Kananaskis (Canada), June 18 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi met UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday at the sidelines of the G7 Summit here and said that both countries will keep working together to boost the wonderful ties between each other.
Taking to social media platform X, PM Modi said: “An exceptional conversation with Prime Minister Keir Starmer! India and UK ties are getting stronger, reflecting in the ground we’ve covered in areas like trade and commerce. We will keep working together to add even more momentum to this wonderful friendship. @Keir_Starmer.”
This meeting at the G7 Summit comes in the wake of the tragic Air India crash, which claimed British lives..
The crash occurred on June 12, when an Air India flight bound for London from Ahmedabad crashed shortly after takeoff, ramming into a doctors’ hostel at BJ Medical College in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, had expressed shock and grief after the Air India flight bound for London crashed shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport, triggering a massive emergency response.
“Today is a truly heartbreaking day for many British and Indian families up and down the country. I want to extend my heartfelt sympathies to all those impacted by the horrific plane crash,” Starmer posted on X following the accident.
Additionally, the United Kingdom’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) have offered assistance in the investigation that is being carried out by the Indian authorities following the crash.
Earlier on June 7, Prime Minister Modi had also conveyed his warm greetings to the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and reiterated the invitation for his visit to India at the earliest mutual convenience.
Earlier in June 2025, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar thanked the government of the United Kingdom for standing shoulder to shoulder with India in its fight against terrorism to bring the perpetrators of heinous April 22 Pahalgam terror attack to justice.
UK’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s visited India which followed the recent historic Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed between the two countries on May 6 which, along with the Double Contribution Convention, said EAM Jaishankar, is truly a milestone which will not only propel the two-way trade and investment but will have also have a positive effect on other strategic aspects of India-UK bilateral ties besides also contributing to the strengthening of supply and value chains.
Notably, in May 2025, India and the UK signed a India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), marking a significant step between the world’s fourth and sixth largest economies amid ongoing global trade volatility and tariff uncertainties.
UK is India’s fourth largest export destination and India is UK’s 11th largest trading partner.
The bilateral trade of about $60 billion is projected to double by 2030.
It is India’s 16th FTA, and the UK’s most significant bilateral trade deal post-Brexit.
The FTA grants zero-duty access for 99 per cent of Indian exports to the UK, including textiles, apparel, leather, footwear, marine products, sports goods, toys, gems and jewellery, auto parts, engineering goods, and organic chemicals.
–IANS
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