On Saturday, during the G20 Summit held in India's national capital, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart, Rishi Sunak, convened for a bilateral meeting at the Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan. This meeting was a continuation of their discussions held at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima earlier this year, where they explored topics such as the India-UK free trade agreement, innovation, science, and ways to strengthen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
India and the UK have been negotiating a Free Trade Agreement since 2022, with the 12th round of negotiations occurring from August 8 to 31 this year. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and the UK’s Secretary of State for Trade Kemi Badenoch reviewed the FTA in August and identified avenues for advancing the negotiations, with the 13th round scheduled for September.
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During the G20 Summit, PM Modi and Rishi Sunak participated in the 'One Earth' session, where Sunak emphasized the need for G20 leadership in addressing global challenges. The Ministry of External Affairs highlighted the strong historical and cultural ties between India and the UK, with their bilateral relationship elevated to a Strategic Partnership in 2004.
