Page 7 - India Uk Relation

EAM Jaishankar meets former British premier Blair, discusses bilateral ties

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met former British prime minister Tony Blair here and discussed bilateral ties, the West Asia situation and Africa. Jaishankar is on a five-day official visit to the UK with an aim to review various aspects of bilateral ties and give "new impetus to the friendly ties". "Nice to catch up with former UK PM Tony Blair this morning. Discussed our bilateral ties, the West Asia situation and Africa," Jaishankar said in a post on X. Blair served as British premier from 1997 to 2007 and as envoy for the Middle East Quartet comprising the UN, the US, the European Union, and Russia from 2007 to 2015. The Quartet, established to help mediate Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, has been largely inactive in recent years. According to Israeli media reports, Tel Aviv is seeking to appoint Blair as a humanitarian coordinator for the war-torn Gaza Strip. On Sunday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty hosted Jaishankar

UK to add India as 'safe state' to cut asylum claims amid migrant crisis

With this addition, all asylum claims from Indian nationals who arrive on small boats or illegally on other routes will be deemed inadmissible. There will be no appeals and they will be sent back.

The Diwali deadline

India-UK FTA needs to be expedited

UK-India FTA: Electric vehicles market access sparks differences

The UK government has asked India to allow exporting a limited number of fully assembled EVs to India with no customs duty

G20 Summit 2023: UK PM Rishi Sunak shares his vision for UK-India relations

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks about his family's Indian origins, deepening bilateral relationships and potential collaborations between the two nations. Here are the highlights

Goyal, UK SoS Trade Bandenoch discuss further boosting trade relations

While appreciating the efforts of both the CNs, the Ministers desired a good pace of exchanges to be continued with a better understanding of each other's aspirations and sensitivities

Trend line on India-UK FTA very positive, says High Commissioner Doraiswami

Ahead of the 12th round of the India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations starting in New Delhi on Wednesday, the Indian High Commissioner to the UK has expressed optimism that officials on both sides will be able to get something working and find a right fit towards a mutually beneficial pact. High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami told PTI that he is positive as both countries seem keen to make necessary adjustments, recognising the complexities involved with the very different structures of the two similar-sized economies. On the wider bilateral partnership, he expressed similar optimism around an "obvious synergy" across different sectors. I'm positive about it (FTA) My intention is that to the extent we can, we would like a mutually beneficial forward-looking FTA to be concluded, said the High Commissioner. I believe both sides are keen on making the necessary adjustments. Even though we're both similar-sized economies, we are dissimilar in the structures of our economies a

Govt hopes to close India-UK free trade agreement issues by month-end

The 12th round of talks between the countries is in progress here and is expected to continue until at least 28 August

Demand on data-related issues, concessions on dairy out of India-UK FTA

Protecting the interest of domestic players, India has kept demands of Britain on data related issues and giving any kind of duty concessions on dairy sector out of the ambit of the proposed free trade agreement being negotiated between the two countries, sources said. However, India is looking at providing duty concessions on auto, and certain confectionery items, they said. The negotiation for the agreement has reached a critical stage and in all likelihood it could be concluded by October end or November. The talks received a great impetus due to the recent visit of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal to London in July, where both held a series of meetings with different stakeholders including senior British officials. The negotiation would get a further fillip during the meetings of trade ministers of India and the UK at the sidelines of G20 trade ministers meeting this month in Jaipur. "The visit of the Indian minister and secreta

India, UK launch health care alliance in a bid boost bilateral ties

Professor Stephen Powis, National Medical Director of NHS, England, said he believed that both countries face many challenges in healthcare and they have many opportunities too

India, Britain could sign free trade agreement this year: Trade ministry

New Delhi sees an FTA with Britain as crucial to hopes of becoming a bigger exporter, while the UK would obtain wider access for its whisky, premium cars and legal services

Need liberalised services agreement between UK and India: British Airways

British Airways currently operate 54 flights per week connecting Mumbai and Delhi with London

Felt like 'home': Migration to UK at record high, Indians dominate

They also made up the largest group of students granted visas under the new Graduate post-study work route, representing 41% of grants

May feel pressure on non-tariff barriers in FTA, says UK panel

As much as 60 per cent of Indian exports to the country are already tariff free, while only three per cent of UK exports to India are tariff free

Sunak, Modi to expedite progress on India-UK FTA: Downing Street

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and agreed to expedite progress to resolve outstanding issues in the India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations. In a readout of the call between the two leaders, Downing Street said that Sunak reiterated his condemnation of the unacceptable violence outside the Indian High Commission in London last month and updated Modi on the steps being taken to ensure the security of Indian diplomatic staff. The leaders agreed to follow up their discussions at the G7 meeting in Japan next month and the G20 Summit being hosted by India later in the year. The leaders reflected on the close friendship between the two countries, and agreed great progress was being made on the 2030 UK-India Roadmap," a Downing Street spokesperson said. "Discussing ongoing negotiations on a UK-India Free Trade Agreement, the leaders reflected on the huge opportunities a deal would offer to Indian and British businesses and ...

Trade talks with UK still on, reports of pause 'baseless': MEA official

In a bid to bring negotiations back on track, the UK Home Office is planning to make an announcement in the coming weeks and a crackdown on Sikh extremists

India-UK FTA talks progress encouraging, says British industry expert

At the conclusion of the seventh round of India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations and ahead of the eighth round scheduled in New Delhi next month, a senior industry expert in the UK believes there are encouraging signs of appetite on both sides to agree a deal and fully utilise its benefits. Syma Cullasy-Aldridge is the Chief Campaigns Director at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and has just returned after leading the group's first-ever business delegation to New Delhi and Mumbai aimed at unlocking opportunities of a potential FTA. The Indian-origin campaigns chief for the industry body, which speaks on behalf of 190,000 UK businesses of all sizes and sectors, described the visit as really, really brilliant in highlighting the immense scope for partnership and collaboration across key sectors. What really struck me was the opportunity and appetite on both sides for collaboration and partnership around key sectors like green finance, innovation and new technology

UK hails 'another year of cooperation' with Republic Day wishes to India

The United Kingdom on Thursday expressed its greetings for India's 74th Republic Day with a personal message from the country's foreign minister James Cleverly to his Indian counterpart, Dr S. Jaishankar. UK Foreign Secretary Cleverly took to Twitter to wish his friend and the people of India on the celebration of the day India adopted its Constitution to become a Republic. Happy Republic Day to my friend Dr Jaishankar and the people of India. We look forward to another year of friendship and cooperation! #RepublicDay2023, tweeted Cleverly. The Indian High Commission in London held its customary flag-hoisting ceremony at India House on Thursday morning. The Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, addressed the diaspora gathering to convey the speech of Indian President Droupadi Murmu. The Indian Constitution is a pretty remarkable document in itself. But also because it created at its get-go an equality of expectation among every citizen of India, regardless of race,

High-quality FTA with India a priority this year, says UK trade minister

Britain's trade minister in charge of negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA) with India says clinching a high-quality deal is among her top priorities for the year, while admitting the talks had hit a "bit of an impasse which she broke by flying to New Delhi last month. In a speech addressing business leaders at Lancaster House in London on Tuesday, UK Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch insisted the FTA talks are now back on track. It comes after the Diwali 2022 deadline for the FTA set by former prime minister Boris Johnson was missed last October amid political turmoil in Britain. "Some of you will know I was a software engineer and a systems analyst before I became a politician. That means I'm a problem solver at heart, said Badenoch. "So when our Indian trade talks hit a bit of an impasse, I didn't pick up the phone, I got on a plane. That deal's not done yet, but it's back on track, she said. Badenoch was in New Delhi in early December to hold talks with her counterpart, Commerce

India, UK to launch Young Professionals Scheme on February 28, says MEA

The MEA statement said that India and the UK share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with the adoption of Roadmap 2030 for Future Relations