JACK Straw was praised for bringing a bit of Blackburn to the Foreign Office as he hosted the launch of an Asian art exhibition to take place in the town.

The applause came from Mike O'Connor, the director of the Millennium Commission, which is one of the main sponsors of the link-up with the Japanese town of Fukuoka.

But Mr Straw added: "I want to make sure that this bit of the Foreign Office remains a part of Blackburn even after I have gone. This is a very important day for the town and its artistic and cultural heritage."

The deal, part of the council's year-long C21 cultural project, will bring works from countries like Japan, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Thailand to a wide range of venues from the Museum and Art Gallery to Ewood Park.

And judging by the works shown on large screens around the room, Blackburn people will be well challenged by a computer mouse in front of a group of dancing geisha girls, a stick figure on what looks like and Oriental Eccles Cake, a dining table from a Salvador Dali nightmare and what looks like The Office after a visit from Monty Python at their most surreal.

But Foreign Secretary Mr Straw was upbeat, telling his audience of arts celebrities and diplomats that the India Council Room at the Foreign Office and Blackburn Town Hall were built at around the same time in the 1800s and both reflected the links between the town and Britain with the Orient.

But former Granada TV presenter and Factory Records boss Tony Wilson was even more enthusiastic.

He said he had become involved in the project because he saw Blackburn repeating the resurrection his efforts had helped Manchester achieve.