MODI JOHNSON

to drive home India’s special place in Britain’s tilt to the IndoPacific.

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.

“In the last few months, India has concluded FTAs with the UAE and Australia. At the same pace, with the same commitment, we would like to move forward on the FTA with the UK as well,” he said.

Indian officials said the FTA between the world’s fifth and sixth largest economies is expected to boost economic growth, create jobs in both countries and double bilateral trade by 2030.

Addressing a news conference subsequently, Johnson acknowledged there were difficult issues such as tariffs on whisky but said there is also a “massive push” from both governments to get the FTA done. “All trade agreements are tricky... there will be tough asks on both sides but I’m sure we