EAM Jaishankar Holds Talks With British PM Keir Starmer At 10 Downing Street

<p>External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street in London on Tuesday evening to convey &ldquo;warm greetings&rdquo; from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.</p>
<p>Jaishankar said bilateral cooperation and the UK&rsquo;s perspective on the Russia-Ukraine conflict were among the topics covered during his meeting with the UK PM.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Discussed taking forward our bilateral, economic cooperation and enhancing people-to-people exchanges. PM Starmer also shared the UK’s perspective on the Ukraine conflict,&rdquo; Jaishankar said in a social media post.</p>
<p>Earlier on Tuesday, the External Affairs Minister (EAM) held a series of ministerial dialogues on the first day of his six-day visit covering the UK and Ireland.</p>
<p>During a meeting with UK Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, the ministers discussed the progress of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Discussed the progress on our FTA talks,&rdquo; Jaishankar said in a post on X after his meeting with Reynolds.</p>
<p>India and the UK had officially relaunched the negotiations, aimed at boosting the GBP 41-billion annual bilateral trade partnership, during the UK minister’s visit to Delhi last month.</p>
<p>This was followed by a meeting with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, which touched upon people-to-people ties and joint India-UK efforts to tackle extremism.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We discussed the flow of talent, people to people exchanges, and joint efforts in tackling trafficking and extremism,&rdquo; Jaishankar stated.</p>
<p>In a pre-visit statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the EAM’s visit will provide renewed impetus to India&rsquo;s friendly ties with the UK and Ireland.</p>
<p>&ldquo;India and the UK share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which has strengthened across diverse areas including defence and security, trade and economy, health, education, people-to-people ties,&rdquo; the MEA said.</p>
<p>Over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday, the EAM will be holding high-level talks with his British counterpart, Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and several other dignitaries as well as members of the Indian community based in Britain.</p>
<p>Besides the FTA, the focus of his closed-door discussions will cover foreign policy and security issues amid the UK&rsquo;s attempt at taking a diplomatic lead on finding a &ldquo;lasting peace&rdquo; in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.</p>
<p>On Wednesday evening, Jaishankar is scheduled for an in-conversation session at the Chatham House think tank in London on the topic of &lsquo;India&rsquo;s rise and role in the world.’ On Thursday, he is expected in Dublin for a meeting with his Irish counterpart, Simon Harris, and members of the Indian community in Ireland.</p>
<p>&ldquo;India and Ireland share friendly bilateral relations based on shared democratic values, cultural ties and growing economic engagements,&rdquo; the MEA stated.</p>
<p>On Friday, the EAM returns to the UK to inaugurate a new Consulate General of India in Belfast, Northern Ireland, before making his way to Manchester to open another new Indian Consulate in the northern England city on Saturday.</p>
<p>He is expected to be joined by UK Foreign Office Minister for the Indo-Pacific Catherine West.</p>
<p>A diaspora event coinciding with International Women&rsquo;s Day on March 8 is expected to take place at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><strong>(This report has been published as part of an auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)</strong></em></p>