New Delhi [India], June 4 (ANI): Strengthening their comprehensive strategic partnership, India and the UK held the first ministerial review of the 'India-UK Vision 2035' during the maiden official visit of UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper to New Delhi.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar welcomed Cooper, characterising the bilateral relationship as a 'forward-looking highway of shared economic ambitions and high technology'.

The two leaders met to address pressing global concerns, including trade, energy, food, and economic security, against the backdrop of a global 'churn in supply chains'.

The discussion reaffirmed the importance of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the defence industrial roadmap in building resilient, mutually beneficial supply chains.

'Our bilateral relations really saw some remarkable developments last year marked by two-way visits of Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Starmer within months of each other with the signing of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreements (CETA) and the adoption of a comprehensive strategic partnership, the data of the defense industrial road map as well we are today well positioned to build a new future oriented and mutually beneficial partnership,' he said.

The ministers reviewed progress across the vision's five core pillars: growth, technology and innovation, defence and security, climate and clean energy, and education.

'The CETA, of course, addresses many concerns which countries have, including ours, about creating resilient supply chains and addressing concerns about trade, energy, food and economic security. Today's meeting will be an opportunity to discuss the India-UK Vision 2035 under all five pillars of growth, technology and innovation, defence and security, climate and clean energy, as well as education,' he said.

Jaishankar also welcomed Cooper on her maiden visit to India as a reaffirmation of the India-UK comprehensive strategic partnership.

'Foreign Secretary Cooper, colleagues from both delegations, let me first of all say foreign secretary that it's a great pleasure to welcome you to India in what I believe is your first visit and your presence is, of course, today both a reaffirmation of our comprehensive strategic partnership and also an opportunity to review its progress. Now our relationship has moved from being a historical and perhaps cultural connection today to being a forward-looking highway of shared economic ambitions and high technology,' he said.

The review featured the launch of new cooperation initiatives on critical minerals and maritime security. Significant progress was noted in the presence of UK universities in India. The University of Liverpool's decision to establish operations in India was formally announced today, joining other institutions like the University of Southampton.

'I would like to take the opportunity to recognize some of the significant progress recently on the vision 2035 which includes the signing of the CETA, the UK India UK technology security initiative, the adoption of the defense industrial roadmap, the climate technology startup fund, the offshore wind energy task force, and of course the coming to India of universities from the UK of which the most recent is the University of Liverpool whose decision was announced today. So once again, let me welcome you and let me underline that Vision 2035 continues to guide our relationship. I look forward to our discussions and let me invite you to make your opening remarks,' said Jaishankar.

Cooper, in turn, noted with a smile that she has held talks with Jaishankar on the sidelines of several events around the world and noted that in India, she would hold the first ministerial review of the UK-India vision 2035.

'Thank you, Dr S Jaishankar, your excellency, thank you so much for welcoming me here today. It's a real pleasure to be able to be here and to have the discussions of our comprehensive strategic partnership, but also the first ministerial review of the UK-India vision 2035 set out by our prime ministers, and you and I have met pretty much all over the world in different parts of the world. So it's wonderful to be here in Delhi and to be able to have these discussions,' she said.

Foreign Secretary Cooper, arriving late Wednesday night for a two-day visit, emphasised that the partnership has gone 'from strength to strength' in recent years. Amidst global instability, she underscored the shared democratic traditions and the commitment to economic security as the bedrock for long-term growth.

'I agree our partnership, our relationship, I think has really gone from strength to strength in recent years. The agreement is the comprehensive trade agreement, but also the different pillars of work around economic growth and the partnerships between businesses and different industries and sectors,' she said.

Cooper highlighted that both nations are leading AI nations and are already fostering cooperation between startups on cutting-edge technology.

'The work around climate and clean energy, the work on technology, some of the discussions we have had already today about AI and the fact that India and the UK are both leading AI nations at a time when change is happening so rapidly, and we already have cooperation between some of our startups and organisations on cutting-edge technology,' she said.

Cooper further noted, 'The work around defence and security and crucially, as you have said, on education and the people-to-people links, and I have met today some of those involved in the UK university operations now based here in India, including Southampton and now Liverpool, that we were able to witness the signing of today as well.'

She also noted the shared tradition of democracy between India and the UK.

'Also struck at a time of such great global instability that our shared democratic traditions also our shared economic and trading focus and crucially our commitment to economic security as the underpinning of economic growth which is reflected in the critical minerals work we have been doing together and the launch of the cooperation on critical minerals today but also the launch of the new maritime cooperation and the maritime security cooperation as well in all of these areas,' she said.

Cooper noted the UK's anticipation of handing over the Commonwealth Games from Glasgow to India.

'We know that that partnership on security, based on trust and based on the huge amount of work we have done, is also the opportunity on which to build as well. And of course, we look forward to handing over the Commonwealth Games from Glasgow to India as well. So in so many of these areas really welcome the partnership and the commitment of our prime ministers to work together after their recent visits and look forward very much to going through the issues with you today,' she said.

https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/2062518946386108417?s=20

Cooper arrived in Delhi on late Wednesday night on a two-day official visit.

https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/2062222660432757180?s=20

In a post on X, MEA said, 'A warm welcome to the Rt Hon Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom, on her first official visit to India. Her visit will provide an opportunity to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.' (ANI)