Want to make sure India-U.K. FTA is first step in continually evolving trade, economic relationship: U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly

James Cleverly said "we need to continue discussing things such as climate change, the impact on food security and our joint efforts to bring resolution to the various conflicts around the world, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a very ambitious desire to get the India-U.K. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed by Deepavali and his new British counterpart Liz Truss wants her administration to "match the pace and ambition" of the Indian leader, U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has said.

Mr. Cleverly also said that the bilateral relationship between India and the U.K. is longstanding and wide-ranging, which is both a "huge plus" but it also means that "quite understandably there is a desire to have a very, very wide-ranging, meaningful free trade agreement."

"Obviously, Prime Minister Modi has set a very ambitious desire to get a free trade agreement signed by Diwali. Now, that means that both us and Indian negotiators are going to have to work very, very hard but we are very willing to do so," Mr. Cleverly told PTI in an interview in New York, on September 21 on the margins of the high-level UN General Assembly session.

"We want to make sure that the deal that we do, ideally by Diwali, is the first step in a continually evolving trade and economic relationship with India. So, there's a lot to do and not a lot of time," Mr. Cleverly said, adding that he is keen to "match the ambition of the Prime Minister.

"He [Narendra Modi] is a very high-energy political leader. He's very, very ambitious. He's ambitious for India as a country, he is ambitious for our relationship with India and all this is incredibly positive. Our Prime Minister [Liz Truss], I know because we've had this discussion, she wants us to match the pace and ambition of your Prime Minister. And that means the other Ministers and the officials are going to have to work really hard and really fast." Deepavali falls on October 24 this year.

Mr. Cleverly said "we need to continue discussing things such as climate change, the impact on food security and of course, our joint efforts to bring resolution to the various conflicts around the world, including, of course, the Russian invasion of Ukraine. So a very, very broad and busy agenda," he said.

He added that range of potential agreements also adds complexity. While there are traditional areas in a free trade agreement such as exports and imports of manufactured goods, agricultural goods, technology and service industries, the mutual recognition of professional qualifications is also "incredibly important now." "It is a challenge in a positive way because we have such a strong heritage and inter-woven economies and societies," he said.