UK FOREIGN SECRETARY SETS OUT AMBITION FOR CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH INDIA
The Voice of Canada/Chandigarh News:
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab met Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi today (Tuesday, 15 December), to set out the UK’s ambition for a strengthened UK-India relationship over the next 10 years.
His visit marked the latest step by the UK to build closer relationships with like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific region, with India a key strategic partner for the UK. This comes ahead of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s visit in January and the UK’s invitation to India to be a guest country at our G7 Summit next year.
The Foreign Secretary is due to meet Prime Minister Modi tomorrow (Wednesday, 16 December) to discuss a ‘10-year roadmap’ for a new era in the UK-India relationship, closer collaboration on an Enhanced Trade Partnership, and working together to end the coronavirus crisis and tackle climate change.
The Enhanced Trade Partnership will unlock economic benefit for the UK and India. Ahead of a future Free Trade Agreement, it will boost bilateral trade and investment, which already stands at almost £24 billion and grew by 11% in the last financial year. UK-India investment supports over half a million jobs in each other’s economies.
The Foreign Secretary also reaffirmed the HMS Queen Elizabeth Carrier Strike Group will visit the Indo-Pacific region next year.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said:
“The UK and India have an invaluable and indispensable partnership, and we look forward to strengthening it in the years ahead. Together we can deliver an Enhanced Trade Partnership next year, combine our cyber security expertise to protect our citizens and join forces to protect global health and promote things like vaccine production.
“As COP26 President and G7 President next year we will work closely with our Indian friends, as they return to the UN Security Council, to boost trade, promote peace and work together as a force for good throughout the Indo-Pacific.”
As a major economic and diplomatic power in the Indo-Pacific, closer UK-India economic, security and scientific ties will boost growth and create jobs for Britons and Indians and bring together both countries’ expertise as science superpowers to advance the frontiers of medicine and research.
An immediate win has been the UK Global Tariff schedule, which could reduce tariffs on Indian exports by up to £40 million per year from 1 January 2021.
Next year’s COP26 summit in Glasgow is a crucial moment for the world to unite to limit global warming to below 1.5 degrees. The Foreign Secretary will use his meeting with Prime Minister Modi to thank him for his personal leadership on the issue, with India having quadrupled its wind and solar capacity in the last decade. Today, he also met Minister of Environment Prakash Javadekar to discuss further UK-India collaboration on climate change.
