Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar. (Source: PTI)

The two countries have a growing bilateral partnership, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on November 11. During the visit, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will hold talks with his counterpart James Cleverly and meet several other officials.

India and the UK “share a warm and prosperous relationship” and the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership was launched in 2021 along with the India-UK Roadmap 2030 to boost trade, investment, defence and security cooperation.

“The roadmap is a commitment to a partnership that benefits both countries,” and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit “will give new impetus to the friendly relations between the two countries.”

The visit of the Indian foreign minister comes amid protracted negotiations between the two countries on a free trade agreement (FTA).

According to the Hindustan Times , both sides missed the deadline to sign the deal and have been engaged in intense negotiations in recent weeks to narrow differences in key areas such as tariffs, market access and labor movement.

Earlier, in a phone call on November 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak discussed the progress of the FTA between the two countries.

India TV News commented that the visit could be a preparation for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's visit to India in the next few months.