British Foreign Secretary David Lammy met Saturday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss enhancing counter-terrorism collaboration between the two countries, after recent spates of tension between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.
Lammy, who is the highest-ranking Western official to have visited both India and Pakistan since their May 10 ceasefire, emphasized that peace must be preserved in the region. The ceasefire came after weeks of rising tension that started with the April killing of 26 people in Indian-controlled Kashmir a incident which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-backed insurgents, which Islamabad rejected.
India hit back with attacks on supposed terrorist facilities in Pakistan, provoking a volatile military build-up that subsequently died down with a ceasefire.
“We want to see the ceasefire stick,” Lammy said in an interview at the British High Commission in New Delhi. “But we recognize that the situation remains delicate, especially with the continued threat of terrorism targeting destabilisation of India.
Lammy mentioned he talked to Modi and Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar about the increase in counter-terrorism and did not disclose further information. The UK and India have previously looked at options including cracking down on terror funding, increasing cooperation between law enforcement agencies, and intelligence sharing.
Aside from security concerns, Lammy indicated that economic relations were also on the table. Negotiations between the two nations on a long-awaited free trade agreement (FTA) were wrapped up last month.
Lammy assured that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will travel to India shortly to officially sign the agreement. “There is huge potential for the UK and India to deepen their economic partnership,” he stated, noting that the FTA would open up additional trade potential between the fifth and sixth-largest economies in the world.
The visit reflects the UK’s commitment to enhancing strategic and economic ties with India in the face of regional and global challenges.
