New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak held their first meeting today in Indonesia, discussing various issues including the bilateral Free Trade deal which the two countries look forward to sign.
The two Prime Ministers met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.
This was the first formal meeting between Modi and Sunak, who became the British Prime Minister recently.
“Was great to meet PM @RishiSunak in Bali. India attaches great importance to robust ?? ?? ties,” Modi tweeted.
“We discussed ways to increase commercial linkages, raise the scope of security cooperation in context of India’s defence reforms and make people-to-people ties even stronger,” he added.
The leaders discussed a range of areas where the UK and India are working increasingly closely and have the opportunity to further develop our links, including defence and security, said a statement issued by the British High Commission here.
“They looked forward to the agreement of a UK-India free trade deal, which has the potential to unlock investment and increase jobs in both our countries, as well as expanding our deep cultural links,” the statement added.
The British High Commission statement said the leaders agreed on the enduring importance of the UK-India relationship, and of the living bridge between the two countries.
The two Prime Ministers agreed that “the UK and India’s shared values, not least our commitment to democracy, are a huge asset in international forums like the G20 and the Commonwealth,” the statement said.
The British PM “welcomed the opportunity to work together on challenges like ending the war in Ukraine and tackling climate change under India’s presidency of the G20 next year,” it said.
Sunak passed on his thanks to Prime Minister Modi for the overwhelming response of the Indian people to his appointment as Prime Minister, it said.
