New Delhi: British Foreign Secretary David Lammy will pay a two-day visit to India beginning Saturday to review bilateral ties in areas of trade as well as 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, officials said on Friday.
The British foreign secretary will also meet Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.
Lammy’s visit to New Delhi comes over a month after the two countries finalised an ambitious free trade agreement (FTA). It is learnt that his visit is also expected to focus on preparing the ground for a possible trip to New Delhi by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The FTA, finalised on May 6, is expected to exempt 99 per cent of Indian exports from tariffs and make it easier for British firms to export whisky, cars, and other products to India.
Along with the FTA — the biggest the UK has finalised since leaving the European Union — the two sides also sealed a double contribution convention. The Indian side is expected to raise the issue of cross-border terrorism from Pakistan with the British foreign secretary.
The UK was among countries that were in touch with both India and Pakistan as they jostled to de-escalate tensions during the military conflict between the two neighbours last month.
Lammy paid a two-day visit to Islamabad from May 16, during which he welcomed the May 10 understanding between India and Pakistan to stop the military actions.
