India and UK set Diwali deadline for concluding free trade pact

No pressure from UK over India's stand on Russia, says Shringla

India and the UK on Friday put aside their differences over the Russian invasion of Ukraine and set an ambitious target of concluding a “comprehensive and balanced” free trade agreement (FTA) by Diwali this year to double bilateral trade by 2030. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his visiting British counterpart Boris Johnson announced measures to enhance defence, security and trade partnerships.

Johnson said India shared the UK’s “anxiety about autocracies and autocratic coercions around the world”, while acknowledging India’s longstanding friendship with Russia. In the joint statement after their bilateral meeting, both sides “unequivocally condemned civilian deaths and reiterated the