Britain’s Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss said here on Friday that the relationship between Britain and India is important in the coming decades. Ms Truss, who is on a three-day visit to India, met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and is scheduled to be a special guest at an event to mark the UK Carrier Strike Group’s visit in Mumbai.
“India is our great friend, an economic superpower and the largest democracy in the world. Our relationship will be important in the coming decades,” said Ms Truss after meeting Mr Jaishankar, where the two discussed close cooperation. Ms Truss said her visit would boost the partnership and pointed to technology and infrastructure, security and defence, and “building back post-Covid” as areas of cooperation between the two sides.
“You are a fellow democrat, you believe in free enterprise and you believe in freedom. I think it is very important that countries like ours work together on our shared plans for the future,” said Ms. Truss. Said in his opening remarks in the meeting with Jaishankar.
Ms Truss and Mr Jaishankar “welcomed the progress in delivering the enhanced trade partnership” announced at the India-UK virtual summit held on May 4, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement after Friday’s meeting. The two ministers agreed “at the earliest, the need to initiate FTA negotiations with a focus on negotiating an interim agreement that could bring quick benefits to businesses in both India and the UK”.
Ms Truss’s visit comes in the backdrop of developments in Afghanistan following the departure of US and UK troops. There is a vocal section within Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government that believes the people of Afghanistan should not suffer while the world waits for the Taliban to form an inclusive government in Kabul. “On Afghanistan, the need for full, safe and unhindered access to humanitarian aid was discussed as well as the need for any country to threaten or attack or harbor or train terrorists, or to plan or finance terrorist attacks. The need for Afghan territory was not even discussed.” Announced the press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs after the meeting of the two ministers.
The visit provides an opportunity for both sides to prepare the ground for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Glasgow to attend the Global Climate Summit.
Hindu It was earlier told that PM Modi will visit Glasgow on 31 October. The COP26 summit has already garnered considerable attention as it will help build a roadmap for global climate action. The summit has also revealed deep divisions in the global community as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are not expected to attend.
The visit also marks the UK’s renewed focus on the Indo-Pacific, which is expected to attract more London maritime attention in the coming years.
.