External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with UK
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty at 10 Downing Street to
convey Diwali wishes from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday.
Accompanied by his wife Kyoko Jaishankar, the minister
presented Sunak with a statue of Lord Ganesha and a cricket bat autographed by
cricketer Virat Kohli.
Jaishankar wrote on X, “Delighted to call on Prime
Minister Rishi Sunak on Diwali Day. Conveyed the best wishes of PM Narendra
Modi. India and UK are actively engaged in reframing the relationship for
contemporary times. Thank Mr and Mrs Sunak for their warm reception and
gracious hospitality,” he wrote in the caption of his post on X.
Jaishankar is presently in United Kingdom on an
official visit to meet his UK counterpart, James Cleverly. His visit, which
began on Saturday, will conclude on November 15. The itinerary of his visit
also includes meetings with several other dignitaries.
In a recent release, the Ministry of External Affairs
(MEA) had highlighted the growing bilateral partnership between India and the
UK, noting the launch of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021.
“India and the UK share a warm and thriving
relationship. The India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was launched in
2021 along with the India-UK Roadmap 2030,” the MEA said in its release.
“The Roadmap is a commitment to a partnership that
delivers for both countries. EAM’s visit will give a new impetus to the
friendly ties between the two countries,” it added.
On November 3, Prime Ministers Modi and Sunak had a
telephonic conversation discussing the progress of the Free Trade Agreement
(FTA).
Sunak also took the opportunity to congratulate Modi
on the impressive performance of the Indian cricket team in the ongoing Cricket
World Cup.
The conversation between the two leaders also touched
upon the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Both leaders condemned the attacks by Hamas
on Israel and emphasized that the terror group did not represent the
Palestinian people. They also discussed the need to de-escalate tensions in the
region.
Significantly, India and the UK are negotiating a Free Trade
Agreement. Talks for FTA between India and the UK started in 2022 and the 12th
round of negotiations took place from August 8-31 this year.
ANI
