British Foreign Minister David Lamy arrives in India for his first visit
New Delhi- British Foreign Minister David Lamy reached India on Wednesday. This is his first official visit since the Labour Party formed the government earlier this month. He is expected to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar as well as other ministers and leaders. Lamy (51), an advocate of strong bilateral ties with India and who described External Affairs Minister Jaishankar as ‘mitras’, said at the ‘India Global Forum’ in London last week that he intends to visit India within the first month of his term.
Jaishankar wrote on ‘X’, ‘‘We hope to continue our partnership and strengthen the India-UK comprehensive strategic partnership.’’ After being appointed Foreign Minister, Lamy said, ‘‘It is an honor of my life to be appointed Minister for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.’’ He said, ‘‘There are big challenges facing the world, but we will face them with the immense strength of Britain. We will reconnect Britain for our security and prosperity.’’ Last week, Lamy said, referring to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson missing the Diwali 2022 deadline set for a free trade agreement (FTA), ‘‘many Diwali passed without a trade deal and a lot of businesses were left waiting.’’
He said, ‘‘We are in favor of a rules-based system and against those who want to forcefully redraw borders with a new form of imperialism. Such as in Europe (Russia’s President Vladimir) Putin and those in Asia who want to impose their will on their neighbors and deny them free choice.’’ Lamy had said, ‘‘Europe and Asia are not two different worlds. In this challenging environment, the UK will seek to enhance its security partnership with India, from military to maritime security, from cyber to critical and emerging technologies, from defense and industrial cooperation to supply chain security.’’ He said, ‘‘We also want to send the message that we do not see the trade agreement as a top point in relations with India, but as a basis, because we can do a lot in all areas.’’
