IndianBureaucracy International Desk – Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh met UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street in London to discuss and further strengthened bilateral defence engagement and trade ties between the countries primarily focusing on defence collaboration and advancements in trade and technology.
Shri Singh recounted the recent progress in bilateral defence engagement, encompassing joint exercises, training, and increased interoperability. He stressed ongoing efforts to enhance defence industrial cooperation, particularly in the technology domain, highlighting positive interactions with the UK defence industry.
Shri Singh expressed the need for the UK and like-minded countries to collaborate with India in strengthening a peaceful global rules-based order. He shared Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for India’s development and readiness to partner with the UK to reinforce the rule-based world order.
Prime Minister Sunak agreed on the importance of collaboration in trade, defence, and technology. He expressed hope for the successful conclusion of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations and underlined the UK’s commitment to enhancing the defence and security pillar of the bilateral relationship.
During the meeting, Shri Singh presented a Ram Darbar statue to Prime Minister Sunak, and the discussion included UK NSA Sir Tim Barrow. Shri Singh also met with UK Foreign Minister Lord David Cameron at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, discussing the integration of defence industries and collaboration on joint projects.
Later, Shri Singh interacted with the Indian community at India House, London, addressing over 160 prominent persons of Indian origin. The interaction included Indian military ex-servicemen and family members of World War II veterans. The meetings underscored the new momentum and direction of the India-UK partnership, symbolized by intense engagements at various levels.