Manila, July 23: Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met with the newly appointed UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband in Manila on Thursday. This was their first meeting as foreign ministers. They discussed strengthening bilateral relations following the recent implementation of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA/CETA).
During the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing the comprehensive strategic partnership between India and the UK.
After the meeting, Jaishankar took to social media platform X to express, “Had my first meeting with UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband in Manila. Congratulations on his new role. We agreed to enhance the positive atmosphere created by the India-UK FTA and further strengthen our comprehensive strategic partnership.”
Earlier, on Tuesday, Jaishankar congratulated Miliband on his appointment as Foreign Secretary. He noted that the India-UK comprehensive strategic partnership has gained remarkable momentum in recent years, and he is eager to work together to elevate cooperation between the two nations.
Ed Miliband has been the Member of Parliament for Doncaster North since May 2005. He was appointed as the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs on Monday. Prior to this, he served as Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero from July 2024 to July 2026.
On the same day, Andy Burnham took over as Prime Minister of the UK following Keir Starmer’s resignation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated him, stating that India and the UK will strengthen their partnership across various sectors, including trade, investment, technology, defense, and people-to-people relations.
Modi mentioned that with the implementation of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) this month, the strategic partnership between the two countries would be further solidified, providing new momentum to achieve the Vision 2035 goals.
Recently, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced that the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Social Security Agreement came into effect on July 15.
According to the government, under this agreement, nearly 99 percent of India’s exports will benefit from zero tariffs in the UK market, covering almost 100 percent of trade value.
Prime Minister Modi described this agreement as “a significant milestone” in India-UK relations, stating that it will create new opportunities for businesses, investors, and workers in both countries, thereby strengthening economic ties.
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