British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday (15) met his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi after assuming office for the first time on the sidelines of the 17th edition of the G20 Summit in Bali (Indonesia).
"Prime Ministers @narendramodi and @RishiSunak in conversation during the first day of the @g20org Summit in Bali," PM Modi's Office said in a tweet.
This is the first face-to-face meeting that took place between both leaders. Earlier, in October, PM Modi and Sunak spoke on the phone and emphasized the importance of an early conclusion of "a balanced and comprehensive" Free Trade Agreement between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Sunak on Tuesday extended his support for Ukraine at the G20 summit while confirming a long-planned order for warships from BAE Systems (BAES.L).
Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime would hear the chorus of global opposition to its actions, Sunak said.
"Russia's actions put all of us at risk," he said at the summit in Bali, Indonesia. "As we give the Ukrainian people the support they need, we are also harnessing the breadth and depth of UK expertise to protect ourselves and our allies."
Sunak also announced a £ 4.2 billion contract to BAE Systems to build five ships for the Royal Navy, a government statement said.
In support to Ukraine, Britain said last week it would soon complete delivery of 1,000 additional surface-to-air missiles to the Ukraine's armed forces. Britain also announced delivery of a further 12,000 sleeping kits for extreme cold weather.
Earlier today, PM Modi addressed the G20 working session on Food and Energy Security session and reiterated India's long-standing position in favour of dialogue and diplomacy in Ukraine and said "'We have to find a way to return to the path of the ceasefire" in Kyiv.
"I have repeatedly said that we have to find a way to return to the path of ceasefire and diplomacy in Ukraine," PM said.
"Over the past century, the Second World War wreaked havoc in the world. After that, the leaders of that time made a serious effort to take the path of peace. Now it's our turn. The onus of creating a new world order for the post-Covid period lies on our shoulders. The need of the hour is to show concrete and collective resolve to ensure peace, harmony and security in the world," he added.
Referring to India as the "holy land of Buddha and Gandhi" PM Modi said that he is confident that the next year when G20 meets they will all agree to convey a strong message of peace to the world.
PM Modi started his speech by congratulating Indonesia for giving effective leadership to the G-20 in a challenging global environment. He further said that Climate change, the Covid pandemic, the developments in Ukraine, and the global problems associated with it have created havoc in the world.
"Global supply chains are in ruins. There is a crisis of essentials and essential goods all over the world. The challenge for the poor citizens of every country is more severe. Everyday life was already a struggle for them. They do not have the financial capacity to deal with the double whammy. Due to the double whammy, they lack the financial capacity to handle it. We should also not hesitate to acknowledge that multilateral institutions such as the UN have been unsuccessful on these issues. And we have all failed to make suitable reforms to them. Therefore, today the world has greater expectations from the G-20, and the relevance of our group has become more significant," PM Modi added.
(Agencies)
Piyush Goyal and Jonathan Reynolds tour the Royal Opera House in London
