United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was in India for the G20 summit on September 9-10, called himself a proud Hindu and noted that he always had a strong connection with India.
The leader said that his wife is Indian and being a Hindu, he will always have a bond with India and its people. “I am hugely proud of my Indian roots and my connections to India,” added Sunak. He also hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership saying that India is the “right country” at the “right time” to hold the G20 presidency.
On the India-UK trade deal, the UK PM said there was “still some way to go” for a free trade pact with India to be finalised, but he appeared confident that the final outcome will be a “forward-looking” and “modern” deal that would benefit both sides and help shared ambition of doubling trade by 2030. He pointed out that the trade deal could help Indian exporters, including 48 million small and medium enterprises, gain access to the British market.
On the margins of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, the British Prime Minister agreed to a new strategic partnership with Singapore during a meeting with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on September 9. Following the new partnership, both countries will work to conclude a new and modern bilateral investment treaty – the first for the UK after leaving the European Union.
