EAM Jaishankar to visit UK during Nov 11-15 amid protracted negotiations on FTA

External affairs minister S Jaishankar will visit the United Kingdom during November 11-15 for meetings with the British leadership to take forward bilateral ties.

The visit comes against the backdrop of protracted negotiations between India and the UK on a free trade agreement (FTA). Both sides have already missed a deadline for concluding the trade deal and there have been intense negotiations in recent weeks to bridge differences in key areas such as tariffs, market access and mobility of labour.

While announcing Jaishankar’s visit, the external affairs ministry said on Saturday that India and the UK have a growing bilateral partnership. During his visit, Jaishankar will hold talks with his counterpart, foreign secretary James Cleverly, and meet several other dignitaries, the ministry said.

India and the UK “share a warm and thriving relationship” and the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was launched in 2021 along with the India-UK Roadmap 2030 for taking forward ties in trade, investment, defence and security cooperation.

“The Roadmap is a commitment to a partnership that delivers for both the countries. [Jaishankar’s] visit will give a new impetus to the friendly ties between the two countries,” the ministry said.