The Foreign Secretary is heading to India to urge its government to work with other democracies to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
There is growing concern in the West over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reluctance to publicly denounce the actions of Russia, an ally of India since the Cold War.
India relies heavily on Moscow for arms imports and has abstained in a series of votes in the United Nations over the invasion.
The government agreed this month to import three million barrels of heavily discounted Russian oil after Moscow had to drop prices because of international sanctions.
There are concerns the relatively small amount of oil is a precursor for more purchases in the coming months, which could weaken the impact of Western sanctions on Russia.
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Liz Truss’ visit is not just about Russia. She will confirm £70m of UK investment funding to support renewable energy development in India, one of the world’s biggest users of hydrocarbons.
She will also announce a new joint cyber security programme to protect online infrastructure in both countries from attacks.
Trade is also likely to be on the agenda after the two countries launched free trade deal talks in January with the aim of signing an agreement by the end of the year that could boost trade by billions of pounds.
A court in Karnataka upheld a ban on students wearing a hijab
But there are other troubles brewing in India that Ms Truss will have to contend with, including a ban on wearing hijabs in classrooms in Karnataka state, seen as a bid to sideline minority Muslims in the largely Hindu nation.
There are fears similar bans could be enforced in other states after a court upheld the…
Source : skynews
