India-UK Free Trade Deal on Cards as PM Modi Heads to London
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Indian Express
23 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Inking of India-UK trade pact, ties with Maldives focus of PM Modi's visit this week
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to the United Kingdom and the Maldives from July 23 to 26, the government said on Sunday. While India and the UK are likely to formally sign the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) during the visit, Modi will be the guest of honour at the Maldives' Independence Day celebrations. This will be Modi's first trip to the two countries after the change in leadership there. 'At the invitation of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to the United Kingdom from July 23-24, 2025,' the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. 'During the visit, Prime Minister Modi will hold wide ranging discussions with Prime Minister Starmer on the entire gamut of India-UK bilateral relations. They will also exchange views on issues of regional and global importance. Prime Minister is also expected to call on His Majesty King Charles III. During the visit, the two sides will also review the progress of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) with a specific focus on trade and economy, technology and innovation, defence and security, climate, health, education and people-to-people ties,' it said. This will be Modi's fourth visit to the UK, but the first since Starmer came to power after he led the Labour landslide to end 14 years of Conservative rule in July last year. Since then, the two leaders have met a couple of times on the sidelines of multilateral meetings — at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in November last year, and the G7 leaders' summit in Kananaskis in Canada in June this year. While the India-UK Free Trade Agreement was finalised in May this year, the pact is expected to be signed during Modi's visit. The FTA, finalised after three years of negotiations, is expected to benefit 99 per cent Indian exports from tariff and will make it easier for British firms to export whiskey, cars and other products to India besides boosting the overall trade basket. In the second leg of his visit, Modi will go to Maldives for the first time since President Mohamed Muizzu came to power in November 2023. 'Prime Minister Modi will be the 'Guest of Honour' at the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Independence of Maldives on July 26,' the MEA said. This will mark a turnaround in the relationship which started on a confrontational note. Earlier, Muizzu had asked India to withdraw Indian military personnel associated with the aviation platforms — two choppers and an aircraft — and they had to be replaced by technical personnel. Muizzu visited India in October last year, and the two sides moved forward to mend ties. Modi's visit will be aimed at taking this forward. 'In the second leg of his visit, PM will undertake a State Visit to Maldives from July 25-26, 2025 on the invitation of the President of the Republic of Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu. This will be Prime Minister's third visit to Maldives, and the first visit by a Head of State or Government to Maldives during the Presidency of Mohamed Muizzu,' the MEA said. 'Prime Minister Modi will meet Mohamed Muizzu and hold discussions on issues of mutual interest. The two leaders will also take stock of the progress in the implementation of the India-Maldives Joint Vision for a 'Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership', adopted during the State Visit of the President of Maldives to India in October 2024,' it said. It said the visit reflects the importance India attaches to its maritime neighbour, Maldives, which continues to hold a special place in India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy and Vision MAHASAGAR. It will provide an opportunity for both sides to further deepen and strengthen the close bilateral relationship, it said. Shubhajit Roy, Diplomatic Editor at The Indian Express, has been a journalist for more than 25 years now. Roy joined The Indian Express in October 2003 and has been reporting on foreign affairs for more than 17 years now. Based in Delhi, he has also led the National government and political bureau at The Indian Express in Delhi — a team of reporters who cover the national government and politics for the newspaper. He has got the Ramnath Goenka Journalism award for Excellence in Journalism '2016. He got this award for his coverage of the Holey Bakery attack in Dhaka and its aftermath. He also got the IIMCAA Award for the Journalist of the Year, 2022, (Jury's special mention) for his coverage of the fall of Kabul in August 2021 — he was one of the few Indian journalists in Kabul and the only mainstream newspaper to have covered the Taliban's capture of power in mid-August, 2021. ... Read More
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
PM Modi in UK this week, FTA & boosting ties top on agenda
File photo NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi and his counterpart Keir Starmer will review progress under India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) with specific focus on trade and economy, technology, defence, security, education, and people to people exchanges in a bilateral meeting on July 24, said govt in an official announcement of the PM's UK visit this week. Modi will also call on King Charles III during the visit that is expected to see formalisation of their free trade agreement (FTA). Govt also announced Modi's visit to Maldives where he will be the guest of honour on the July 26 Independence Day. This will be Modi's first visit to the country since President Mohamed Muizzu assumed office in Nov 2023, signalling a complete turnaround in ties since the controversial expulsion of Indian military personnel from archipelago, and also the first by any Indian PM on Maldives independence anniversary. Anti-India leader and former President Abdulla Yameen had in 2017 invited then Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif for the same event. TOI had first reported on June 2 that India and Maldives were discussing a visit to Male by Modi on their Independence Day. During Modi's visit to UK, both sides are expected to formally sign the landmark FTAIndia and UK finalised in May. This will be Modi's fourth visit to UK. The leaders have endorsed FTA covering trade in goods and services, as a balanced, equitable and ambitious deal that would enhance bilateral trade and generate new avenues for employment. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo 'During the visit, Modi will hold wide ranging discussions with Starmer on the entire gamut of India-UK bilateral relations. They will also exchange views on issues of regional and global importance,' MEA said. In case of Maldives, it will also be the first visit by a head of state or govt to the country during Muizzu's presidency. According to Male, the visit carries 'profound significance' as it coincides with the Independence Day and will see inauguration of several joint projects, along with signing of agreements in a range of sectors. 'PM will be the guest of honour at the 60th anniversary celebrations of Independence of Maldives. The two leaders will take stock of the progress in implementation of India-Maldives Joint Vision for a 'Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership', adopted during State Visit of the President of Maldives to India in Oct 2024,' said govt in its announcement. 'The visit reflects the importance India attaches to its maritime neighbour, Maldives, which continues to hold a special place in India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy and Vision Mahasagar. The visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to further deepen and strengthen the close bilateral relationship,' it added.
NDTV
3 hours ago
- NDTV
PM Modi To Visit UK, Maldives From July 23-26
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a four-day visit to the United Kingdom and the Maldives from Wednesday to shore up overall bilateral ties and formalise the landmark India-UK free trade deal that is set to pave the way for doubling two-way trade by 2030 from current USD 60 billion. PM Modi will first travel to the UK on a two-day trip and then will visit the Maldives primarily to grace the island nation's Independence Day celebrations as "guest of honour", according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The prime minister's visit to the Maldives from July 25 to 26 is seen as important as it marks a significant reset of bilateral ties that had come under severe strain after Mohamed Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, became president in November 2023. In the first leg of his trip, PM Modi will visit the UK from July 23 to 24 to hold wide-ranging talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the MEA said on Sunday. India and the UK are expected to formally sign the free trade deal during PM Modi's visit to London, people familiar with the matter said, adding the British side has completed the administrative process for inking of the pact. In May, India and the UK sealed the free trade agreement (FTA) that is expected to benefit 99 per cent Indian exports from tariff and will make it easier for British firms to export whisky, cars and other products to India besides boosting the overall trade basket. Along with the FTA -- the biggest the UK has done since leaving the European Union -- the two sides also sealed a double contribution convention. It provides for exemption for employers of Indian workers from paying social security contributions in the UK. The trade deal, firmed up after three years of negotiations, is expected to ensure comprehensive market access for Indian goods across all sectors and India will gain from tariff elimination on about 99 per cent of tariff lines (product categories) covering almost 100 per cent of the trade values, according to officials. A British readout had said Indian tariffs will be slashed, locking in reductions on 90 per cent of tariff lines, with 85 per cent of these becoming fully tariff-free within a decade. The FTA is set to double bilateral trade by 2030 from the current level of USD 60 billion, the officials said. PM Modi will hold wide ranging discussions with PM Starmer on the entire gamut of India-UK bilateral relations besides exchanging views on issues of regional and global importance, the MEA said, announcing the two-nation trip. It will be PM Modi's fourth visit to the UK. The MEA said he is also expected to call on King Charles III. "During the visit, the two sides will also review the progress of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) with a specific focus on trade and economy, technology and innovation, defence and security, climate, health, education and people-to-people ties," the MEA said in a statement. From London, Modi will travel to the Maldives primarily to grace the island nation's 60th anniversary of its Independence on July 26. It will be Modi's third visit to the Maldives, and the first visit by an Indian head of state or government since Muizzu assumed office in November 2023. PM Modi and President Muizzu will hold discussions on issues of mutual interest and take stock of the progress in the implementation of the India-Maldives joint vision for a 'Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership'. The joint vision was adopted during Muizzu's visit to India in October last year. "The visit reflects the importance India attaches to its maritime neighbour, Maldives, which continues to hold a special place in India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy and Vision MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions)," the MEA said. It said the visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to further deepen and strengthen the close bilateral relationship. PTI MPB KVK KVK
