UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi connected with each other last week to discuss a range of topics, including the urgent need for de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East amid the Israel-Gaza conflict.
On the UK-India bilateral front, the leaders reviewed progress on the ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations and also shared some lighter moments over the Indian team’s winning performance in the cricket World Cup, contrasted with Team England’s disappointing spree.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The leaders discussed the deeply distressing situation in the Middle East and condemned Hamas’s attacks on Israel. They reiterated that Hamas did not represent the Palestinian people and reflected on the need to deescalate tensions in the wider region. The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of protecting innocent civilians in Gaza and ensuring aid was able to flow into the country.
“Turning to the friendship between the UK and India, the leaders discussed recent progress on free trade agreement negotiations. They agreed on the importance of securing an ambitious deal that benefitted both sides.
“Finally, the leaders discussed the ongoing Cricket World Cup being held in India. The Prime Minister congratulated Prime Minister Modi on the strong performance of the India team and said he hoped England would have more luck during their test series in India in January.”
During his first visit to India as Britain’s first Prime Minister Indian heritage for the G20 Summit in September, Sunak told reporters that he "won't rush things".
“At the G20, we really saw a glimpse of what the future of that relationship can be, with closer cooperation on absolutely everything from trade to defence, innovation, security, research, and I hope… a free trade deal, and we can get it done,” said UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Speculation around his second visit to the country close on the heels of the first one has been rife ever since. However, with general elections expected in both countries next year, there is only a small window for an FTA sign off.
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