London [UK], May 17 : Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Friday met the UK's Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Sir Philip Barton for the annual UK-India Strategic Dialogue and reviewed the progress made on the UK-India 2030 Roadmap.
"They reviewed the progress made on the UK-India 2030 Roadmap since the last dialogue in January 2023 and looked ahead to the next phase of bilateral cooperation," the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a press release.
During the meeting, Kwatra and Barton reflected on good progress on the 2030 Roadmap since the last review and noted the key areas where the two nations have worked together to tackle some of the world's biggest challenges, the release said.
"This included collaborating on the world's first malaria vaccine, working closely on India's successful G20 Presidency and increasing opportunities for students and entrepreneurs under the Migration and Mobility Partnership," it added.
Alongside celebrating the milestones since the last review, this year's Dialogue included the ongoing commitment to "negotiate a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement (FTA), and enhancing defence cooperation," it said.
During the visit, Kwatra met the UK's Minister for South Asia Lord Tariq Ahmad and discussed the Free Trade Agreement, migration and the Commonwealth, according to the press release.
Lord Ahmad stated, "We are delighted to host Indian Foreign Secretary Kwatra in London to underline the UK's commitment to deepening cooperation with India. I look forward to our relationship going from strength to strength, working together on trade, defence, climate, and health."
In 2021, India and the UK agreed to ambitious plans for the next decade of the bilateral relationship with the '2030 Roadmap' that includes commitments to deepen cooperation on health, climate, trade, education, science and technology, and defence.
Notably, the thirteenth round of negotiations for the UK-India Free Trade Agreement was held from September 18 to December 15, 2023, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry press release. The negotiations included sessions both in person, in London and Delhi, and virtual talks.
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