New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson held in-depth talks on the UK and India’s strategic defence, diplomatic and economic partnership, aimed at bolstering close partnership and stepping up security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
The two leaders reviewed the progress in bilateral cooperation between India and UK as well as exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest including the Ukraine crisis.
HIGHLIGHTS
- PM Modi, PM Johnson stressed on the progress of the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries
- We aim to have a new Free Trade Agreement by Diwali: British PM
- Britain and India have agreed to a ‘new and expanded’ defence and security partnership
- UK creating India specific open export license reducing bureaucracy and delivery times for defence procurement
- India-UK have a ‘shared interest in keeping the Indo-Pacific open and free’
- We reiterated our support for a peaceful, stable and secure Afghanistan: PM Modi
- PM Modi invited UK to join India’s ‘National Hydrogen Mission’ to deepen the two country’s climate and energy partnerships
- Johnson attended ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan and a wreath-laying ceremony at the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi.
- Johnson will drive progress in the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations launched earlier this year as a deal with India is predicted to boost UK’s total trade by up to £28 billion annually by 2035 and increase incomes across the UK by up to 3 billion pounds.
- India was also identified as a priority relationship for the UK in the 2021 Integrated Review and was invited by the UK as a guest to last year’s G7 in Carbis Bay.
- The third round of negotiations will begin next week and the two sides are keen to double bilateral trade by 2030.
The United Kingdom is also looking to increase its footprint in defence production in India.