NOV 13, 2023 : To deliver Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Diwali greetings, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met on Sunday at 10 Downing Street with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty. The minister gave Sunak a statue of Lord Ganesha and a cricket bat signed by cricket player Virat Kohli, accompanied by his wife Kyoko Jaishankar. Jaishankar shared the meeting’s pictures on social media. It was a pleasure to speak with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Diwali. expressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s best wishes. India and the UK are working hard to reinterpret their relationship for the modern era. “I express my gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Sunak for their kind hospitality and cordial welcome,” he captioned a post on X.Currently, Jaishankar is in the UK for an official visit with his counterpart, James Cleverly. He arrived on Saturday and will be gone by November 15. His visit schedule also includes meetings with a number of other dignitaries. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) recently announced the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021, highlighting the expanding bilateral relationship between India and the UK. The UK and India have a cordial and prosperous relationship. The MEA stated in its release that the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the India-UK Roadmap 2030 were introduced in 2021. “The Roadmap represents a dedication to a cooperative effort that benefits both nations. The visit by EAM will strengthen the amicable relations between the two nations,” it continued. Prime Ministers Modi and Sunak spoke over the phone on November 3 to discuss the status of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Sunak also used the occasion to thank Modi for the Indian cricket team’s outstanding performance in the current Cricket World Cup. The two leaders’ conversation also covered the current Israel-Hamas conflict. Both leaders stressed that Hamas did not speak for the Palestinian people and denounced the terror group’s attacks on Israel. De-escalating tensions in the area was another topic of discussion.
