New Delhi : Britain’s secretary of state for Indo-Pacific will visit India this month to push Britain’s “pivot” into the Pacific region, according to people familiar with the matter.
Anne Marie-Trevelyan, who serves as minister responsible for the region, is expected to focus on economic ties with India during the visit.
The two sides are in the process of negotiating a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and are also looking to initiate more joint ventures in India’s neighbourhood. Mint had earlier reported that this could include renewable power projects in Sri Lanka. A definitive list of countries for India-UK cooperation will be finalized early next year.
Travelin’s visit could serve as a basis for furthering this initiative and selecting third countries. The Foreign Ministry and the British High Commission did not respond to questions sent by Minutes by press time.
“The relationship between Britain and India is already strong, but over the next ten years we are looking to transform our cooperation across the full range of our shared interests. India — as the world’s largest democracy — is one of growing importance. is an international actor,” reads the British government’s 2021 Integrated Review, which highlights the country’s Indo-Pacific “tilt” and its focus on India.
The move towards the Indo-Pacific follows a doubling of trade between India and the UK between 2007 and 2019. Total bilateral trade in goods and services stood at £36.3 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q1 2023. Investments have also increased significantly. According to British government data, in 2021, the outward stock of foreign direct investment (FDI) from the UK into India was £19.1 billion, which is 1.1% of the UK’s total outward FDI stock.
UK-India priorities include re-energizing trade and investment and increasing defense cooperation that makes the Indian Ocean more secure.
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