Good progress on UK-India roadmap to closer ties: Shringla

London: The UK-India dialogue on the roadmap towards accelerated talks on a free trade agreement (FTA), with an interim agreement factored in, is "going well" and will see "good progress" in the coming months, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Saturday.

At the conclusion of his two-day visit to London to take stock of the Roadmap 2030 agreed between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Boris Johnson in May, Shringla said he held a range of meetings with UK interlocutors on the spectrum of issues and does not foresee any roadblocks in the process.

A visit to India by Johnson is being considered around September, with Prime Minister Modi expected to visit the UK for the COP26 climate summit in November and Shringla's visit is said to have been organised at short notice to keep up the intensive engagement ahead of those summits. There are several aspects to the roadmap, including the trade and investment aspect, where the Enhanced Trade Partnership envisages accelerated talks that can lead up to a comprehensive free trade agreement.

The possibility of an interim agreement is also factored into that, Shringla said. Both sides agree those talks are going well. We will see some good progress in that regard, he added.

Asked about any roadblocks in the way of the Roadmap 2030 for closer UK-India ties, he noted: While here, we reviewed all issues and we didn't find anything which is insurmountable.