India-UK ‘early market access’ package to be implemented with no further negotiations
May 05, 2021
Vaccine co-operation to continue, says UK High Commissioner to India
The India-UK ‘Early Market Access’ package for sectors such as medical devices, fruits, shrimps and nursing agreed to this week at the Summit meeting will be implemented by the two sides without further negotiations while the full-fledged bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations could take several months to begin, the UK High Commissioner to India Alexander Ellis has said.
On the vaccine co-operation between the two countries, Ellis said that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India was a success but there will be a need to continue the co-operation in the future. “We will need to produce new vaccines as new strains emerge. Vaccines are also being administered through different ways such as through the nose. India is an essential country for us to work with,”
India & UK adopt Roadmap 2030 in key sectors
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a virtual summit on Tuesday.
| 5 May 2021 1:18 AM GMT
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a virtual summit on Tuesday. An ambitious Roadmap 2030 was adopted at the summit to elevate the bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership . The Roadmap will pave the way for a deeper and stronger engagement over the next 10 years in the key areas of people-to-people contacts, trade and economy, climate action, defence and security as well as health.
Modi, Johnson Agree on FTA Talks, Visa Relaxations in Exchange of India Taking Back Illegal Migrants
The India and UK PMs met virtually on Tuesday after two meetings were cancelled this year due to COVID-19.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart Boris Johnson during their virtual summit, Tuesday, May 4, 2021. Photos: PTI
New Delhi: After the last two scheduled meetings were cancelled, Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally held a summit with his British counterpart, Boris Johnson, virtually on Tuesday, May 4.
The two key takeaways were a commitment to launch negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement and a relaxation in UK visas in return for India agreeing to take back nationals who had entered the British isles illegally.
Updated:
May 05, 2021 16:27 IST
The ETP is said to create immediate opportunities for British businesses in India across industries including food and drink, life sciences and the service sector
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British Trade Secretary Liz Truss and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal signing the U.K.-India Enhanced Trade Partnership agreement.
| Photo Credit:
Twitter@trussliz
The ETP is said to create immediate opportunities for British businesses in India across industries including food and drink, life sciences and the service sector British Trade Secretary Liz Truss and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal have signed the UK-India Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) agreement, aimed at doubling bilateral trade by 2030.
Liberalisation is back on the agenda; then again, it has been for decades
Against the backdrop of Brexit and vaccine diplomacy the United Kingdom and India yesterday agreed to a deal to increase investments by $1.39bn and to work on a longer-term bilateral free trade deal between the countries (dubbed an “Enhanced Trade Partnership”), as widely reported.
The already announced deal includes agreements on migration and cooperation on climate change, technology and in the pharma sectors, as well as the commitment to soon begin full trade talks to hammer out the Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP).
However, not widely covered and right at the bottom of the UK government s press release of the deal, as pointed out to us by an eagle-eyed reader, there is something that will be of interest to regular readers and followers of the ancient and never-ending story of Indian legal market liberalisation - ‘will they or won’t they?