New UK PM Liz Truss knows India well, she will strengthen bilateral ties, says British High Commissioner

New Delhi: A day after Liz Truss won the Conservative party leadership race, British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis on Tuesday said the new British Prime Minister will further strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between UK and India.

Speaking with ANI, Ellis said Truss has visited India three times in the last 18 months and she knows India well. He also shared the confidence expressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his congratulatory tweet. Answering a question on the prospect of trade between the two sides, the British High Commissioner said Indian and UK economies are quite closely tied already and the new administration will aim to double-trade by 2030.
"Liz Truss will further strengthen the UK-India comprehensive strategic partnership. She knows India well and has visited 3 times in the last 18 months. She re-kickstarted our trade negotiations which are now in full swing," the UK envoy said on the new UK Prime Minister.

"Indian-UK economies are quite closely tied already. We aim to double-trade by 2030. Economic ties are good for our economies, jobs and also good for our strategic relationships as well as we face big challenges in the next 25 years," he said.
On India-UK Defence cooperation, he said, "Defence cooperation is part of the comprehensive strategic partnership, which we've agreed with India last year...Last week I myself was on board INS Vikrant. So there's a lot we can do. This is an area where the PM wants to see further progress."

Over possible extradition of Indian fugitives like Vijay Mallya, he said, "UK PM Boris Johnson made it clear that we don't want the UK to be a safe haven for fugitives from other countries... The Government in a way has done all that it can do and did that several years ago. These are now matters for the courts and not for the government."
Liz Truss was announced as the new head of the Conservative Party on Monday. Forty-seven-year-old Liz Truss became the third female prime minister of the UK.

She defeated former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak through a postal ballot of all Conservative members. Truss secured 81,326 votes while Sunak got 60,399 votes.
"I am honoured to be elected Leader of the Conservative Party. Thank you for putting your trust in me to lead and deliver for our great country. I will take bold action to get all of us through these tough times, grow our economy, and unleash the United Kingdom's potential," Truss wrote on Twitter.

The Roadmap 2030 for India-UK future relations was launched during a virtual summit between the two countries in May last year. This Roadmap is for revitalised and dynamic connections between people, re-energised trade, investment and technological collaboration.

Roadmap 2030 and agreed to further intensify efforts to deliver results in priority areas of trade and investments, defence, and migration. (ANI)