In the first ever India-UK 2+2 Foreign and Defence Dialogue in New Delhi, the two sides discussed the possibilities of deepening collaboration in various fields including defence, critical and emerging technologies, civil aviation, trade and investment.
The inaugural dialogue at the Senior Official level stands as a robust mechanism designed for the assessment of every facet of the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Statement issued by Ministry of External Affairs
According to an official issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) at the senior official level both India and the UK seized the opportunity to share their insights on recent international developments, particularly within the Indo-Pacific region, underscoring their mutual commitment to peace, stability, and prosperity.
They jointly aimed to foster a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region and contemplated the possibility of intensifying cooperation in areas such as counterterrorism, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), and maritime security.
And they considered the possibility of enhancing anti-terror collaboration.
Both delegations expressed their satisfaction concerning the consistent, high-level political exchanges and interactions that have consistently offered direction and impetus to the multifaceted relationship shared by India and the UK. Furthermore, they expressed their satisfaction with the progress made across various dimensions of the India-UK Roadmap 2030. This progress encompasses political dialogues, economic cooperation, defense and security, people-to-people connections, as well as regional and multilateral collaborations.
In addition to reviewing the existing activities, both sides explored prospects for future cooperation, with a special focus on trade and investment, defense, vital and emerging technologies, civil aviation, healthcare, energy, culture, and the reinforcement of interpersonal bonds.
Conclusively, the participating officials reached a consensus to report the outcomes of this momentous dialogue to the higher bilateral mechanisms, namely the Foreign Office Consultations and the Defence Consultative Group. They also eagerly anticipated the prospect of hosting the second meeting of the dialogue in the United Kingdom, at a time mutually convenient for both nations, in the upcoming year.
Who was present at the inaugural dialogue?
The Indian delegation was co-chaired by Piyush Srivastava, Joint Secretary Europe West, Ministry of External Affairs, and Vishwesh Negi, Joint Secretary, International Cooperation, Ministry of Defence.
On the UK side, Ben Mellor, India Director, Indian Ocean Directorate, FCDO, and Lt General Rob Magowan, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, Finance and Military Capability, Ministry of Defence, efficiently led the delegation.