During his five-day trip to the United Kingdom, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Monday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for bringing a socioeconomic revolution in India over the past decade that has had global implications vis-a-vis New Delhi’s relations with other countries.

Addressing a Diwali reception in London, Jaishankar outlined the impact of PM Modi’s initiatives such as Beti Padhao Beti Bachao, Jandhan Yojana, Awas Yojana, Digital India and more over the last decade that have led to a socioeconomic revolution in India and brought transformations in the world, the UK and the India-UK relationship.

“I began by saying the world has changed, our relationship has changed, the UK has changed, and India has changed. So you may ask me what has changed in India. You know the answer. The answer is Modi,” he said during the event, adding that the government has also created almost as many new universities and colleges as the country had in the last 65 years.

“The long answer actually lies in this range of initiatives that all of you have heard about for the last ten years. Initiatives like Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao; initiatives about building toilets for girls, about the Jandhan Yojana, the financial inclusion, about building houses, the Awas Yojana…And these other campaigns…Digital India campaign…the Startup India campaign, the Skill India campaign…it is when you connect these dots, it’s really when you see the cumulative impact of all of this on the lives of people, that is the change which is underway in India,” he added.

Jaishankar on India-UK relationship

The External Affairs Minister also underscored the need to reframe the partnership between India and Britain in light of profound changes in both countries over the years and stressed the importance of exploring new convergences to unlock the unrealised potential between both nations.

“We have changed in ourselves, our relationships, our linkages and approaches to the world; therefore, it is important that we prepare a partnership for a contemporary era in which we look to explore new convergences to see if there is unrealistic potential out there…,” said Jaishankar.

Jaishankar arrived in Britain on Saturday and will conclude his visit on November 15. He also met his newly appointed counterpart and former British Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday. Cameron, whose name was announced at around 4 pm (IST), held a meeting with Jaishankar where the duo discussed the deteriorating situation in West Asia, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the issues related to the Indo-Pacific.

Later, Jaishankar also shared pictures of newly appointed Home Secretary James Cleverly, whom he met on Sunday when he was serving as Foreign Secretary. In a social media post, Jaishankar said he discussed the importance of mobility, skills and talent in the development of our bilateral cooperation.  Also, the ministers exchanged views on addressing shared concerns on extremism, economic offences, trafficking and security. 

India-UK ties on FTA

During his trip, it was expected that he would discuss Sunak’s potential trip to India and the ongoing Free Trade Agreement between the two nations. Notably, the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was launched in 2021 along with the India-UK Roadmap 2030 which seeks to expand ties in a range of areas.

“The roadmap is a commitment to a partnership that delivers for both the countries. The External Affairs Minister’s visit will give a new impetus to the friendly ties between the two countries,” the MEA said.

India and the UK have been negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA) since January last year with a target to significantly enhance the estimated GBP 36-billion bilateral trading partnership. The talks have undergone 13 rounds of negotiations, with officials hopeful of clinching a deal ahead of general elections in both countries scheduled for 2024.

(with agency inputs)

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