S Jaishankar Meets UK Leader of Opposition, Discusses Bilateral Ties

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on the UK's Leader of the Opposition, Keir Starmer in the Parliament on Wednesday. The two leaders reaffirmed the bipartisan commitment towards strengthening India-UK relations.

Taking to his official handle on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Jaishankar shared details about his meeting. "Delighted to meet UK's Leader of Opposition @Keir_Starmer in the Parliament. Value the bipartisan commitment in the United Kingdom towards strengthening our relationship. Our discussion covered bilateral aspects and shared regional and global interests," his post read.

Earlier, on Wednesday, Mr Jaishankar met UK's Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy, with the two leaders holding discussions on security and development issues as well as bilateral cooperation.

"Pleased to meet Shadow Foreign Secretary @DavidLammy this morning. A wide-ranging conversation on security and development issues, as well as bilateral cooperation. Appreciated his perspectives and insights," the minister posted from his official X handle.

"Also thank Shadow Minister for Asia and the Pacific @CatherineWest1 for joining on the occasion," he added.

The minister will conclude his five-day visit to the UK on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, he met the UK's National Security Advisor Tim Barrow and discussed regional and global challenges.

"Glad to meet UK NSA Tim Barrow. A good discussion on pressing regional and global challenges," the minister posted on X.

On Tuesday, Mr Jaishankar met with his British counterpart David Cameron and discussed progressing a Free Trade Agreement and partnerships on defence, science and technology.

During the meeting, the two leaders reflected on the strength of the UK-India relationship, including meeting the ambitions of the UK-India 2030 Roadmap.

India and the UK are negotiating a Free Trade Agreement or FTA, for which talks started in 2022. The 12th round of negotiations took place between August 8 and 31 this year.

During his UK visit, Mr Jaishankar acknowledged the transformations in the world, the UK, and the evolving India-UK relationship and also emphasised the pivotal role played by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in shaping the nation's trajectory.

Outlining the significant impact of PM Modi's initiatives over the last decade, Mr Jaishankar emphasised that the cumulative effect of these efforts has led to a socioeconomic revolution in India.

Addressing the evolving India-UK relationship, Mr Jaishankar expressed the need to reframe the partnership in light of the profound changes in both nations. He emphasised the importance of preparing for a contemporary era and exploring new convergences to unlock the unrealized potential between India and the UK.

India and the UK have a "growing bilateral partnership", the foreign ministry stated in a release earlier, noting that the two countries launched a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021.