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Rishi Sunak has sounded a cautious note about the prospects of signing Britain’s biggest post-Brexit trade deal, saying it is “not a given”.
Speaking to reporters as he travelled to the G20 in Delhi, the prime minister said he would “check in” with Narendra Modi about the progress towards a free trade agreement.
But he played down the prospects of an imminent agreement, with hopes of signing it off on this – his first trip to India in office – seeming to have faded.
There are now hopes that after twelve rounds of negotiations, the two leaders may be able to reach agreement on another visit to India which is being discussed for later this year.
Mr Sunak said: “Without question, India is going to be one of the most significant countries geopolitically over the next years and decades and it’s vitally important for the UK to deepen our ties, particularly economically and more broadly, with India.
“So that’s why we’ve been working towards an ambitious and comprehensive free trade deal, but it’s not a given.
“These things are a lot of work and a lot of time. That’s why I’ve never put an artificial deadline on these trade deals, I’ve always said we shouldn’t sacrifice quality for speed. And we need to end up with something that works genuinely for both sides.
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“Of course, every time I see Prime Minister Modi, it’s something we check in at, but that’s not the main purpose of this trip. There are lots of other things we’re going to be discussing.”
Back at home, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly defended the speed of trade deal negotiations with India, saying they were progressing “quicker” than talks with the EU.
“Our trade negotiations with India have actually progressed quicker than other trade negotiations, including the EU’s trade negotiations with India,” he said.
“We’ve always said we want to get the right trade deal with India because it’s an incredibly important partner, not…
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