On the sideline of G20 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held bilateral talks on Saturday over multiple economic and people centric issue aiming to strengthen ties.

The meeting was held at the Bharat Mandapam situated in Pragati Maidan, at national capital.

The discussions between these two leaders build upon their previous meeting held on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima this May. During that meeting, they explored topics including the India-UK free trade agreement, innovation, science, and strategies for enhancing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership shared between their nations.

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Notably, India and the UK have been engaged in negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement, a process that commenced in 2022. The 12th round of talks concerning the UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) unfolded between August 8 and 31 this year.

In August 2023, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and the UK’s Secretary of State for Trade, Kemi Badenoch, reviewed the progress of the FTA discussions and concurred on approaches to advance these negotiations. The forthcoming 13th round of negotiations is scheduled for September.

Earlier today, both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak participated in the ‘One Earth’ session during the G20 Summit. Sunak emphasized the significance of the G20 in offering global leadership, especially in the face of considerable challenges. He expressed his optimism that, working collectively, the leaders can effectively tackle these challenges.

On his official social media account, Sunak shared his thoughts: “15 years ago, #G20 leaders came together for the first time to restore global growth after the financial crisis. We meet at a time of enormous challenges – the world is looking to the G20 once again to provide leadership. Together I believe we can address these challenges.”