Prime Minister Modi talks about the productive virtual summit with Boris Johnson

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that he had a productive virtual summit with his British counterpart Boris Johnson where they adopted an ambitious Roadmap 2030 for elevating India-UK ties to a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership".
Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said that the duo discussed ongoing cooperation on the Covid-19 pandemic and reiterated commitment to ambitious climate action to meet Paris goals in the run-up to COP26.

“We welcomed launch of an Enhanced Trade Partnership as a roadmap to a comprehensive FTA, with a target to more than double the bilateral trade by 2030. We also agreed upon several new initiatives in health, technology, energy, etc,” the prime minister tweeted.

India and the UK issued a joint statement after the virtual summit, saying the prime ministers agreed on a common vision of a new and transformational Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. They adopted the ambitious India-UK Roadmap to 2030 to steer cooperation for the next ten years.

As India is facing an unprecedented public health crisis owing to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), both leaders acknowledged the difficult circumstances caused by the pandemic. According to the ministry of external affairs, PM Modi and Johnson offered their deepest condolences for the loss of lives and expressed the deepest sympathy with the families of the victims of the pandemic in India, the UK and the rest of the world.

Prime Minister Modi thanked Johnson for the prompt assistance provided by the UK in the form of critical medical equipment in the fight against Covid-19, the ministry said. As per the joint statement, the duo agreed to expand and enhance the existing vaccine partnership and highlighting the "successful collaboration between Oxford University, Astra Zeneca and the Serum Institute of India".

Report by Chetali S M
Reported on – 04/05/2021