UK reaffirms 2030 Roadmap commitments at high-level dialogue with India in London

India's Foreign Secretary Shri Vinay Kwatra made an official visit to the United Kingdom from May 16-17, 2024, for the 16th round of Foreign Office Consultations with Sir Philip Barton, Permanent Under-Secretary of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
Sir Philip Barton, Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Shri Vinay Kwatra, Indian Foreign Secretary met in London on 17 May for the annual UK-India Strategic Dialogue.
They reviewed the progress made on the UK-India 2030 Roadmap since the last dialogue in January 2023 and looked ahead to the next phase of bilateral cooperation.
The two reflected on good progress on the 2030 Roadmap since the last review, noting key areas where the UK and India have worked together to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. This included collaborating on the world’s first malaria vaccine, working closely on India’s successful G20 Presidency and increasing opportunities for students and entrepreneurs under the Migration and Mobility Partnership.
Alongside celebrating the milestones since the last review, this year’s dialogue included the ongoing commitment to negotiate a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement (FTA), and enhance defence cooperation.
During the visit, Kwatra also met Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, and discussed the FTA, migration and the Commonwealth. Lord Ahmad said: “We are delighted to host Indian Foreign Secretary Kwatra in London to underline the UK’s commitment to deepening cooperation with India. I look forward to our relationship going from strength to strength, working together on trade, defence, climate, and health.”
During his visit, he also held meetings with several key UK officials, including MOS Foreign Office Lord Tariq Ahmad, MOS for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge, NSA Sir Tim Barrow, UK Home Office Permanent Secretary Matthew Rycroft, Chief Trade Negotiator Crawford Falconer, and Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister Professor John Bew. UK Kwatra discussed key areas of bilateral ties as well as the broader geopolitical security landscape with NSA Sir Tim Barrow. Kwatra discussed ways to ease legal migration while curbing illegal flows with Rycroft. They recognised the need to further enhance cooperation in tackling extremism and terrorism.
Both sides discussed a wide range of bilateral relations and regional and global issues of mutual interest. The Foreign Secretary and Permanent Under-Secretary conducted a detailed review of the Roadmap 2030, highlighting significant progress across all pillars. They expressed a strong interest in raising the level of ambition and agreed to further enhance bilateral cooperation in areas including trade and economic relations, defence and security, science and technology, people-to-people ties and mobility, energy and climate change, as well as health.
India and the United Kingdom share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which has been reinforced through regular high-level political exchanges and meetings of bilateral institutional mechanisms. It was agreed that the next round of Foreign Office Consultations will be held in New Delhi in 2025.