In May 2024, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra met Sir Philip Barton, Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), in London for the annual UK-India Strategic Dialogue. Kwatra also held discussions with the UK Minister of State for Defence Procurement and other senior officials.Both nations share a strong commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific. In November 2024, Catherine West, the UK’s Indo-Pacific Minister, reiterated the long-term strategic importance of the region, describing it as a “generational mission” for her government.Speaking at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, West emphasised the importance of the rules-based international system, stating, “We want a free and open Indo-Pacific, underpinned by the rules-based international system. Because rules matter.”Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, addressing the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2024 in October, highlighted India’s advocacy for peaceful resolutions to disputes and its emphasis on ASEAN’s centrality in fostering regional dialogue, stability, and growth.”India has consistently advocated for a peaceful resolution to disputes and has sought to promote cooperation among nations in the Indo-Pacific, with a strong emphasis on the centrality of ASEAN in fostering regional dialogue, stability, and collective growth,” Singh said.The Indo-Pacific region, comprising the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the surrounding landmasses, is a strategic area for both nations.Building on the 2030 India-UK Roadmap announced in 2021, which outlines commitments across health, climate, trade, education, science and technology, and defence, the two nations have deepened their maritime cooperation. In 2024, the UK’s high-readiness Littoral Response Group operated with the Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean region. Furthermore, the UK’s Carrier Strike Group is scheduled to visit India this year for joint operations with Indian forces.West underscored India’s critical role in the UK’s long-term strategy, stating, “We know that we live in a rapidly changing world where the more closely we work, the stronger we become.”
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