LONDON: Lord Tariq Ahmad, the UK’s Minister of State for South Asia, arrived in India on May 27 for a four-day visit with a focus on strengthening science, research and innovation links.
The focus on science, technology and innovation emphasises the UK’s commitment to deepen partnerships in these areas across the globe.
Strengthening the UK-India relationship is a key pillar of the UK’s long-term foreign policy, as part of its enduring engagement in the Indo-Pacific set out in the Integrated Review, the Foreign Office said.
“The UK and India are trusted partners united by the unique living bridge that closely connects our countries and people, Lord Ahmad said ahead of his visit.
The visit comes as India and the UK are negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which is expected to boost the current trading relationship worth GBP 36 billion in 2022. The 10th round of FTA talks are set to begin from June 5 in New Delhi.
