Foreign Secy Shringla to visit UK to review bilateral ties, focus on India-UK Roadmap 2030

The External Affairs Ministry on July 22 informed that Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is set to visit the UK on July 23-24 to meet with his UK counterpart Dominic Raab and conduct a detailed review of bilateral relations and focus on the implementation of the Roadmap 2030. During the visit, the officials from both sides will discuss regional and global affairs as well.

What is India-UK '2030 Roadmap'?

PM Narendra Modi and UK PM Boris Johnson had held a virtual bilateral summit on May 4, 2021, wherein both sides agreed upon an ambitious 'Roadmap 2030' in a bid to elevate bilateral ties to the extent of "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership".  Roadmap 2030 is anticipated to build a deeper and stronger international engagement over the next ten years in key areas like trade, economy, defence and security, climate action and health. The two countries also launched an 'Enhanced Trade Partnership' and announced the intent to negotiate a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA). 

Through the 2030 vision, India and UK are committed to a partnership that delivers in spheres of trade, investment and technological collaboration that improves the lives and livelihoods of citizens. They also aimed at enhancing the defence and security cooperation to bring more secure Indian Ocean Region and Indo-Pacific and India-UK leadership in climate, clean energy and health as a global force for betterment. Briefly, the 2030 Roadmap can be comprehended as following:

1. Political aspect

• Strengthen cooperation and coordination in the UN, including at the UNSC and UNFCCC, and other multilateral fora such as G-20, WTO (in the run-up to the twelfth WTO Ministerial Conference in November 2021), WHO, Commonwealth, IMF and World Bank, etc.,
• Promote regular exchanges between parliamentarians, judges, executive agencies and public bodies of both sides to foster deeper mutual understanding.

2. Education, Research and Enterprise

• Support and promote the two-way mobility of a greater number of students, teachers and researchers and towards mutual recognition of professional qualifications by strengthening the role of women. Expand cooperation between universities of both States.
• Position the UK and India as mutual partners and as forces for good in the world in areas including health, the economy, climate, clean energy, urban development and engineering healthier environments, waste-to-wealth, manufacturing, cyber systems, space and related research and expertise regarding artificial intelligence.
• Cooperation on research into Ayurveda and promote yoga in the UK.

3. Investment

• Encourage UK companies to invest in India’s manufacturing sector taking advantage in spheres including Electronics, Telecommunication equipment, automobile and pharmaceuticals manufacturing.
• Encourage Indian Companies to raise finance in the London market.

4. COVID-19 and Pandemic Preparedness

• Boost global medical supply chains to ensure critical supplies of medicines, vaccines, logistics, diagnostics and other medical products reach the concerned. 
• Cooperation on the AstraZeneca/Oxford University Vaccine with India’s Serum Institute and explore manufacturing deals beyond Covid19 to tackle other infectious diseases and bring co-developed technologies to market.