Liz Truss said that closer defence and security ties between the UK and India support deeper economic relations make both nations safer.
UK Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss who visited India on Saturday said that her stay is part of the UK’s Indo-Pacific strategy which aims at strengthening security and defence ties with the country.
According to her, closer defence and security ties between the UK and India support deeper economic relations and make both nations and the region safer.
Liz arrived in Mumbai from Delhi, where she stated that the Carrier Strike Group led by the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth’s important port stop in Mumbai demonstrates the UK’s Indo-Pacific orientation in action.
Position of Strength
Truss stated, “We need to protect our sea and trade routes and, operating from a position of strength, be hard-headed in defending our interests and challenging unfair practices. The arrival of the Carrier Strike Group in India this weekend represents the UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt in action.”
Carrier Strike Group: UK’s world-leading defence capability
The HMS Queen Elizabeth ship described as the spearhead of the Carrier Strike Group (CSG), a symbol of the UK’s world-leading defence capacity, and her visit to Mumbai is a clear sign of Britain’s growing defence and maritime cooperation with India, according to a statement from the British High Commission.
The Foreign Secretary is expected to advance negotiations in the Indo-Pacific region to strengthen defence and security ties and increase strategic collaboration during her visit to Mumbai.
According to the announcement, the visit would further cooperation efforts agreed upon by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the landmark 2030 Roadmap on maritime security, cyber security and counter-terrorism, which was signed earlier this year.
Truss will also talk about working with the Indian government to develop new security and defence technology to combat common challenges, as well as boosting defence-related trade between the two countries.
UK’s Indo-Pacific strategy relies on strengthened collaboration with India
She will also join Queen Elizabeth Carrier at sea to tour the warship and see live drills involving UK and US F35B fighter jets. Sir Nick Carter, the Chief of Defence Staff, is also in Mumbai to watch the Carrier Strike Group in action.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace stated that the UK’s Indo-Pacific strategy relies heavily on a strengthened collaboration with India.
Their visit with the Carrier Strike Group is a crucial step toward the goal of forming a maritime collaboration with India to promote mutual security goals in the Indian Ocean. (republic world)
