Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday spoke to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and they “assessed positively” the progress made towards the early conclusion of the free trade agreement (FTA), a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
Modi said: “Had a good conversation with PM @RishiSunak. We reaffirmed our commitment to further strengthen the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and work for early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement.”
The British government statement said the leaders welcomed the “thriving” partnership between the UK and India and discussed recent progress on FTA negotiations.
“They agreed on the importance of securing a historic and comprehensive deal that benefits both countries. The Prime Minister reiterated the importance of reaching an ambitious outcome on goods and services. They agreed to remain in close contact and looked forward to further progress on trade talks,” Downing Street said in its statement.
In New Delhi, the MEA said that the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continue to strengthen the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.
“They expressed satisfaction on the progress made under the Roadmap 2030 in diverse areas including trade, investment, defence, security, emerging technologies and others,” the MEA statement said.
It said the two leaders exchanged views on regional and global developments of mutual interest.
“Both leaders agreed to remain in touch and exchanged greetings on the upcoming festive occasion of Holi,” the MEA said.