New Delhi. The outgoing British High Commissioner has expressed hope on the early conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the UK, but quipped that “negotiations are still pending my friend.” Ambassador Alex Ellis is now ready to leave India after his tenure of three years. He said in an interview with The Indian Express that the leaders of both the countries have made it clear that they want an FTA.
When asked if the two countries were close to reaching a trade deal, he replied, “Yes, we are definitely close. Both Prime Ministers made it clear that they wanted an FTA and had spoken only last week to confirm their desire for it. It is not a straightforward conversation because you have two similar sized economies, but they are in very different shapes. “The Indian economy is overwhelmingly agriculture-based, obviously very poor in terms of per capita GDP.”
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He said, “Due to the legacy of being a member of the European Union, the UK economy is more integrated with the rest of Europe in terms of its manufacturing. People on both sides want access to real new markets. UK-India trade has doubled since 2020. In fact, it has grown too much, but we can see economic benefits in the trade agreement,” Ellis said. Asked about the conclusion of the FTA in the wake of negotiations on key issues of mobility and visas, Ellis said, “Not easy, negotiations. There is still time left, my friend.”
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FIRST PUBLISHED: March 25, 2024, 21:29 IST