UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week to discuss the grave Russia-Ukraine conflict situation and to find ways to work together to promote peace in the region.
“The leaders discussed the grave situation in Ukraine, and the Prime Minister said he believed the actions of Putin’s regime were deeply disturbing and disastrous for the world,” a Downing Street spokesperson said, with reference to the call.
“The pair agreed that Ukraine’s integrity and territorial sovereignty must be respected. Russia needed to adhere to the UN Charter, the leaders said, and both agreed that respect for international law was the only way to ensure global peace and prosperity,” the spokesperson said.
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The Indian PM updated his UK counterpart on India’s support for the humanitarian situation in Ukraine during the call, while Boris Johnson told him that "the UK and India should intensify efforts to promote peace and de-escalation in the region".
With reference to UK-India bilateral ties, the Prime Ministers said they are both looking forward to meeting in person “at the earliest opportunity”.
“The leaders welcomed India and the UK’s strong and prosperous relationship, and agreed to continue to build on trade, security and business ties in the coming weeks and months,” Downing Street said.
The call came as the Department for International Trade (DIT) confirmed that the second round of UK-India free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations concluded last week.
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“India is projected to become the world’s third largest economy by 2050 and a Free Trade Agreement will open up huge opportunities for UK businesses to trade with India’s £2.25 trillion economy,” a DIT spokesperson said.
According to latest DIT figures, total trade in goods and services between the UK and India was £23.3 billion in 2019, with Indian investment in the UK supporting 95,000 jobs across the country. A new trade deal is expected to play a key role in achieving the target set by Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Narendra Modi of doubling bilateral trade under Roadmap 2030.