External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized the tremendous potential in the India-UK relationship and the importance of leveraging it during his discussions with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. The talks centered on enhancing bilateral ties and advancing a free trade agreement.
Lammy is on a two-day visit to India, focusing on revitalizing the partnership between the two nations in key areas including trade, defense, clean energy, new technologies, digital engagement, and mobility of people.
During his visit, Lammy met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who reaffirmed India’s commitment to deepening its relationship with the UK and expressed enthusiasm for the free trade agreement. This visit marks the first high-level engagement between India and the UK following the Labour government led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer assuming power on July 5.
"I do believe that our relationship, it is a very important relationship at the enormous possibilities there," Jaishankar said in his opening remarks at the meeting with Lammy.
"And how we explore those possibilities, how do we realise our potential in a more meaningful way, is one of the tasks that I look forward to undertaking with you," he said.
Jaishankar also noted, "We are both countries which have a big global presence in different ways. So I think it's also important that India and the UK work together on global issues and in global platforms."
As he began his high-profile trip, Lammy referred to the trade deal negotiations as "the floor and not the ceiling of the ambitions to unlock shared potential and deliver growth." He highlighted India's role as "the emerging superpower of the 21st century, the largest country in the world with 1.4 billion people and one of the fastest growing economies in the world." Lammy added, "Our Free Trade Agreement negotiations is the floor not the ceiling of our ambitions to unlock our shared potential and deliver growth, from Bengaluru to Birmingham."
According to a British government readout, Lammy aims to "reset" the UK-India partnership by reinforcing London’s commitment to a free trade agreement that benefits both economies. The readout also mentioned that Lammy will advocate for accelerated climate action in partnership with India, focusing on clean energy and creating opportunities for British and Indian businesses.
"We have shared interests on the green transition, new technologies, economic security and global security," Lammy was quoted as saying in the readout.
In their discussions, Jaishankar and Lammy reviewed the implementation of the India-UK roadmap, which was established in 2021 to broaden ties in trade, defense, climate change, and people-to-people connections.
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