing our fair City to the wider world.
"His planned tour of the Indian sub-continent is a wonderful show of respect to communities that have been integral to Birmingham's economic success. And I'm sure that he will be welcomed with open arms by the residents of Sylhet, Dhaka, The Punjab and Azad Kashmir."
The Lord Mayor is also planning official visits to India and the West Indies, in recognition of the cultural connection many Brummies have with those regions. Birmingham has a large Afro-Caribbean community in excess of 50,000.
