Ken Livingstone and Sebastian Coe met with officials in India to establish sporting, cultural and trade relations as well as cooperation between London and Delhi during their preparations for the world’s two most esteemed sporting events.

The Mayor of London and the chair of the London 2012 Olympic Organising Committee met with Delhi’s Commonwealth Games Organising Committee at The Host Cities: Unlocking Opportunities conference.

During the visit, the pair participated in discussions on how the two cities can learn from each other, as Delhi gears up to host the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and London the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

Livingstone said: “London and Delhi are both preparing to host world-class sporting events; this provides a major opportunity for us learn from one another and also to celebrate the strength and importance of the relationship between the two cities.

“London is the most multicultural city in the world and the Indian community is the capital’s largest minority ethnic community.”

Coe added: “We have much in common in our aspirations for the Games to act as catalyst to inspire lasting change in our countries and there is much to learn from one another. It is about us working together to discuss our experiences in order to harness the power of sport as a force for good and a hidden social worker in the community.”

The joint aspirations include showcasing both cities and countries; establishing new trading and business partners to attract investment; building tourism; benefiting urban renewal and infrastructure and building a legacy of sports infrastructure.

The conference was held during the Mayor’s London and India: Partners in Globalisation tour of the country, where he aimed not only to strengthen relationships between the cities but to promote London as a destination for business, tourism, studying and creative industries.