Trade talks between India and Britain have not been suspended and will continue this year, three officials said yesterday, responding to a British newspaper report that said India had “disengaged” from the talks after London failed to condemn Sikh separatists.
An official in India’s foreign ministry said progress in the trade talks and New Delhi’s concerns around Sikh separatist activities in Britain should not be interlinked.
A diplomatic official in the British High Commission in New Delhi said trade talks will continue in a scheduled manner and security officials in London were addressing India’s concerns about Sikh separatist activities in Britain.
“Both the UK and India are committed to delivering an ambitious and mutually beneficial FTA and concluded the latest round of trade talks last month,” a spokesperson for Britain’s Department for Business and Trade said.
“The Foreign Secretary has condemned the recent acts of violence at the Indian High Commission, and we are working with the Metropolitan Police to review security and make changes to ensure the safety of its staff,” the spokes- person added. The Times newspaper reported yesterday that India has “disengaged” from the talks after accusing Britain of failing to condemn a Sikh separatist group.
A second Indian foreign ministry source said that trade talks with Britain had not been suspended, and described the media report to be “baseless”. In total, Britain and India have an around 29 billion pound ($35.5 billion) trading relationship, and expanding it is a major part of Britain’s IndoPacific foreign policy tilt, which aims to enhance ties with the region’s fast-growing economies.
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