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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday departed for the United Kingdom on the first leg of his two-nation visit, which will also take him to the Maldives later this week. The visit to the UK from July 23-24 is aimed at boosting bilateral ties, with the signing of the much-awaited India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as a key highlight.
The India-UK FTA, has been under negotiation for three years. This agreement is expected to eliminate tariffs on 99% of Indian exports to the UK and reduce tariffs on 90% of British products. The FTA is projected to double bilateral trade by 2030, from the current USD 60 billion mark. It will also make it easier for British firms to export products like whisky and cars to India. According to the MEA, PM Modi will hold wide-ranging discussions with his UK counterpart, Keir Starmer, on the entire gamut of India-UK bilateral relations. They will also exchange views on issues of regional and global importance.Over the years, the India-UK historical ties, have transformed into a robust, multi-faceted, mutually beneficial relationship. The relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021. New Delhi and London have seen sustained and frequent high-level political engagements. Prime Minister Modi has met UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer twice over the past year. They met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Brazil in November 2024 and again during the G7 Summit in June 2025. Both leaders also had multiple telephonic conversations over the period. A significant marker of the strength of ties is the five Ministerial level Institutional Mechanisms in strategic, economy & finance, trade, energy, science and technology, between the two countries. Other recently held dialogues include Foreign Office Consultation, Defence Consultation Group, 2+2 Foreign and Defence Dialogue.On the economic front, bilateral trade has surpassed a record USD 55 billion in 2024, marking an increase of approximately 10 per cent over 2023. The conclusion of India-UK FTA announced on May 6, 2025 by both Prime Ministers, has been a major milestone in bilateral ties.The two countries have seen sustained and high-level cooperation across several fronts. PM Modi will hold wide-ranging talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, covering trade, defense, climate, innovation, and education. He will also meet King Charles III.India and the UK will discuss strengthening their defense and security ties, including regular military exchanges and collaboration on critical technologies like artificial intelligence and semiconductors. PM Modi is likely to raise the issue of Khalistani extremists in the UK, who have been a concern for India. The UK government has assured India that it will take necessary actions to address this issue. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that the issue of Khalistani extremists and related groups is a matter of concern for India, and it has been brought to the attention of partners in the United Kingdom. Discussions have also taken place between India and the UK regarding the extradition of fugitives to India, Misri said.Foreign Secretary Misri said, "The issue of the presence of Khalistani extremists, bodies close to these people, is something that we have brought to the attention of our partners in the UK. We will continue to do so. This is a matter of concern not only to us but should be a matter of concern to our partners as well because this impacts social cohesion and social order in these other countries as well." Answering a media query on the issue of fugitives in the UK, Misri said that there is a legal process to such requests regarding fugitives related to Indian law and India is working "very closely" with the UK on this issue. "There have been a few questions fugitives related to Indian law and Indian justice, in the UK. These have been a matter of discussion between both sides and we have continued to make the case for these fugitives to be rendered to India. There is a legal process that such requests , issues go through in the other country, and we continue to follow very closely with our partners in the UK on these matters," he said. The two countries will also review progress in areas like climate action, healthcare, education, and people-to-people connections.With an Indian diaspora that forms about 2.7 per cent of the total population of UK, it acts as the living bridge which forms a key pillar of growth and development of India -UK relations through their valuable contribution to the British society and economy as well as promoting bilateral cultural and economic cooperation and bonds of friendship between peoples of our two countries.After the UK visit, PM Modi will travel to the Maldives from July 25-26. (ANI)
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