The two sides are currently negotiating a free trade agreement. Both sides are also keen to expand cooperation in the maritime sphere

A comprehensive review of the India-UK ‘Roadmap 2030’ was undertaken during Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra’s two-day visit to London, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday.

The two sides also agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas of trade, defence and security, science and technology and people-to-people exchanges.

The foreign secretary visited the UK from May 16 to 17 to attend the 16th round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between the two sides.

In 2021, India and the UK adopted a 10-year roadmap to expand ties in the key areas of trade and economy, defence and security, climate change and people-to-people connections among others.

At FOC, the foreign secretary held talks with Sir Philip Barton, the permanent under-secretary at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Kwatra also held meetings with Minister of State (Foreign Office) Lord Tariq Ahmad, MoS for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge, NSA Sir Tim Barrow, Home Office Permanent Secretary Matthew Rycroft, Chief Trade Negotiator Crawford Falconer and Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the UK prime minister, John Bew.

The MEA said both sides discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and regional and global issues of mutual interest.

“The foreign secretary and permanent under-secretary undertook a detailed review of the Roadmap 2030,” it said.

“Welcoming good progress across all pillars, they underscored their interest to raise the level of ambition and agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation including in trade and economic, defence and security, science and technology, people-to-people ties and mobility, energy, and climate change, as well as health,” MEA said in a statement.

It said India and the UK share a comprehensive strategic partnership which has been strengthened across all domains through regular high-level political exchanges and meetings of bilateral institutional mechanisms.

The India-UK relationship was elevated to the comprehensive strategic partnership in May 2021.

The two sides are currently negotiating a free trade agreement. Both sides are also keen to expand cooperation in the maritime sphere.

In June 2021, the UK posted a liaison officer at the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre (IFC) that has emerged as a key hub in tracking movements of ships and other developments in the Indian Ocean region.

The UK joined a select group of countries such as the US, Australia, Japan and France to depute officials at the Gurugram-based facility.

The Indian Navy established the IFC-IOR in 2018 to effectively keep track of the shipping traffic as well as other critical developments in the region under a collaborative framework with like-minded countries.

Courtesy: The Tribune India: 18th May , 2024