British Foreign Secretary in India to boost free trade agreement negotiations

NEW DELHI July 24: British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Wednesday began a two-day visit to India to galvanise negotiations for an ambitious Free Trade Agreement and reset the overall bilateral partnership in crucial areas such as clean energy, new technologies and security.

As he embarked on the high-profile trip, Mr Lammy described the negotiations for the trade deal as the floor and not the ceiling of the ambitions to unlock shared potential and deliver growth.

The British foreign secretary’s visit to New Delhi is the first high-level engagement between India and the UK after Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government came to power on July 5.

“India is the emerging superpower of the 21st century, the largest country in the world with 1.4 billion people and one of the fastest growing economies in the world,” Mr Lammy said.

“Our Free Trade Agreement negotiations is the floor not the ceiling of our ambitions to unlock our shared potential and deliver growth, from Bengaluru to Birmingham,” he said.

A British government readout said, Mr Lammy will push for a “reset” of the UK-India partnership, including through reinforcing London’s commitment to securing a free trade agreement that will benefit both economies.

It said the foreign secretary will also galvanise support for accelerated action on the climate crisis with India as an “indispensable partner”, driving forward the clean energy transition and creating opportunities for British and Indian businesses.

He will discuss partnering on Indian-led global initiatives to build clean power access, climate resilience in the global south and small island states, it said.

“We have shared interests on the green transition, new technologies, economic security and global security,” Mr Lammy was quoted as saying in the readout.

“I am travelling 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,” he said.

In a post on ‘X’, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Mr Lammy’s visit will strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Mr Lammy and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will hold wide-ranging talks this evening that is expected to focus on the FTA and New Delhi’s concerns over activities of pro-Khalistan elements in Britain, people familiar with the matter said.

The British foreign secretary is also scheduled to meet Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal during which both sides are likely to reaffirm their commitment to the proposed free trade pact, they said.

It is learnt both sides have already agreed on almost 90 per cent of the trade pact but the remaining 10 per cent comprised several sticky issues such as import duties on automobiles and scotch whisky and visas for business people.

The British readout said Mr Lammy will highlight the importance of a new partnership with India that focuses on economic, domestic and global security.

Economic, domestic and global security will be at the heart of the foreign secretary’s first visit to India as he travels to New Delhi to unlock the full potential of the UK-India partnership.

He will tell his Indian counterpart that he wants to drive forward greater growth for both countries, it said.

The foreign secretary will underscore the importance of the “living bridge” between the UK and India.

It represents the 1.7 million people with Indian heritage that have made their home in the UK and make an exceptional contribution to British life, the readout released by the UK high commission in New Delhi said.

“In a visit to India’s third largest technology company, the Foreign Secretary will meet business leaders to highlight how the UK and India are working together on shared ambitions such as cutting-edge science to encourage innovation, boost trade, and improve the livelihoods of working people in both countries,” it said.

The foreign secretary will also hold high-level talks with members from the Indian government, including Jaishankar, it said.

Mr Lammy will reiterate the extraordinary contribution of British Indians, saying that they enrich the UK’s social and economic landscape and are the epitome of modern Britain, it added.

In their talks, Jaishankar and Mr Lammy are also expected to review the implementation of the India-UK roadmap that seeks to broad-base the ties in a range of areas.

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

Mr Jaishankar and Mr Lammy are also likely to deliberate on pressing global challenges, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the situation in the Middle-East.