Modi, Johnson agree to finalise FTA by this year
British PM calls his Indian counterpart a ‘khaas dost’ as they cement partnership in defence, commerce
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart Boris Johnson on Friday set a target of concluding negotiations for a free trade deal by October, and unveiled an expanded defence partnership that envisages easier access to British military hardware and technology.
During their meeting in Delhi, the two leaders also discussed ways to enhance cooperation in green technology and health care, and exchanged views on issues such as counterterrorism, ensuring a free and open Indo-pacific, the situation in Afghanistan, and the Ukraine crisis. Johnson repeatedly called Modi by his first name and referred to him as “my khaas dost” (special friend) as he peppered his public remarks with references to Indian icons such as Sachin Tendulkar and Amitabh Bachchan to drive home
India’s special place in Britain’s tilt to the Indo-pacific.
During the talks, the Indian side made it clear there was “no pressure of any kind” from Johnson on the Ukraine conflict, while the British premier framed the discussions in the context of democracies working together to tackle “shared anxieties about autocracies and autocratic coercion around the world”.
A proposed free trade agreement (FTA) was one of the priorities of Johnson’s visit, with the two sides set to begin the third round of negotiations on the deal from April 25. The two prime ministers set a target for concluding the “majority of talks on a comprehensive and balanced free trade agreement by the end of October”, according to a joint statement.
“As the next round of talks begins here next week, we are telling our negotiators – get it done by Diwali in October...this could double our trade and investment by the end of the decade,” Johnson said at a joint media interaction with Modi.
Modi said teams from both sides have made good progress in negotiations and the two countries have decided to make full efforts to conclude the FTA by the end of this year.