NEW DELHI: India has rubbished British media reports that talks between India and the UK on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) have been stalled over the recent attacks by Khalistani supporters including removing the tricolour from the Indian High Commission in London.
"These reports are baseless to say the least. The FTA talks are on track. In fact a team was visiting India from the UK last month and seven rounds of the FTA are already over. Negotiations are going on the way they should and have not been clouded by any events," a source involved in the FTA talks between the two countries told The New Indian Express.
Some sections of the British media reported that FTA talks were stalled by India as it was seeking tougher action against the Khalistani groups that were behind the incidents that took place across parts of London last month – where protesters were demanding the release of separatist leader Amritpal Singh (who the Indian government has categorically stated is at large).
Meanwhile, sources add that the next round of talks will take place in London towards the end of April.
During the seventh round, technical discussions were held across 11 policy areas over 43 separate sessions. They included detailed draft treaty text discussions in the policy area, according to the UK government.
"A lot of issues that we are negotiating have been resolved and we are inching towards finalising this FTA. I can't give a fixed date as there are so many things that keep altering the deadline – but this much I can say that this will be the first FTA to be firmed up and finalised and hopefully during the course of this year," said the source.
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Monday met a team of nine visiting British Parliamentarians from APPG India (All Party Parliamentary Group on India for Trade and investment).
"Discussions were held which covered achievements and opportunities in the multi-faceted India-UK partnership," said the ministry of external affairs (MEA).
In March, APPG India held a roundtable discussion which included matters ranging from allowing British lawyers to practice in India, the FTA and also the Khalistani supporters in UK.
Bilateral trade between India and the UK was around 34 billion pounds in 2022 and this is expected to touch 100 billion pounds once the FTA is finalised. Estimates show that at present, trade between the two nations is growing by 10 billion pounds year on year.
The UK government announced the launch of the FTA negotiations with India on January 13, 2022 describing it as a golden opportunity to put British businesses at the front of the queue of the Indian economy. When former PM Boris Johnson visited India in April 2022, he had given a Diwali deadline for completion of the FTA. However, he had to step down as PM and Liz Truss took over. She was succeded by Rishi Sunak, who got elected on Diwali day, as a result of which the deadline was pushed back further.
Sources involved in the FTA process indicate that it will be finalised during the course of the ongoing year.