UK Foreign Sec David Lammy Meets PM Modi in New Delhi

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi last evening.

After meeting the visiting UK Foreign Secretary, Mr Modi said, India remains committed to elevating bilateral ties with the UK. The Prime Minister also welcomed the desire to conclude a mutually beneficial free trade agreement.

The Ministry of External Affairs said that during the first official visit to India as UK Foreign Secretary, Mr Lammy also met with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. He held bilateral consultations with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.

Both Ministers reviewed the Roadmap 2030 agreed between the Prime Ministers during the India-UK Virtual Summit 2021. The two ministers expressed satisfaction with the progress achieved so far and agreed to look at the renewal of the Roadmap 2030, aiming at a heightened ambition for bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Both sides agreed to finalise the details as per contemporary realities in a time-bound manner to further intensify bilateral collaboration in priority areas of trade and investment, defence and security, migration and mobility, IT/AI/tech-centric areas, innovation, climate, and green energy. The two sides welcomed the launch of the UK-India Technology Security Initiative, TSI. The collaboration under TSI will include government, private sector, academia, and R&D institutions.

Both sides also appreciated the substantial progress made in the India-UK Foreign Trade Agreement negotiations and looked forward to its early conclusion to achieve a mutually beneficial FTA. They also agreed to deepen defence and security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and beyond and to enhance capacities to address growing threats from non-state actors. During the meeting, Dr Jaishankar and Mr Lammy also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the situation in West Asia and the Red Sea, the Commonwealth, and the UN Security Council.

The visit comes within the first month of the formation of the UK’s new government. It is reflective of the commitment of both sides to further deepen and diversify the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.