External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday called on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty at 10 Downing Street on Sunday and conveyed the best wishes of Indian PM Narendra Modi on the occasion of Diwali.
Jaishankar, along with his wife, Kyoko Jaishankar met with the UK PM and presented him with a Lord Ganesha Statue and a cricket bat signed by Indian batting great Virat Kohli.
"Delighted to call on Prime Minister @RishiSunak on #Diwali Day. Conveyed the best wishes of PM @narendramodi. India and UK are actively engaged in reframing the relationship for contemporary times. Thank Mr. and Mrs. Sunak for their warm reception and gracious hospitality," said the EAM on X.
Jaishankar is currently on an official visit to the United Kingdom, during which he is scheduled to hold a meeting with his UK counterpart James Cleverly. He arrived in Britain on Saturday and will conclude his visit on November 15. He will also scheduled to meet several other dignitaries during his visit.
Jaishankar also visited the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir here on the occasion of Diwali and prayed for the peace, harmony and prosperity of the Indian community around the world. "Blessed to visit the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London on Deepavali. Prayed for the peace, harmony and prosperity of our community around the world," Jaishankar said in a post on platform X.
The Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in London, also called the Neasden Temple, thanked Jaishankar for taking time out to join the Diwali celebrations on Sunday.
"We appreciate your kind words, which inspired the thousands of devotees and visitors from the local community who had joined the celebrations. May the #LivingBridge between Great Britain and Great Bharat grow and glow from strength to strength," the Neasden Temple said on X.
Jaishankar's itinerary in the UK
While in the UK, the EAM is expected to attend an event at Lord’s Cricket Ground and address a Diwali Reception organised by the High Commission of India in London on Monday. Later next week, he is also expected at a repatriation ceremony for two ancient temple sculptures from Uttar Pradesh and join a discussion on the theme of ‘How a billion people see the world’.
During his talks with his UK counterpart, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, in London, it is expected that preparations for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's possible visit to India in the next few months will be on the agenda. The MEA also referred to the "warm and thriving" relationship between the two sides.
The India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was launched in 2021 along with the India-UK Roadmap 2030 which seeks to expand ties in a range of areas.
India-UK FTA on cards
India and the UK have been negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA) since January last year with a target to significantly enhance the estimated GBP 36-billion bilateral trading partnership. The talks have undergone 13 rounds of negotiations, with officials hopeful of clinching a deal ahead of general elections in both countries scheduled for 2024.
Earlier, on November 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart Rishi Sunak discussed the progress on the Free Trade Agreement during a telephone conversation.
"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," the UK government stated in an official release.
PM Modi and Sunak also discussed the conflict in West Asia, especially in the context of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The two leaders condemned Hamas's attacks on Israel and reiterated that the terror group "did not represent" the Palestinian people.
(with agency inputs)
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