Updated: December 17, 2020 7:18:43 am
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab at Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan in New Delhi on Tuesday. (PTI)
A day after he announced that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson would be the main guest of the Republic Day celebrations in January, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Wednesday that he had “discussed” the situation. that arose out of farmers’ protests with Minister of Foreign Affairs, S Jaishankar. He stressed that “their policy” is, in a sense, “our policy” because of the Indian diaspora in Britain.
Raab, who also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, told a group of journalists that India has a “vibrant heritage of peaceful protests” and that the UK “respects it”.
After their meeting, Modi, in a Twitter post, said: “Excellent meeting with @DominicRaab, UK Secretary of State for @FCDOGovUK. The huge potential of the India-UK partnership in the post-COVID and post-BREXIT world was discussed. We look forward to next month’s visit from Prime Minister @BorisJohnson as the main guest at our Republic Day celebrations. “
Responding to questions about the farmers’ protests, Raab said: “I discussed the situation with Foreign Minister Jaishankar and we obviously respect the fact that the reforms your system is going through here are internal reforms. They have, of course, sparked the protests you are referring to, and their policy, in a sense, because of the Indian diaspora in Britain, is our policy. But I think India, in addition to having a market-driven economy, also has a vibrant heritage of peaceful protests and vigorous debate, and we watch it with interest and respect it. “
British MPs of Indian origin have raised the issue of farmers’ protests in the British Parliament.
When asked about China’s rise and belligerence in the Indo-Pacific region and the India-China border, Raab was cautious in his answer. He said that China’s rise provides a strategic context and there are “opportunities” as well as “challenges” and “risks.”
He spoke about the UK’s “Indo-Pacific leaning” strategy, which is about being “more engaged in seizing the opportunities, but also more engaged in managing some of the challenges and pressures.”
He said the UK and India can cooperate on “cyber and the fight against disinformation” and in the “maritime sphere”.
On the Indo-Pacific region, he said he had discussed it with Prime Minister Modi. Describing India as “a partner and a friend”, he said there would be a “sea change” in cooperation and collaboration.
On the prospect of a free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the United Kingdom when Johnson visits India next monthRaab did not go into details, but said that “the levels of ambition are very high” throughout the bilateral relationship.
On the extradition of fugitives, he said there are still some “pending legal issues” that are “independent of politics or political intervention.” However, he said: “We would like them to accelerate as quickly as possible.”
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