Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra met with the UK’s Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Sir Philip Barton, for the annual UK-India Strategic Dialogue. They assessed the progress made on the UK-India 2030 Roadmap. The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office stated that they reviewed advancements since the last dialogue in January 2023 and discussed future bilateral cooperation.
Kwatra and Barton acknowledged significant progress on the 2030 Roadmap since the last review. They highlighted key areas of collaboration in addressing global challenges, such as the development of the world’s first malaria vaccine, joint efforts during India’s successful G20 Presidency, and expanding opportunities for students and entrepreneurs under the Migration and Mobility Partnership.
The Dialogue reaffirmed the commitment to negotiate a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and enhance defence cooperation. During Kwatra’s visit, he also met with the UK’s Minister for South Asia, Lord Tariq Ahmad, to discuss the FTA, migration, and Commonwealth matters.
Lord Ahmad expressed delight in hosting Foreign Secretary Kwatra, underscoring the UK’s dedication to strengthening cooperation with India across various sectors including trade, defence, climate, and health.
India and the UK outlined ambitious plans for the bilateral relationship over the next decade through the ‘2030 Roadmap.’ This includes commitments to deepen collaboration in health, climate, trade, education, science and technology, and defence.
The thirteenth round of negotiations for the UK-India Free Trade Agreement took place from September 18 to December 15, 2023, with sessions held in London and Delhi, as well as virtual discussions, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry press release.
