NEW DELHI: India is engaging with the new Labour government in the UK to take forward India-UK ties, including through a mutually-beneficial free trade agreement (FTA), the government told Parliament.
The teams negotiating the FTA have made good progress, it said. “Both sides are engaged to work out a trade deal that is fair, equitable and mutually beneficial, which takes into consideration the ambitions and sensitivities of both the sides,” said junior external affairs minister Kirti Vardhan Singh in reply to a written question in Lok Sabha.
Singh said, during the recent visit of UK foreign secretary David Lammy, both sides appreciated the substantial progress made in the India-UK FTA negotiations and looked forward to its early conclusion.
“India’s minister for commerce and industries met UK secretary of state for business and trade, Jonathan Reynolds, on the sidelines of the G7 trade ministers meeting in Apulia, Italy in July 2024. The talks included plans to take forward the discussions on FTA between India and the UK,” he said.
India and the UK are negotiating an FTA since Jan 13, 2022. Recently, the Indian team visited UK (April 16-19, 2024) for negotiations on outstanding issues. Subsequently, another services team also visited UK from May 8 to 10 to discuss outstanding issues in ‘services track’.
“Subsequent to the formation of the new govt in the UK, both prime ministers spoke on phone on July 6, 2024. Thereafter, UK foreign secretary David Lammy also visited India during July 24-25, 2024. Both sides remain committed to deepening and diversifying the ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’,” Singh said.
The teams negotiating the FTA have made good progress, it said. “Both sides are engaged to work out a trade deal that is fair, equitable and mutually beneficial, which takes into consideration the ambitions and sensitivities of both the sides,” said junior external affairs minister Kirti Vardhan Singh in reply to a written question in Lok Sabha.
Singh said, during the recent visit of UK foreign secretary David Lammy, both sides appreciated the substantial progress made in the India-UK FTA negotiations and looked forward to its early conclusion.
“India’s minister for commerce and industries met UK secretary of state for business and trade, Jonathan Reynolds, on the sidelines of the G7 trade ministers meeting in Apulia, Italy in July 2024. The talks included plans to take forward the discussions on FTA between India and the UK,” he said.
India and the UK are negotiating an FTA since Jan 13, 2022. Recently, the Indian team visited UK (April 16-19, 2024) for negotiations on outstanding issues. Subsequently, another services team also visited UK from May 8 to 10 to discuss outstanding issues in ‘services track’.
“Subsequent to the formation of the new govt in the UK, both prime ministers spoke on phone on July 6, 2024. Thereafter, UK foreign secretary David Lammy also visited India during July 24-25, 2024. Both sides remain committed to deepening and diversifying the ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’,” Singh said.