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UK obliged to give security to Indian missions, says EAM


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India had raised concerns when Khalistani supporters vandalised the Indian High Commission in London and brought down the Indian Flag on March 19 this year. NEW DELHI:  External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday told Britain’s visiting Minister of State for the Middle East, South Asia, and UN Tariq Ahmad that Britain was obliged to provide security to India’s diplomatic missions.

“We discussed a broad range of issues from Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and South Asia to Indo-Pacific and G20. I underlined the obligation to ensure the security of our diplomatic missions and prevent misuse of democratic freedoms,’’ Jaishankar said after meeting Lord Tariq Ahmad. India had raised concerns when Khalistani supporters vandalised the Indian High Commission in London and brought down the Indian Flag on March 19 this year.

“I was delighted to meet with my dear friend Jaishankar in Delhi. We discussed the importance of strengthening our long-standing bilateral relations and progressing the FTA,’’ Ahmad said. He is also the British Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict. Ahmad also said India and the UK share a long friendship and common values. During the course of the day, he met foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra and G20 chief coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla among others.

After visiting New Delhi and Jodhpur, he will now head to Hyderabad. “Building on the 2030 roadmap for India-UK future relations, we are deepening our collaboration on science, technology, bringing new innovations to both our nations,’’ Ahmad said. The visit comes as the US and India continue to make progress towards a mutually beneficial FTA which will boost India and the UK’s trading relationship, which was worth 36 billion pounds in 2022. (THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS)