Tag: India UK talks

  • Ensure security of India’s diplomatic missions, EAM Jaishankar tells UK minister

    ENS & Agencies

    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishanakr on Monday told visiting British Minister Lord Tariq Ahmad that Britain was obliged to ensure the security of India’s diplomatic missions in the UK and prevent misuse of democratic freedoms.

    “Met with UK MOS Lord @tariqahmadbt today in New Delhi. Discussed a broad range of issues, from FTA and South Asia to Indo-Pacific and G20. Underlined the obligation to ensure security of our diplomatic missions and prevent misuse of democratic freedoms,” Jaishankar said in a tweet after his meeting with Lord Ahmad.

    Jaishankar’s assertions during a meeting with Lord Ahmad, the Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, came against the backdrop of the vandalisation of the Indian High Commission in London by pro-Khalistan supporters on March 19. 

    In April, the Union Home Ministry had handed over the probe in the case of attack on the Indian mission in London to the National Investigation Agency after a meeting with representatives from Britain.

    Jaishankar said he also discussed a broad range of issues ranging from the Free Trade Agreement and South Asia to Indo-Pacific and G20 with the visiting minister.

    Meanwhile, Lord Ahmad said that India and UK share a long friendship and common values. 

    “Delighted to meet with my dear friend Dr Jaishankar in Delhi. We discussed the importance of strengthening of our long-standing bilateral relations and progressing the FTA,” he tweeted.

    “Building on the 2030 Roadmap for India-UK future relations, we are deepening our collaboration on science, technology, bringing new innovations to both our nations,” said Lord Ahmad.

    During the course of the day, Ahmad also met Foreign Secretary, Vinay Mohan Kwatra and G20 chief coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla amongst others.

    Ahmad will now head to Hyderabad after visiting Jodhpur and New Delhi as part of his ongoing tour of the nation.

    India and the UK have been negotiating an FTA since January last year, with a goal towards a comprehensive pact that is expected to significantly enhance the bilateral trading relationship worth an estimated GBP 34 billion in 2022.

    According to UK government statistics, India was the UK’s 12th largest trading partner in the four quarters to the end of Q3 2022, accounting for 2.1 per cent of total UK trade.

    (With additional inputs from PTI)

    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishanakr on Monday told visiting British Minister Lord Tariq Ahmad that Britain was obliged to ensure the security of India’s diplomatic missions in the UK and prevent misuse of democratic freedoms.

    “Met with UK MOS Lord @tariqahmadbt today in New Delhi. Discussed a broad range of issues, from FTA and South Asia to Indo-Pacific and G20. Underlined the obligation to ensure security of our diplomatic missions and prevent misuse of democratic freedoms,” Jaishankar said in a tweet after his meeting with Lord Ahmad.

    Jaishankar’s assertions during a meeting with Lord Ahmad, the Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, came against the backdrop of the vandalisation of the Indian High Commission in London by pro-Khalistan supporters on March 19. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    In April, the Union Home Ministry had handed over the probe in the case of attack on the Indian mission in London to the National Investigation Agency after a meeting with representatives from Britain.

    Jaishankar said he also discussed a broad range of issues ranging from the Free Trade Agreement and South Asia to Indo-Pacific and G20 with the visiting minister.

    Meanwhile, Lord Ahmad said that India and UK share a long friendship and common values. 

    “Delighted to meet with my dear friend Dr Jaishankar in Delhi. We discussed the importance of strengthening of our long-standing bilateral relations and progressing the FTA,” he tweeted.

    “Building on the 2030 Roadmap for India-UK future relations, we are deepening our collaboration on science, technology, bringing new innovations to both our nations,” said Lord Ahmad.

    During the course of the day, Ahmad also met Foreign Secretary, Vinay Mohan Kwatra and G20 chief coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla amongst others.

    Ahmad will now head to Hyderabad after visiting Jodhpur and New Delhi as part of his ongoing tour of the nation.

    India and the UK have been negotiating an FTA since January last year, with a goal towards a comprehensive pact that is expected to significantly enhance the bilateral trading relationship worth an estimated GBP 34 billion in 2022.

    According to UK government statistics, India was the UK’s 12th largest trading partner in the four quarters to the end of Q3 2022, accounting for 2.1 per cent of total UK trade.

    (With additional inputs from PTI)

  • PM Narendra Modi, UK’s Boris Johnson agree to constitute sub-group on countering extremism

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson on Friday expressed “zero tolerance” for terrorism in all its forms and reiterated their condemnation of Mumbai and Pathankot terror attacks.

    In their wide-ranging talks, Modi and Johnson agreed to constitute a sub-group on countering extremism in order to further enhance cooperation between India and the UK in ensuring that all possible actions are taken against groups and individuals based in or operating out of either country.

    “Both leaders expressed zero tolerance for terrorism in all its forms – and for all those who encourage, support and finance terrorism or provide sanctuary to terrorists and terror groups, whatever their motivation may be,” a joint statement said.

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    It said the two prime ministers called upon all countries to work together to root out terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupt terrorist networks and their financing channels, and halt cross-border movement of terrorists.

    It said Modi and Johnson reiterated their condemnation of terrorist attacks in India and the UK, including the Mumbai and Pathankot attacks. “They emphasised the importance of perpetrators of terrorist attacks being systematically and expeditiously brought to justice, and agreed to work together to take concerted action against globally proscribed terrorist entities and individuals,” the statement said.

    It said the two leaders expressed satisfaction on the ongoing cooperation through the Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism (JWG-CT), including with regard to information and intelligence sharing on terror entities and individuals.

    “Within this framework, they agreed to constitute a sub-group on countering extremism in order to further enhance cooperation between the two sides in ensuring that all possible actions are taken against groups and individuals based in or operating out of either country, seeking to incite violent extremism and terrorism and who are involved in financing such activities,” it said.

    In their talks, Modi and Johnson also reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace and welcomed the progress under the enhanced India-UK cyber security partnership to tackle shared cyber threats including to critical national infrastructure. “They outlined commitment, in a joint cyber statement, to deepen cooperation across cyber governance, deterrence and strengthening cyber resilience,” the statement said.

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    On the situation in Afghanistan, the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2593 which unequivocally demanded that Afghan territory should not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist acts.

    “Both sides agreed to continue to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and reiterated the need for a representative and inclusive political system in support of a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan,” the statement said.