India-UK FTA talks will resume.There are differences on visa rules in both the countries.Britain also wants lower tariffs on its exports.
New Delhi. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met India’s PS Narendra Modi after criticizing Chinese President Xi Jinping in Rio de Janeiro during the G20 summit. In this meeting of the two leaders, both the countries decided to restart trade talks in 2025. This step is an important initiative towards taking the trade relations between India and the UK to new heights. Both the leaders agreed to resume Free Trade Agreement talks as soon as possible.
Let us tell you that India and Britain have faced some challenges in finalizing their free trade agreement. Talks are ongoing through 2022, but are stuck over India’s demand to ease visa rules and reduce fees for Indian students and professionals in Britain. The British government has not accepted this demand.
Also read – If PM Narendra Modi and Keir Starmer meet, then talks will start again on free trade agreement between India and Britain.
On the other hand, Britain also wants lower tariffs on its exports, such as automobiles, Scotch whiskey, and legal services, which are sensitive sectors for India. Another important issue is the inclusion of labor standards and sustainability commitments, which the UK considers important. India exercises great caution regarding these issues, because it can have economic and policy implications for the country.
What happened to China in Britain?
The meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was positive throughout. But British PM Keir Starmer appeared a little upset with China. In his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he raised the issue of sanctions imposed on British MPs and the deteriorating health condition of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai. Let us tell you that Jimmy Lai is a British citizen and owner of pro-democracy media, but is currently in jail in Hong Kong. When Starmer raised the issue of Jimmy Lai, Chinese officials expelled British journalists from the meeting room.
Starmer also spoke with Xi on broader human rights issues. This included Chinese sanctions imposed on British MPs, including former Security Minister Tom Tugendhat and House of Commons Deputy Speaker Nuss Ghani. Relations between Britain and China remain sour due to these sanctions.
Since this was a global forum, Starmer also said that – “We want to keep the relations between the two countries stable, stable, respectful and, as far as possible, free from unexpected incidents.” If we consider this sentence deeply, then Starmer has told the Chinese President ‘Unexpected events’ Instructed to stay away from. And also expressed that if such incidents do not happen, then only the relations between the two countries can improve.
Starmer also proposed that British Chancellor Rachel Reeves meet Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng in Beijing in January to strengthen trade and investment opportunities and create a common platform for British businesses.
Tags: G20 Summit, Narendra modi
FIRST PUBLISHED: November 20, 2024, 11:03 IST
