NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart, Andy Burnham, on Friday agreed to take the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to “new heights” and fully leverage the trade and investment opportunities arising from the recently operationalised India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The commitment came during their first phone conversation since Burnham assumed office as UK Prime Minister on July 20, succeeding Keir Starmer.
Congratulating Burnham on his new role, Modi conveyed his best wishes for a successful tenure and said the two leaders agreed to expand cooperation across a range of sectors.
“We agreed to work together across sectors such as technology, innovation, defence, security, clean energy, education and people-to-people ties and take the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to new heights,” Modi said in a post on X.
“We will also collaborate closely to fully harness the trade and investment opportunities presented by the recently operationalised India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, for the shared prosperity and well-being of both our people,” he added.
According to a statement from the UK Prime Minister's Office, Burnham reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and highlighted the importance of the India-UK partnership for communities across Britain. “The Prime Minister set out his ambitions to further enhance the UK-India relationship, including through the UK-India Vision 2035 framework and strong people-to-people links,” the British readout said. Burnham also praised the contribution of the Indian diaspora to British society. Modi, in turn, referred to the historical links between Manchester and Ahmedabad, describing Ahmedabad as the “Manchester of India.”
The two leaders also exchanged views on the situation in West Asia and agreed to work closely towards de-escalation and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the British statement. The conversation underscored the shared intent to build on the momentum generated by the recently implemented trade agreement, which is expected to boost bilateral trade, investment and economic cooperation while further expanding collaboration in strategic sectors.