External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is headed for a six-day visit to the United Kingdom and Ireland on Tuesday to discuss ways for strengthening bilateral cooperation between India and the UK. The minister will first got to London to meet with his British counterpart, Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Jaishankar’s UK Visit – What’s on the agenda?
It will be interesting to see if the two leaders will discuss the Russia-Ukraine war, especially since their meeting comes after the much-talked about showdown between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
UK PM Starmer, who met Zelenskyy on Saturday, said that Britain, Ukraine, France, and other countries will work together on a peace plan which will be presented to Trump. He stressed that it’s time to take action, not just talk, and called for strong leadership and unity for lasting peace. In a press conference on Sunday, Starmer said that Europe should lead the effort, but they must have the support of US to succeed.
Jaishankar’s visit comes at a time when India has chosen to remain neutral and not take sides between Europe, Ukraine, Russia, and the US. Last week, India did not vote on two UN resolutions from Ukraine and the US. India has also changed its stance on direct talks between the US and Russia, moving from referring to them as “two parties to the conflict” to calling them “parties concerned.” This broader term includes all four sides — the US, Ukraine, Russia, and Europe. It is now even less likely that India will support either side in the conflict, The Indian Express reported.
Jaishankar and Lammy are also expected to talk about the India-UK free trade deal. Last month, India and the UK resumed the talks about the deal when British Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds visited New Delhi.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said that Jaishankar’s visit highlights the growing relationship between India and the UK, with strong cooperation in areas such as defence, trade, health, education, and cultural exchange.
During his visit to Ireland from March 6-7, Jaishankar will also meet with his Irish counterpart, Simon Harris, as well as other leaders and Indian community members.
The visit is expected to strengthen India’s friendly relations with both the UK and Ireland.