UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab and foreign minister S. Jaishankar had a discussion over the ongoing ‘farmers protests’ outside the national capital. The UK drew a clear line between the agriculture reforms as India’s internal matter and the politics of the farmers’ protests which resonate in British domestic politics.
“I discussed the situation with Foreign Minister Jaishankar. Obviously, we respect the fact that the reforms going through your system here are domestic reforms, which have elicited the protests. Your politics is in some sense, because of the Indian diaspora in Britain, our politics. I think India, as well as having a market-driven economy, also has a vibrant heritage of peaceful protests and vigorous debate”,said Raab.
British MPs of Indian origin have raised the issue of farmers protests in the British parliament. Asked about China’s rise and its aggression in the Indo-Pacific region and the India-China border, Raab was cautious in his response. He said the rise of China provides strategic context and there are opportunities as well as challenges and risks.
UK prime minister Boris Johnson will be coming to India as chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations, Raab indicated the UK was undertaking its own pivot with Indo-Pacific the new binding factor between India and UK, as both countries work to reset their strategic relationship in a post-Brexit, post-Covid world.
After his meeting with the PM, Raab announced British and Indian experts would team up via a new virtual vaccines hub “to deliver vaccines for coronavirus and other deadly viruses.” An official readout said the new vaccines hub would share best practices for regulation and clinical trials, and foster innovation.
“We’re looking at all the things we can do together on trade, maritime cooperation, climate change cooperation and a roadmap in the months and weeks ahead. … India will be a major strategic partner of choice.” Raab said, acknowledging that China provided the strategic context for the UK “tilt” to the Indo-Pacific.
India, he said, has been invited to the G-7 next year as well as COP-26. India and UK are working on a trading arrangement with India, just as it has had with Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Raab spoke about the 10-year “roadmap” which plans for a free trade agreement.
Raab was quoted as saying, “This Serum Institute and Oxford University partnership demonstrates the UK-India relationship at its best: a vaccine developed in the UK and made in India.”
