Briton visits state during trip to U.S.

British member of Parliament Rehman Chishti spent time in Arkansas with U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., during a trip this month to the United States.

The two lawmakers are members of the British-American Parliamentary Group, which traces its roots to the Second World War, according to a history of the organization by former Member of Parliament Roger Moate.

The Conservative British barrister and the Little Rock Republican banker were “twinned” — or paired together — after joining the organization.

They’ve worked to foster closer ties between the Central Arkansans of Hill’s district and the Britons of Chishti’s “constituency.”

Chishti, who represents Rainham and Gillingham southeast of London, has made previous trips to Arkansas.

In 2018, the two lawmakers announced an educational partnership between Little Rock Central High School and the Rainham Mark Grammar School of Gillingham, Kent.

Both men have emphasized the importance of religious freedom, with Chishti once serving as the British prime minister’s special envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief.

In February, Chishti was named the senior fellow for international religious freedom at the Religious Freedom Institute.

The recent trip included a stop in Washington, where the institute is based.

“French was absolutely wonderful in setting up meetings with fellow counterparts and comrades on … promoting freedom of religion or belief around the world, and also looking at bilateral relations between the U.S. and the U.K. covering foreign policy, security and trade,” he said.