Amid Strain In India-UK Ties, British Minister Lord Tariq Ahmad Meets With EAM S Jaishankar

Amid a strain in bilateral ties over the debate on the farmer protests in the British Parliament, Union Minister for External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar yesterday (15 March) interacted with United Kingdom's (UK) Minister Lord Tariq Ahmad, reports Livemint.

Ahmad is the Minister of State for the Commonwealth and United Nations at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Dr Jaishankar discussed bilateral ties and global cooperation between India and the UK with Lord Ahmad who is currently on a visit to India. This came just days after India conveyed to the UK its strong opposition to the "unwarranted and tendentious" discussion in the British Parliament on India's agri reforms.

India had described the debate in the UK's Parliament as a "gross interference" in the politics of another country.

Meanwhile, it should also be noted that the meeting between Dr Jaishankar and Lord Ahmad came on a day when the Upper House of the Indian Parliament took up a discussion on the alleged incidents of racism in the UK.

During the discussion in the Rajya Sabha, Dr Jaishankar told the House that the two nations have strong ties, and that India will take up such matters with great candour when required.

In addition to this, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla also met with the UK minister.