India, UK focus on enhancing cooperation in trade, defence, counter-terrorism

Foreign secretary Vikram Misri and Britain’s permanent under-secretary Oliver Robbins also co-chaired the first Strategic Exports and Technology Cooperation Dialogue

Published on: Jun 3, 2025, 22:46:45 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

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NEW DELHI: India and the UK on Tuesday discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, defence, counter-terrorism, green energy and health and focused on measures to address export controls for enabling greater technology cooperation in strategic sectors.

Foreign secretary Vikram Misri and Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of UK Oliver Robbins in New Delhi. (@MEAIndia)

In addition to holding the annual foreign office consultations in New Delhi, foreign secretary Vikram Misri and Britain’s permanent under-secretary Oliver Robbins co-chaired the first Strategic Exports and Technology Cooperation Dialogue.

During the foreign office consultations, the two sides reviewed and discussed the gamut of bilateral relations. They also welcomed the conclusion of the India-UK free trade agreement and double contribution convention last month, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.

Misri and Robbins discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, financial sector, defence and security, counter-terrorism, technology, science, innovation, green energy, climate, health, education and people-to-people relations in order to diversify the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, the statement said.

The first Strategic Exports and Technology Cooperation Dialogue focused on “addressing export controls for enabling greater technology cooperation in strategic sectors”. This dialogue is aimed at building mutual understanding of systems and agreeing on areas for future cooperation in key sectors such as technology and defence.

Misri conveyed India’s appreciation for the British government’s “expression of solidarity and support to India in the fight against terrorism”. Misri and Robbins also exchanged views on regional and global issues, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the situation in West Asia and the Indo-Pacific.

A readout from the British high commission said the two sides welcomed the “significant breakthroughs” in the bilateral partnership since last year’s foreign office consultations, including the announcement of the trade deal on May 6, which will strengthen trade links and increase bilateral trade already worth £43 billion by another £25.5 billion.

“Both agreed to work towards implementing the shared vision of the two prime ministers for an ambitious partnership between the UK and India over the next decade,” the readout said.

Robbins said he is visiting India to “help advance one of the UK’s most vital partnerships in the world”. He added, “In a more complex world, there is strong ambition from both governments to take this partnership to even greater heights.”

During the visit, he is expected to meet a range of Indian officials, including on the G20 and home affairs.

Both sides agreed to hold the next foreign office consultations in London in 2026.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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