UK foreign secretary supports India’s fight against cross-border terrorism

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday stressed the need for decisive international action against terrorism and those supporting it in a meeting with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who expressed support for India’s fight against cross-border terrorism.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Lammy strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack.

Modi expressed satisfaction at the successful conclusion of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement and Double Contribution Convention and appreciated the constructive engagement by both sides that led to this milestone.

The statement said he welcomed the growing momentum in bilateral ties and expressed satisfaction at the deepening of the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

He welcomed the continued collaboration under the Technology Security Initiative and noted its potential to shape trusted and secure innovation ecosystems. Lammy conveyed the UK’s strong interest in further enhancing cooperation across key sectors, including trade and investment, defence and security, technology, innovation and clean energy.

He expressed confidence that the FTA will unlock new economic opportunities for both countries. The two leaders exchanged views on regional and global issues, the statement said.

It added, “The UK Foreign Secretary strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and expressed support for India’s fight against cross-border terrorism. PM Modi underscored the need for decisive international action against terrorism and those who support it.”

Meanwhile, Lammy also held extensive talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

India expects partners to understand its policy of “zero tolerance” against terrorism and it will never countenance “perpetrators of evil” being put on par with its victims, Jaishankar said in his televised opening remarks.

Lammy arrived here on Saturday morning on a two-day visit to review various aspects of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

The visit follows the historic Free Trade Agreement agreed between the two countries and will deliver on this government’s commitment to boost jobs and prosperity. The new deal with India is expected to increase bilateral trade by over £25 billion every year, UK GDP by £4.8 billion, and wages by £2.2 billion each year in the long run, putting money back in the pockets of working people.

Lammy said: “India was one of my first visits as Foreign Secretary, and since then has been a key partner in the delivery of our Plan for Change. Our relationship has gone from strength to strength – securing our future technologies, adding over £25bn in trade every year between our countries and deepening the strong links between our cultures and people.

“Signing a free trade agreement is just the start of our ambitions - we’re building a modern partnership with India for a new global era. We want to go even further to foster an even closer

relationship and cooperate when it comes to delivering growth, fostering innovative technology, tackling the climate crisis and delivering our migration priorities, and providing greater security for our people.”

The Foreign Secretary will also meet with leading figures in Indian business to discuss how we can unlock even greater investment by Indian business in the UK.

The visit comes as some of India’s top business leaders endorsed the trade deal which will increase opportunities for trade and investment between the UK and India.

It also comes ahead of the launch of the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy, which will make it quicker, easier and cheaper to do business in the UK.