High-level British delegation to visit India soon

NEW DELHI July 7: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday, a day after the Labour Party came to power on the back of a massive mandate. According to reports, New Delhi was preparing for a high-level visit from the new government in the next few weeks.

The election result has not come as a surprise, with polls indicating Mr. Starmer’s win for more than a year, and New Delhi has had several engagements with the Labour Party, particularly in the past few months, The Hindu reported citing sources.

In a post on X, Mr. Modi said he had congratulated Mr. Starmer and remained committed to “deepening Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and robust economic ties…”

Modi spoke with Keir Starmer yesterday. Modi congratulated him on assuming charge as Prime Minister of UK and a remarkable victory of the Labour Party in the election. Both leaders recalled the historic relations between the two countries and reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen and advance the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and the UK. The two leaders agreed to work towards early conclusion of a mutually beneficial India-UK Free Trade Agreement.

Appreciating the positive contributions of the Indian community in the social, economic and political development of the UK, the two sides agreed to continue to promote close people to people ties. Modi extended invitation to Prime Minister Starmer for an early visit to India.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy had visited Delhi in February while he was the Shadow Foreign Secretary, accompanied by Jonathan Reynolds, who has now been named Secretary of State for Business and Trade. In March, then Shadow Deputy PM Angela Rayner and Deputy Labour leader in Parliament, who is now the Deputy Prime Minister, had visited Delhi, addressed the business chambers and met with Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar.

The Indian High Commission in London has been equally engaged with both Labour and Conservative parties on a “bipartisan” basis as well, and hosted receptions at both their political conventions last year. The sources said Mr. Lammy might be the first high-level visitor from the new government to Delhi if both sides are able to coordinate their schedules as he is expected to travel to the ASEAN Summit in Laos at the end of July. Or a meeting could be held at the summit itself.

Significantly, at the India Global Forum meet in the U.K. last month, Mr. Lammy had said that he expected to be in Delhi “within a month” of a Labour government being formed, especially if the two sides can “get across the line” on completing the India-U.K. Free Trade Agreement that the previous Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak governments were unable to complete.