The focus of a UK minister's visit to India is on defence ties and reducing Russian dependence
The focus of a UK minister's visit to India is on defence ties and reducing Russian dependence
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When British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss arrives in New Delhi on Thursday, she will discuss strengthening security and defence ties with India, as well as the need of all countries reducing strategic dependent on Russia in the wake of the Ukraine war. The high-level ministerial visit is part of a larger diplomatic drive, according to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and comes ahead of NATO and G7 meetings next week to address “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”

The minister wants to offset Russia’s aggression and lessen the country’s global strategic reliance, so she’s working on expanding defense-related commerce with India, including new security technologies, in order to improve defence connections with the world’s largest democracy. “Better links between Britain and India would strengthen security in the Indo-Pacific and around the world, as well as create jobs and opportunities in both countries,” Truss said ahead of her visit, which is slated to be a brief day-long journey.

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The minister will add in her meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar that Russia’s actions in Ukraine highlight the necessity of democracies working together to “deter aggressors, reduce vulnerability to coercion, and promote global security.” On Thursday, the ministers will speak at the India-UK Strategic Futures Forum, outlining their vision for the two nations’ long-term relationship.

The UK minister is due to launch a new cooperative cyber security programme as part of the Enhanced Cyber Partnership agreed upon as part of the UK-India Roadmap 2030. The goal is to secure both nations’ online infrastructure from threats. According to the FCDO, India and the United Kingdom will collaborate to improve cyber security and conduct joint exercises to practise combating cybercrime and ransomware threats. During her visit, the United Kingdom will announce plans for the first Strategic Tech Dialogue, a ministerial-level forum on new technology.

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Closer maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific is also on the ministerial agenda, with the UK joining India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and becoming a lead partner on maritime security challenges, as well as coordinating work with important Southeast Asian partners. “The visit to India last year by HMS Queen Elizabeth and the Carrier Strike Group (CSG), a symbol of the UK’s world-leading defence capacity, has strengthened their relationship on maritime security. The CSG took part in the most difficult military exercise ever conducted between the United Kingdom and India, which involved all three military services “According to the FCDO,

Truss will travel to India for the second time as Foreign Secretary, following her trip in October 2021. She previously visited as Trade Secretary. The Foreign Secretary’s goal, according to the FCDO, has been to develop ties with India, with a particular focus on the two nations’ continuing free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations.

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