External affairs minister S Jaishankar discussed issues related to trafficking and extremism in a meeting with UK’s secretary of state for home Yvette Cooper. India has been concerned about the activities of Khalistan separatists in the UK and the issue is learnt to have come up in the meeting.
“We discussed the flow of talent, people-to-people exchanges, and joint efforts in tackling trafficking and extremism,” said Jaishankar on X after the meeting. India has in the past repeatedly raised with the UK the need to prevent banned groups like Sikhs for Justice from carrying out anti-India activities.
The minister, who is on a six-day visit to the UK and Ireland, also discussed progress in India-UK FTA talks in another meeting he had with Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds. India and the UK resumed negotiations for a trade deal last week, after a meeting between PM Modi and his UK counterpart Keir Starmer in Rio last year on the sidelines of the G20 summit.
Both sides have underlined the need for a balanced, mutually beneficial and a forward-looking deal that delivers mutual growth and builds on the strengths of the two complementary economies. “The strengthening of the trading relationship between our two countries has the potential to unlock opportunities for business and consumers across both our nations and build further on our already deep ties,” they said in a joint statement last week. Apart from security and defence, they are looking to strengthen cooperation in new and emerging technologies, climate, health, education, research and innovation, green finance and people-to-people contacts.
‘New consulates in Belfast, Manchester to boost ties’:
The UK on Tuesday said the opening of two new Indian consulates this week will further boost the 41 billion pound trade partnership and support the “valued” Indian community in the country.
“The opening of new Indian consulates in Belfast and Manchester demonstrate the growing links between our peoples and how we are working together to deliver growth not only in London, but right across the UK,” said UK foreign secretary David Lammy.
