What happened?
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrived in New Delhi on Saturday for a two-day visit to review bilateral ties in areas of trade, defence, and security. Lammy will hold wide-ranging talks with his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar and is scheduled to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and meet Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. His visit comes over a month after India and the UK finalized an ambitious free trade agreement (FTA), which is expected to exempt 99% of Indian exports from tariffs. The Indian side is expected to raise the issue of cross-border terrorism from Pakistan with the British foreign secretary.
Why it matters to India
The visit of the UK Foreign Secretary is significant for advancing India-UK bilateral relations, particularly after the finalization of the ambitious Free Trade Agreement. Discussions on trade, defence, and security will further strengthen strategic partnerships. Raising the issue of cross-border terrorism with the UK, a country that was involved in de-escalation efforts between India and Pakistan, is crucial for India to garner international support against terrorism.