PM MODI MEETS BRITAIN’S SUNAK WITH FOCUS ON TRADE, DEFENCE COOPERATION
BALI: The United Kingdom on Wednesday unveiled a new scheme offering 3,000 places annually to 18 to 30 year-old degree-educated Indian nationals to come to Britain to live and work for up to two years following the first meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK PM Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the G20 summit.
After his talks with Sunak, Modi said India attaches great importance to the robust India-UK ties; the ministry of external affairs said the discussions touched upon important sectors of collaboration such as trade, mobility, defence and security. “India attaches great importance to robust India-UK ties. 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,” Modi tweeted. “The Indo-Pacific is increasingly crucial for our security... It is teeming with dynamic and fast-growing economies, and the next decade will be defined by what happens in this region,” Sunak said.
MODI SAID INDIA ATTACHES GREAT IMPORTANCE TO INDIA-UK TIES
BALI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held talks with his British counterpart Rishi Sunak, covering key areas of cooperation such as trade, mobility, defence and security.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the G-20 summit here. It was the first meeting between the two leaders after the Indian-origin leader assumed office as the British prime minister few weeks ago.
After the meeting, Modi said India attaches great importance to robust India-UK ties.
“Was great to meet PM @RishiSunak in Bali. India attaches great importance to robust India-UK ties. 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 tweeted.
The ministry of external affairs said the two leaders expressed satisfaction at the state of the wide-ranging India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and progress on the ‘Roadmap 2030’ for future relations. “The two leaders appreciated the importance of working together in bilateral and multilateral forums including G20 and the Commonwealth,” it said.“Discussions touched upon sectors of collaboration such as trade, mobility, defence and security,” the MEA added.
Earlier on Wednesday, Sunak’s office said Britain was negotiating a trade deal with India, which if agreed would be the first of its kind India has made with a European country.
The two-day summit on the Indonesian island was the first time G20 leaders met since Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow describes as a “special military operation”.
At the end of the summit Indonesia handed over the G20 presidency to India for one year, beginning on December 1.
“Without peace and security, our future generations will not be able to take advantage of economic growth or technological innovation,” Modi told the summit at the closing session.