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The United Kingdom’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday morning and said that he is ready to conclude a free trade agreement (FTA) that is beneficial for both sides.
Both the leaders congratulated each other on their election victory.
“Prime Minister [Starmer] “He said he looked forward to further deepening the strong and respectful relations between the two countries and welcomed Prime Minister Modi’s leadership on key global challenges such as climate change and economic growth,” a spokesperson for the UK Prime Minister’s Office said.
The two countries have been working on the FTA for over two years but the 14th round of talks had stalled amid general elections in both countries.
The FTA talks are expected to resume after a new Labour government led by Starmer comes to power. Britain’s Labour Party won a landslide victory in the general election this week.
United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi this morning. The two leaders congratulated each other on their election victory and discussed strengthening relations between Britain and India… Discussion on free trade… pic.twitter.com/d1fyiS32Ac
– ANI (@ANI) July 6, 2024
“While discussing the free trade agreement, the Prime Minister said that he is ready to reach a compromise that works for both sides. The leaders expressed hope to meet as soon as possible,” the spokesperson said.
The two leaders also discussed the 2030 Roadmap and agreed that there are several areas in which the two countries need to enhance cooperation, including defence and security, critical and emerging technologies, and climate change.
The Labour Party’s election manifesto also committed to finalising an FTA agreement, saying: “We will seek new strategic partnerships with India, including an FTA, as well as deepening cooperation in areas such as security, education, technology and climate change.”
Last week, Britain’s new Foreign Secretary David Lammy also said he wanted to “get the job done” on the FTA and planned to visit India within the first month of being elected.
“My message [Finance] Minister Sitharaman and [Trade] Minister Goyal says the Labour Party is ready to go. We should finally have our free trade agreement and move forward,” he said at the India Global Forum in London.
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