Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Indian Prime Minister Modi on Monday morning.
They discussed the strength of the UK-India relationship and welcomed the progress made on the 2030 Roadmap since it was agreed by the Prime Minister and Prime Minister Modi in May. This includes in areas such as trade and defence. The leaders looked forward to the upcoming visit of the UK Carrier Strike Group to India and the deepening of the UK-India strategic partnership.
The Prime Minister underlined the importance of making concrete progress on climate change ahead of and at the upcoming COP26 Summit. He noted that India already lead the world in renewable technology and expressed his hope that they will commit to a more ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution and to achieving Net Zero emissions.
Prime Minister Modi is slated to attend the summit that will be held in Glasgow from 31 October to 12 November. PM Modi will be visiting Italy for the G20 summit later this month, marking his 3rd foreign visit amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Modi discussed the shared fight against coronavirus and the importance of cautiously opening up international travel. They agreed the UK’s recognition of Indian vaccine certification is a welcome development to that end.
According to a press note issued by the Prime Minister’s Office in India, PM Modi, in turn, conveyed India’s commitment to climate action as seen in its “ambitious target" for expansion of renewable energy and the recently announced National Hydrogen Mission.
“Was a pleasure to speak to Prime Minister @BorisJohnson. We reviewed progress on the India-UK Agenda 2030, exchanged views on climate action in the context of the forthcoming COP-26 in Glasgow, and shared our assessments on regional issues including Afghanistan," tweeted PM Modi.
The leaders also talked about the current situation in Afghanistan. They agreed on the need for a coordinated international approach to engagement with the Taliban, emphasising the importance of upholding human rights in the country.
