• durgesh dubey
• 24 Jul, 2024

british

In the first high-level visit by the newly-elected Labour government in the United Kingdom, U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy will arrive on July 24 for a day-long visit, with a “full reset” of ties and discussions on “economic, domestic, and global security” high on the agenda, the British Foreign Office (FCDO) announced.

Mr. Lammy, en route to Laos for ASEAN meetings, will hold bilateral talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal before departing for Vientiane on Thursday morning. He will also discuss plans for future visits between new U.K. PM Keir Starmer and Mr. Modi.

“I am traveling to India in my first month as Foreign Secretary because resetting our relationship with the Global South is a key part of how this government will reconnect Britain for our security and prosperity at home,” Mr. Lammy said, describing India as the “emerging superpower of the 21st century,” with the world’s largest population and one of the fastest-growing economies.

The visit aims to push for a reset of the bilateral partnership and reinforce the Labour government's commitment to securing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India, a negotiation that has been ongoing for over two years. The Labour Party had promised a "new strategic partnership" with India, including the FTA and deepening cooperation in critical areas.

According to the FCDO, Lammy will meet with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, other ministers, and business leaders, focusing on economic, domestic, and global security issues.

"Our Free Trade Agreement negotiations are the floor, not the ceiling, of our ambitions to unlock our shared potential and deliver growth, from Bengaluru to Birmingham. We have shared interests in the green transition, new technologies, economic security, and global security,” Lammy added.

The FTA talks, which began in January 2022, initially set Diwali 2022 as the deadline under former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. However, under the Sunak-led Tory government, no new timelines were set, aiming instead to conclude the agreement before general elections in India and the UK in 2024. However, the trade talks stalled as Sunak abruptly called for elections on July 4, a month after the results of the Lok Sabha elections were announced.

The FTA aims to significantly boost the GBP 38.1 billion annual bilateral trading partnership. India and the UK have held 13 rounds of talks, with the 14th round starting in January to bridge differences on contentious issues such as mobility of people and import duty concessions on certain items. The agreement includes 26 chapters covering goods, services, investments, and intellectual property rights.

As David Lammy prepares for his visit to New Delhi this week, sources suggest that negotiations for the FTA could be prolonged as the new UK government may reopen key issues such as import duty cuts on automobiles and Scotch whisky and easier business visa grants. Despite the Labour government's eagerness to sign an FTA with India, showcasing an achievement the Conservative Party couldn't secure, the political stance of Keir Starmer's government might lead to the reopening of some settled issues.