PM Modi Holds Bilateral Meet with UK’s Rishi Sunak, Discuss India-UK FTA Negotiations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day visit to Japan to attend the G7 Summit, held a bilateral meeting with his UK PM Rishi Sunak on Sunday.

The two leaders reviewed their strategic partnership and took stock of the progress in India-UK FTA negotiations in the meeting, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

“Leaders agreed to deepen cooperation across a wide range of areas, such as trade & investment, science & technology, higher education, and people to people relationship,” Bagchi said in a tweet.

The two leaders also discussed India’s ongoing G-20 Presidency and PM Modi is looking forward to welcoming the British counterpart in New Delhi for the G-20 Summit, officials said.

Earlier, PM Modi met Sunak, Indonesian President Joko Widodo and UN chief Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the G7 summit on Saturday. Modi is in Japan to attend three sessions at the G7 summit.

British Prime Minister Sunak also shared the picture with Modi on his Twitter handle, with the two leaders sharing a warm hug.

PM Modi also met Indonesian President Joko Widodo and said that India attaches great priority to strong ties with Indonesia.

“Met President @jokowi and Mrs Widodo. India attaches great priority to strong ties with Indonesia,” Prime Minister Modi tweeted after his meeting with the Indonesian leader.

“Wonderful conversation with @UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres in Hiroshima,” Modi tweeted after the meeting.

Earlier today, he began his day by visiting Peace Memorial Museum, where he observed the documented exhibits and signed the visitor’s book. He, along with Australian PM Anthony Albanese, Japanese Fumio Kishida and other world leaders paid tribute to Hiroshima victims at Peace Memorial Park.

Earlier, Modi also held talks with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh and met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

He also met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the President of the Cook Islands Mark Brown.

The group of seven, comprising the US, France, the UK, Italy, Germany, Canada, and Japan, represent the world’s richest democracies. Under its G7 presidency, Japan invited India and seven other countries to the summit.

(With Inputs from Shailendra Wangu)