New Delhi, March 3: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar (EAM) will visit the United Kingdom and Ireland from March 4-9, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Monday.
“India and the UK share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which has strengthened across diverse areas including defence and security, trade and economy, health, education, people-to-people ties. During the visit, EAM will be holding discussions with his counterpart, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and will meet several other dignitaries as well as Indian community members,” read a statement issued by the MEA.
“India and Ireland share friendly bilateral relations based on shared democratic values, cultural ties and growing economic engagements. EAM will be meeting with his Irish counterpart, Simon Harris, other dignitaries and members of Indian community, during his visit to Ireland on Mach 6-7. EAM’s visit will provide renewed impetus to India’s friendly ties with both UK and Ireland,” it added.
EAM Jaishankar and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy had met in Rome last November, ahead of the Outreach session of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting hosted by Italy where India had been invited as a guest country.
“Appreciate the steady momentum in India UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Discussed deepening cooperation in technology, green energy, trade, mobility, as well as ongoing developments in Indo-Pacific and West Asia,” the EAM posted on X after meeting Lammy on November 25.
The meeting had taken place just a few days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and British PM Keir Starmer met on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro and had reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. As he announced the establishment of two new Consulates General of India in the United Kingdom in Belfast and Manchester, PM Modi had labeled the meeting with Starmer as an “extremely productive” one.
“For India, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the UK is of immense priority. In the coming years, we are eager to work closely in areas such as technology, green energy, security, innovation and technology. We also want to add strength to trade as well as cultural linkages,” said Prime Minister Modi after the first meeting between the two leaders. IANS
