In their first phone call, Rishi Sunak and PM Modi express optimism about a free trade agreement

• Image Credit: Internet

• Oct 27, 2022 | Sourav Boruah

Digital Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK Counterpart, Rishi
Sunak agreed on Thursday to "early conclude" a balanced free trade
agreement (FTA) and to expand the two nations' security and economic ties.

These concerns were discussed during the two leaders' first phone call
since Sunak became Britain's first Indian-origin prime minister. Because of the
political upheaval in Britain, the two sides were unable to reach an earlier
timetable for completing a trade pact by Diwali.

Sunak, according to a spokesman for
the UK Prime Minister's Office, "hoped the UK and India could continue to
make strong progress in negotiations to finalize a comprehensive free trade
deal."

Sunak portrayed himself as "a
visual reflection of the historic links between the UK and India" during
the phone call, and stated he "wanted to build on this relationship to
establish ever stronger relationships between our two countries."

According to the spokeswoman, Modi
expressed his congratulations on Sunak's appointment "on behalf of 1.6
billion Indians."

Sunak lauded Modi's efforts on
climate change when discussing shared global concerns, and the leaders
"welcomed possibilities to strengthen our security, defence, and economic
collaboration," according to the spokesperson.

Sunak praised Modi for his
"warm comments as I get started in my new post" in a tweet, adding
that the UK and India "share so much."

"I'm optimistic about what our
two great democracies can do as we enhance our security, defence, and economic
collaboration in the months and years ahead," he continued.

PM Modi remarked in a tweet on his
conversation with Sunak, "Congratulations on assuming charge as UK
PM." We will collaborate to strengthen our Comprehensive Strategic
Partnership. We also agreed on the urgency of completing a full and balanced
FTA as soon as possible."

Suella Braverman, the UK home
secretary who has returned to Rishi Sunak's cabinet after being removed by
former Prime Minister Liz Truss for including secret information in an email
sent from her personal ID, enraged New Delhi with remarks that the trade deal
would lead to increased immigration from India.

The two sides have yet to resolve
disagreements on important areas such as professional and student mobility and
automotive tariffs.

The two leaders chatted a day before
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly arrives in India for a special meeting of
the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee on Friday. Cleverly's first
official travel to India will include a meeting with his counterpart, S
Jaishankar.