Sunak and Modi meet for talks as Indian PM says consensus reached amongst leaders at G20

Rishi Sunak says he’s assured a commerce deal might be struck between the UK and India after assembly with Narendra Modi on the G20 summit.

The assembly got here because the Indian prime minister mentioned a consensus had been reached on a G20 leaders’ declaration and it has now been adopted.

The wording across the conflict in Ukraine had proved contentious within the run-up to the weekend, threatening to depart the summit and not using a leaders’ declaration for the primary time in its 20-year historical past.

Leaders have reached a compromise on the language used to explain the conflict, though particulars are but to be launched.

Speaking after the assembly, Mr Sunak mentioned the communique used “very strong language” about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the conflict’s influence on meals costs and the necessity for a revival of the Black Sea grain deal.

Mr Sunak is visiting Delhi for the primary time as prime minister to attend the G20 summit.

“It is a historic moment for India but also for the world in the way that you’ve done it,” he instructed Mr Modi.

The leaders embraced as they met, with Mr Sunak commenting: “Everyone is excited, everyone is proud, it looks great.”

The pair mentioned negotiations surrounding a possible UK-India free commerce deal in the course of the bilateral assembly.

While Mr Sunak had been optimistic in regards to the progress of negotiations upfront of the assembly, he warned a deal was “not a given”.

Speaking after the assembly, he mentioned there was “hard work” nonetheless to be achieved on the commerce deal, however he was “confident there is a deal there to be done”.

“Trade deals of this size and ambition are never easy”, he mentioned, including he would by no means put an “arbitrary deadline” on the settlement.

A second go to to India is being mentioned for later this 12 months, with hopes a deal could also be reached then.

Mr Sunak mentioned whereas a commerce settlement is a crucial approach to strengthen ties between the 2 nations, the leaders had additionally mentioned different methods deepen their relationship, together with safety and defence, training and analysis.

Boris Johnson and Liz Truss set a deadline for a deal by Diwali in October final 12 months, however Mr Sunak has rejected this timescale, pushing for a deeper deal over one achieved rapidly.

He has beforehand instructed cupboard colleagues he doesn’t desire a easy deal on items, however a complete deal which tackles points round providers.

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The deal is reportedly being held up by numerous points, together with a disagreement over the variety of visas for Indians to work within the UK and variations over the extent of entry British automotive producers ought to be given to India’s market of 1.4 billion folks.

Mr Sunak wouldn’t be drawn on what he referred to as the “nitty gritty” of the negotiations.

Elsewhere on the summit, leaders granted everlasting membership to the African Union in an effort to make the G20 extra consultant.

The G20 agenda featured points vital to growing nations, together with different fuels like hydrogen, useful resource effectivity, meals safety and growing a typical framework for digital public infrastructure.

The summit is anticipated to be dominated by the West and its allies, with the Ukraine conflict looming giant. Chinese President Xi Jinping is skipping the assembly and has despatched premier Li Qiang as a substitute, whereas Vladimir Putin has despatched overseas minister Sergey Lavrov in his place.