'Working intensely to agree on deal': UK Foreign Secretary Cleverly on FTAs with India

The UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on Friday, September 30, spoke at the Milken Institute Asia Summit about the strategic importance that the UK places on the Indo-Pacific region. It included points on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the UK and India as well as the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and said that it is 'working intensely' with India. 

While speaking at the Summit, the UK Foreign Secretary said, "We were the first European country to secure a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with India. And we intend to be the first European country to accede to the CPTPP. It will give the region access to the UK’s world-class financial services sector as well as, as well as the world’s sixth largest economy. That’s why engagement between the UK and Indo-Pacific needs to cover the broadest spectrum of activity. So let me highlight the areas where we think this relationship matters."

'Working intensely' with India for FTAs: UK Foreign Secy

"We all want to provide jobs for our young people and opportunities for our businesses. The UK is pursuing a low-tax, high-growth economic strategy to deliver exactly this. And we are also working closely with countries in the Indo-Pacific to drive prosperity and growth through new trade opportunities. We have signed Free Trade Agreements with Australia and New Zealand – and we are working intensely to agree on one with India soon," he added. 

This comes after Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal had said the UK is keen to stick to the Diwali deadline for free trade agreements. He referred to the passing away of Queen Elizabeth II and said "as we are expanding our engagements, the UK is at a cusp". "I received a letter from the UK again reiterating that they want to stick to the Diwali deadline (for the India-UK Free Trade Agreement)," Goyal had said at an event in New Delhi. He added, "If we don't engage with the international market, we are the losers...Today the whole world is talking of Atmanirbhar...There is no power that can stop us from becoming a developed nation in the next 25 years...The world wants to engage with us, the world has more confidence in us than we have."

(With agency Inputs)