New Delhi | July, 25 : India and the UK have agreed to strengthen cooperation in developing complex weapons and advanced technologies and fight against terrorism including its financing and cross-border movement of terrorists.
The ‘India-UK Vision 2035’ endorsed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Keir Starmer in London yesterday, highlights the importance of strengthening of India-UK Defence partnership with both sides agreeing on expanding engagements with armed forces and advancing Defence capability collaboration.
The ‘Vision’ also stresses on promoting strategic and Defence industry collaboration through the adoption of a 10-year Defence Industrial Roadmap and a joint mechanism at senior official level to monitor its implementation and progress. The existing Foreign and Defence 2+2 senior official level dialogue will be upgraded to next higher level. It calls for enhancing cooperation under the Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI) through establishing a Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence (RMSCE) to build capacity and resilience across the Indian Ocean on non-traditional maritime security threats. It reaffirms India as a regional hub for sustainment of logistics support to UK armed forces presence in the Indian Ocean Region. Research and development of new capabilities, including underwater systems and direct energy weapons, will be strengthened.
Condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, the Vision 2035 stresses on strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism in a comprehensive and sustained manner, in accordance with the UN Charter and international law. Countering radicalisation and violent extremism, combating financing of terrorism and cross-border movement of terrorists, preventing exploitation of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes, tackling terrorist recruitment, strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation in these spheres, including in information sharing, judicial cooperation, capacity building form part of the Vision 2035. It also aims at strengthening cooperation against globally proscribed terrorists, terror entities and their sponsors, protecting citizens from transnational organised crime, including terrorism, cyber-crime and illicit financial flows through a shared understanding of criminal threats, cooperation in justice and law enforcement and sharing best practice to stop criminals. It reaffirms cooperation in security and curbing irregular migration, including through implementing in full the Migration and Mobility Partnership. ‘’Together, India and the UK aim to prevent exploitation by criminal organisations and to safeguard the UK-India living bridge, which reflects the enduring ties between our people,’’ the Vision 2035 says.
By 2035, flagship partnerships will redefine the India-UK relationship delivering transformative opportunities and tangible benefits for both countries. ’The new vision builds on this momentum, setting ambitious goals to deepen and diversify bilateral cooperation,’’ an official spokesman said here today, adding that the pillars of the Vision 2035 are designed to reinforce one another, create partnership across a wide and deep range of outcomes including growth and jobs in the UK and India and building on the ambitious trade deal. ‘’The India-UK Vision 2035 will be anchored in sustained high-level political engagement. Both countries reaffirm their commitment to regular meetings of the two Prime Ministers to provide strategic direction and oversight.’’
Implementation of the Vision 2035 will be reviewed annually by the External Affairs Minister of India and the Foreign Secretary of the UK. The focused Ministerial mechanisms will address cross sectoral issues including technology, trade, investment and financial sector cooperation. These engagements will ensure that the partnership remains dynamic, responsive, and aligned with shared strategic interests. Both sides are committed to working towards early conclusion of a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). ‘’The Free Trade Agreement is only the start for our joint ambitious partnership for growth,’’ the Vision says.
