Britain and India will continue delayed discussions to reach a free-trade agreement, the two nations said following their leaders’ meeting at the G20 conference in Brazil.
After assuming office in July, Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised his meeting with Indian counterpart Narendra Modi as “very productive” and promised that a trade agreement with Delhi will accelerate the economy of the United Kingdom.
The post he made on X late Monday said, “A new trade deal will promote employment and prosperity in the UK — and mark a step forward in our goal to deliver job creation and opportunity across the country.”
The two nations will resume negotiations “in the new year,” according to Starmer’s office, hours earlier, as Britain looked to establish “a new strategic relationship with India.”
In a statement summarizing the two leaders’ discussion, Downing Street stated that this would involve “deepening cooperation in areas like protection, learning, technology, and climate change.”
Both presidents “underlined the importance of continuing the Free Trade Agreement talks at an early date,” according to India’s foreign ministry.
They had “expressed confidence in the ability of the bargaining teams, to address the remaining challenges to mutual satisfaction, leading to an equal, mutually beneficial, and forward looking Free Trade Agreement,” the statement continued.
It would be a significant step for Britain as it continues to look for new markets following its exit from the European Union. The two nations have been talking for over three years.
