India & UK all set to sign free trade pact

NEW DELHI: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepared to depart for London, India and the UK seemed all set to sign a landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with foreign secretary Vikram Misri saying the deal was undergoing "last-minute work", including legal scrubbing.

With discussions likely between Modi and his counterpart Keir Starmer on the Russia-Ukraine war amid renewed attempts by the West to drag Russia to the negotiating table through sanctions that could also impact India for trading with Moscow, Misri underlined India's call to shun double standards on energy trade.

While neither side confirmed it officially, both seemed confident that the FTA would be formally signed during Modi's day-long visit that is also expected to see the leaders discuss ways to expand cooperation in areas like trade, defence, technology, education and people-to-people contacts. India is also expected to raise issues related to Khalistani extremism, with Misri saying this should be of concern to Indian partners as well, and press for return of economic fugitives.

The UK sees the Russia sanctions as meant only to tame President Vladimir Putin's war machine and not aimed at countries like India, and Misri acknowledged India had not yet seen any actions by the UK on the proposed secondary sanctions. Speaking about the EU's latest sanctions, he said India's energy security remained the "highest priority" for govt and reiterated that it was important not to have double standards and to have a "clear-eyed perception" of what the global situation was in the broader energy market.

"We do understand that there is an important and serious security issue that is confronting Europe, but the rest of the world is also there and is also dealing with issues that are existential for the rest of the world," Misri said, adding that it was important to keep balance and perspective while talking about these issues.

Modi will hold talks with Starmer on July 24, after which the FTA is expected to be formally signed. He will also have meetings with business leaders, both from India and the UK. For the UK, while it's an official visit meant to deliver policy outcomes and not a ceremonial state visit, Modi is expected to be hosted personally and separately by both Starmer and King Charles III.

"There is the obvious legal scrubbing, etcetera, that any such agreement needs to go through. We are continuing to work on those and last-minute work on that is continuing," Misri said, responding to a query on whether the FTA was going to be signed during the visit.

Asked whether the state of Indian prisons was preventing the extradition of Indian fugitives from the UK, Misri said, It's not the case that people haven't been extradited to India - as you know, recently Tahawwur Rana was extradited, and similar issues were involved in that case too.

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