On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had his first phone conversation with the newly elected British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer. Modi congratulated Starmer and invited him to visit India. Starmer expressed the UK's readiness to finalize a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India.
Key Points of the Conversation:
Congratulatory Call: Modi congratulated Starmer on his election as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Strategic Partnership: Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing the comprehensive strategic partnership and economic ties between the two nations.
Free Trade Agreement: Starmer emphasized the UK's preparedness to finalize an FTA with India, which has been in negotiation for the past two years.
Mutual Benefits: Both leaders agreed to expedite the FTA for mutual benefit and strengthen people-to-people ties.
Global Challenges: Starmer welcomed Modi's leadership on key global challenges such as climate change and economic growth.
Historical Relations and Future Meetings:
The two Prime Ministers recalled the historical ties between India and the UK.
They discussed the importance of the 2030 Roadmap for enhancing bilateral cooperation.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs announced that Modi and Starmer are looking forward to meeting in person soon.
Background:
Ongoing FTA Talks: India and the UK have been in FTA negotiations for the past two years, which stalled during the 14th round of talks due to elections in both countries.
UK Elections: The Conservative Party, led by the previous government, suffered a significant defeat in the recent elections, securing only 121 seats with 23.7% of the votes. The Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, won a majority with 412 seats out of 650, securing 33.7% of the votes.
This phone call marks a significant step in strengthening the Indo-UK relationship and progressing towards mutual economic and strategic goals.
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