British home secretary James Cleverly underscored the importance of the UK and India working together for global peace, calling the ties between the two countries a “force of good”.
“The intellectual horsepower of India is enormous and getting bigger. Whether it is dealing with potential future pandemics or dealing with non-communicable diseases or dealing with the opportunity and risks of AI or financial services or sustainable agriculture, I struggle to think of any sector where coordination and cooperation between the UK and India will not be a force for good in the world,” Cleverly said at the India Global Forum’s (IGF) 6th annual UK-India Parliamentary Lunch at the House of Lords on January 24.
Against the backdrop of major global conflicts, and following the first visit by an Indian defence minister to the UK in 22 years, the home secretary stressed on the vitality of the partnership in preventing conflict “spilling over”.
“It was incredibly important that India’s defence minister visited the UK because in a turbulent world, and a potentially turbulent region, having strong and long-standing partners, as we do with India, closely coordinating on security on the preservation of peace is incredibly important. Of course, the military relationship between India and the UK is very long standing. I really hope that together, demonstrating a strength of purpose, demonstrating commitment to democracy, and demonstrating a willingness to defend our values, the UK and India can work together to prevent conflict spilling over and engulfing other parts of the world,” he said.
Co-hosted by the Indian High Commission to the UK and Lord Jitesh Gadhia, the UK-India Parliamentary Lunch convened key players from the worlds of politics, business and finance over a sit-down lunch to celebrate the growing ties between the two democracies.
Referring to British foreign secretary David Cameron’s comments on the global conflict dashboard flashing red lights, IGF chairman and CEO Manoj Ladwa said: “As we have seen, approaches and responses can vary, even between the closest of partners. These divergences are more about nuance and emphasis, rather than the fundamental values of the rule of law, freedom of belief, diversity and inclusion, freer trade, and democracy, that we all so cherish. In such times, democracies must work harder together. Because we all know, democracies work best, when democracies work together.”
Highlighting the strides the Indian economy had made in recent years, India’s deputy high commissioner Sujit Ghosh said: “India is not just creating opportunities for its people but also for the rest of the globe. The UK is uniquely positioned to benefit from India’s rise. The time has come for our friends in the UK to shed their old lens and see India for what it is.”
Lord Gadhia said a significant element of the UK-India bilateral lies in the hands of political leaders and diplomats, especially the free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations.
“A lot of the activity flows from the two-way traffic of people, ideas, commerce and collaboration, which is such a defining characteristic of the UK-India axis,” he added.
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