Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Keir Starmer on Tuesday exchanged views on the conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine as they met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, while also reviewing the growing momentum in India-UK ties and pushing for the early implementation of the recently concluded trade pact.
The two leaders held bilateral talks in Evian amid heightened global tensions and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
According to an official statement, Modi and Starmer discussed regional and global developments of mutual concern, including the deteriorating situation in West Asia and the continuing conflict in Ukraine.
The leaders also reviewed progress across all pillars of the Vision 2035 roadmap, encompassing trade and economic growth, defence and security, climate action, green energy, technology and innovation, and people-to-people ties.
They expressed satisfaction over the strong momentum in bilateral relations since their reciprocal visits last year and looked forward to the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which is expected to significantly boost bilateral commerce.
Modi thanked Starmer for the strong British participation in the AI Impact Summit held in New Delhi earlier this year and welcomed progress under the India-UK Technology Security Initiative.
The two sides also noted the recent launch of the India-UK Critical Minerals Global Supply Chain Observatory, aimed at strengthening cooperation in strategic technologies and ensuring resilient supply chains.
Welcoming the deepening educational partnership, the leaders took note of plans by the University of Liverpool to establish a campus in Bengaluru and proposals by the University of York and the University of Bristol to set up campuses in Mumbai.
The meeting reflected the increasing breadth of India-UK engagement, with both countries seeking to expand cooperation in trade, technology, clean energy and strategic affairs amid an uncertain global environment.
