New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Bali on Wednesday. This was the first meeting between the two leaders. Modi congratulated Sunak on assuming office.
Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said, "Was great to meet PM @RishiSunak in Bali. India attaches great importance to robust ties. We discussed ways to increase commercial linkages, raise the scope of security cooperation in the context of India’s defense reforms and make people-to-people ties even stronger".
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has given the go-ahead for 3,000 visas for young professionals from India to work in the UK each year. The British government said India is the first visa-national country to benefit from such a scheme, highlighting the strength of the UK-India Migration and Mobility Partnership agreed upon last year.
"Today the UK-India Young Professionals Scheme was confirmed, offering 3,000 places to 18-30-year-old degree-educated Indian nationals to come to the UK to live and work for up to two years," the UK Prime Minister's Office said in a tweet. The announcement came hours after PM Sunak met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.
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Later in the day PM Modi met his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, and discussed ways to further cement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with a focus on cooperation in the education and innovation sectors. They reviewed the progress made in deepening cooperation across a diverse range of sectors, including defense, trade, education, clean energy, and people-to-people ties.
Sharing photographs of the meeting on Twitter, PM Modi said he also had discussions with Albanese on increasing trade and maritime cooperation. "Glad to meet PM Albanese. Discussed ways to further cement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with a focus on cooperation in education, innovation and other sectors. We also talked about increasing trade and maritime cooperation. @AlboMP," PM Modi tweeted.
PM Modi called it a "proud occasion" for every Indian to assume the G20 presidency, and said, "We will organize G-20 meetings in different cities and states of our country. Our guests will get full experience of India's amazing diversity, inclusive traditions, and cultural richness." India will be assuming the G20 year-long presidency from 1st December 2022 to 30th November 2023.
