Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 May 2025.

Ambassador Holland welcomes the work of the OSCE Mission towards preventing escalation and finding practical solutions to issues, amid the challenging backdrop of energy shortages during the reporting period.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

I would like to offer a warm welcome to Ambassador Keiderling for the final time at the Permanent Council as Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova. Thank you to you and your team for the Mission’s work over the last six months, and for the comprehensive presentation this morning.

The United Kingdom fully supports the work of the Mission towards preventing escalation, mitigating a deterioration of relations between Chisinau and Tiraspol and finding practical solutions to the challenges of everyday life for all citizens on both banks of the Nistru. We regret Russia’s continued instrumentalisation of the Mission’s mandate and reiterate our call for a return to a full 12-month directive to ensure the Mission has the stability and predictability it needs to fulfil its vital role.

The UK commends the Mission’s efforts across its three lines of action during the reporting period, amid the challenging backdrop of energy shortages on both banks. We appreciate the constructive engagement between Chisinau and Tiraspol and the Mission’s role in facilitating dialogue through the Chief Negotiators and Working Groups. We also welcome the engagement of Special Representative Thomas Lenk during this period.

The UK again notes the lack of progress Russia has made in withdrawing its illegally stationed troops from Moldovan sovereign territory, which runs in direct contradiction to other efforts. Russia must remove its forces without delay and present a considered proposal to resume the process of removal and destruction of ammunition from the Cobasna site.

As our Foreign Secretary stated during his visit to Moldova in November, the UK will not stand by as the Kremlin attempts to undermine democracy, stability and security across Europe. As shown by the signing last year of the UK-Moldova Defence and Security Partnership, the UK is strengthening its commitment to Moldova’s security. At the UK-Moldova Strategic Dialogue yesterday, our officials were proud to reaffirm UK support on cyber, counter-disinformation and judicial cooperation to help Moldova to defend its democratic institutions from malign interference.

To conclude, Ambassador Keiderling, the UK highly appreciates the energy and dedication that you have brought to the role and towards advancing a peaceful resolution. As we look ahead to parliamentary elections in September, the United Kingdom will continue to support the OSCE Mission in fulfilling its mandate, and to support peace and stability for the people of Moldova.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 May 2025.

Ambassador Holland urges Russia to respond substantively to the Moscow Mechanism recommendations and prove they are serious about peace by agreeing to a full and unconditional ceasefire.

Thank you, Mister Chair.  Minister Betsa, thank you for your address today.  What an excellent exposé of what is at stake.  Thank you being here and for reminding us once again.

We welcome Ukraine’s continued commitment to achieving a just and lasting peace, as you have reaffirmed in your statement.

President Zelenskyy has shown his commitment to peace by agreeing in principle to a full and unconditional ceasefire.  By contrast, President Putin has not only refused to agree to that but has further stepped-up attacks on Ukrainian cities with drones and missiles.  In April Russia intensified strikes on Ukrainian cities, killing at least 151 civilians. And just yesterday, as Russia spoke of yet another artificial ceasefire, Moscow launched a ballistic missile and drone attack on a residential area of Kyiv, killing at least 2 people and injury 8, including 4 children.

If President Putin were serious about peace, Russia would agree to a full and immediate ceasefire, as Ukraine has done. His 72-hour Victory Day proposal is another transparently cynical pause which does not create the necessary conditions for talks aimed at achieving a lasting peace.  It cannot be taken seriously, particularly given Ukraine’s experience of President Putin’s so-called truce over Easter: the UK’s Defence Intelligence found no indication that a ceasefire on the frontline was observed by Russia, despite President Putin’s promises.

We will judge President Putin by his actions not his words, and his actions suggest he has no interest in peace.  To prove he is serious about peace he must agree to the full and unconditional ceasefire offered by Ukraine and supported by the United States.

Mister Chair, earlier this week the Human Rights Centre Zmina organised a side event in the margins of the Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on the issue of civil society resistance and losses during Russia’s war against Ukraine.  It placed a spotlight on the vital work of Ukraine’s brave civil society members and the high price that too many of them have tragically paid for their work amid Russia’s war.

Russia continues to arbitrarily detain thousands of Ukrainian civilians, including human rights defenders and journalists.  This was established by a mission of independent experts who, a little over a year ago, reported to the Permanent Council following the invocation of the Moscow Mechanism.

The Mission found that detainees had been subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, sexual violence and other forms of serious mistreatment.  The Mission also recorded cases of extrajudicial killings of arbitrarily detained Ukrainian civilians.

The expert mission made a range of recommendations to the Russian Federation.  A year later, these remain unanswered; just like those from the other four Moscow Mechanism reports.  We urge the Russian Federation to respond substantively to all these recommendations and release, without delay, all Ukrainian civilians who continue to be held arbitrarily.

Thank you, Mister Chair.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 May 2025.

Ms Kara Owen CMG CVO has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to Ireland in succession to Mr Paul Johnston.  Ms Owen will take up her appointment during September 2025.

Curriculum vitae

Full name: Kara Justine Owen

Year	Role
July 2024 to present	Projects/ pre-posting preparation with FCDO
2019 to 2024	Singapore, British High Commissioner
2016 to 2019	FCO, Director, Americas
2012 to 2016	Paris, Deputy Head of Mission
2011 to 2012	FCO, Head of Strategy and Network Department, Consular
2009 to 2011	FCO, Director for Diversity and Equality
2005 to 2009	Hanoi, Deputy Head of Mission
2003 to 2005	FCO, Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary
2001 to 2003	FCO, Assistant Private Secretary to Junior Ministers
2000 to 2001	FCO, EU Policy Officer
1996 to 2000	Hong Kong, Vice Consul and later Vice Consul political
1995 to 1996	FCO, Cantonese language training
1993 to 1995	FCO, Joint Assistance Unit (Know How Fund)
1993	Joined FCO

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 May 2025.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on North Korea.

Analysis from organisations like the Open Source Centre has become even more vital in the wake of the expertise gap left by the 1718 Panel of Experts.

One year on, the UK deeply regrets Russia’s decision to veto the mandate renewal of the 1718 Panel of Experts.

This was a deliberate act used to obfuscate and embolden the DPRK’s unlawful pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, and to conceal Russia’s own erosion of the UN sanctions architecture, which it has a responsibility to uphold as a permanent member of this Council.

The Panel’s credible, objective and independent reporting enabled this Council and the international community to effectively monitor the implementation of UN sanctions on the DPRK.

Most importantly, the Panel helped prevent the DPRK’s unlawful and dangerous development of nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

Since Russia’s veto last year, there have been over 40 missile tests, including one intercontinental ballistic missile test and one intermediate-range ballistic missile test.

This escalation represents multiple breaches of UN Security Council resolutions, for which we have been deprived of further analysis.

Colleagues, it is obvious that Russia’s objective was to clear the path for the expansion of their military relationship with the DPRK.

The DPRK is believed to have supplied 20,000 containers of munitions to Russia, and its artillery and mortar shells account for 60% of those used in Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine.

And as we’ve heard, in the past week, Russia and the DPRK publicly flaunted their agreement to use DPRK troops as mere cannon fodder in that war.

Let me be clear, we cannot allow this brazen disregard towards UN sanctions to become normalised.

The UK will continue to work closely with partners to monitor sanctions evasion, to hold both Russia and the DPRK to account, and to call out those complicit in the DPRK’s violations of UN Security Council resolutions.

As we have heard over the course of the NPT Prepcom, this Council should stand firm in its defence of the global non-proliferation regime.

The UK remains steadfast with partners in our shared goal for the DPRK to abandon all nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 May 2025.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN General Assembly meeting on the Eightieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 May 2025.

Foreign Secretary heads to EU Foreign Ministers meeting to highlight the need for a new, ambitious security relationship.

• UK joins high-level Gymnich talks with the EU Foreign Ministers in Poland at critical time as well as travelling to the Western Balkans
• support for Ukraine will be high on the agenda as well as enhancing UK-EU security and defence ties
• strengthening the UK’s security partnership with Europe will deliver on the government’s Plan for Change by bolstering national security

The UK is continuing to engage with Europe highlighting the need for a new, ambitious security relationship, as the Foreign Secretary attends high-level Gymnich EU talks in Poland (7 May).

At the discussion on foreign affairs, David Lammy will underline how closer cooperation on security and defence is in the interests of both the UK and the EU and will discuss uniting across the continent to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

Lammy, who was the first Foreign Secretary since Brexit to attend a formal meeting of EU foreign ministers in October, has been laying the foundations for stronger ties with Europe since taking office.

Following leader-level discussions in London between the Prime Minister and the President of the European Union Commission on 24 April, he will continue to make the case for a long-term UK-EU strategic partnership that will support economic growth, protect citizens, and support European collective security and defence.

The meeting comes days ahead of the UK-EU Summit (19 May), which will cover a range of UK-EU issues and look to foster a stable, positive and forward-looking relationship.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

We are working hand-in-hand with our European allies to build a safer, more secure, and more prosperous Europe. Together, we will stand firm against aggression, defend our shared values, and deliver lasting peace.

In the face of Russian aggression, NATO’s Eastern Flank has never been more important. We are resolute in defending Europe’s security.

As we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, this commitment reminds us that our collective defence of freedom and peace in Europe remains as vital today as it was 8 decades ago.

As part of his visit, the Foreign Secretary will travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). He will meet political leaders to emphasise UK support for domestic action to respond to the ongoing political crisis, including through the formation of a new state-level coalition focused on Euro-Atlantic integration.

He will also visit the EUFOR military base, which is playing a key role in maintaining security in BiH and therefore contributing to regional stability.

Ongoing instability in the region risks a return to violence and threatens collective security, including through irregular migration and serious and organised crime.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 May 2025.

Statement by DCMG Karen Pierce, UK Special Envoy to the Western Balkans, at the UN Security Council debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Thank you very much Mr President. I welcome the High Representative and thank him for his briefing. I’d also like to welcome the Bosnia and Herzegovina representatives in the Chamber today.

It is an honour to be back, Mr President, in the Security Council and see some familiar colleagues.

I am here today in my new capacity as the United Kingdom’s Special Envoy for the Western Balkans.

I am also here to show our support for the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for her institutions and for the High Representative, and my Foreign Secretary is, today, visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Mr President, as other people have said, it is an important year for anniversaries.

The 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the founding of the United Nations.

The 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act which then joins us to take heed about non-interference across borders.

And above all, for these purposes, the 30th anniversary not only of Srebrenica, but also of the Dayton Peace Agreement itself.

But in fact, Mr President, Bosnia has been on the agenda of this Council since the early 1990s and, at times, it has been the most serious issue that the Council has had to deal with.

Dayton, Mr President, is one of the successes of this Council.

And because of that, the Council enshrined the Dayton Peace Agreement in a Chapter 7 Security Council Resolution 1031. This represented hard work by UNSC members over many, many years.

It is unusual, as the High Representative and other speakers have said, it enshrined some very unusual civilian interventionist elements, but it stopped a war, and it is worth recalling, Mr President, that at the time, that war was the worst Europe had seen since the end of the Second World War.

It isn’t colonialism for the Council to take an interest, it isn’t colonialism for us to help Bosnia and Herzegovina along her path. As the High Representative said, the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina can evolve democratically.

This itself is written down in Dayton and with the successive conferences on peace that we’ve had held by the Peace Implementation Council, held by the Steering Board, the outcome of those conferences has been endorsed variously over the years by this Council.

It is all our fervent hope, Mr President, that one day Bosnia and Herzegovina will be able to graduate from the Council’s attentions and take its place as a normal and full member of Europe.

The Dayton Peace Agreement mandates one state, two entities and three constituent peoples.

The High Representative is also mandated by Dayton as the final authority on the civilian implementation of the Peace Agreement.

The powers that he is using have been backed by the Security Council. It is not a one-off; they have been successively backed by the Security Council.

And I want to stress that, Mr President. I also want to stress that the High Representative himself, under Dayton, is chosen by the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board.

He is not chosen by the Security Council, though the Security Council’s interest has been evoked from time to time, but not universally, and I want to set that straight.

It is open to people who have left the Steering Board and, hence not had an opportunity to share in the selection of the High Representative, to return to the Steering Board.

Mr President, the cause of Bosnia and Herzegovina remains critical to the issue of stability and security in Europe.

The United Kingdom has great pleasure in cooperating with the European Union, with the US and others. This autumn, we will chair the Berlin Process, which emphasises regional cooperation among the Western Balkans countries themselves.

And I want to take a moment to salute EUFOR, who is executing its Chapter 7 mandate to maintain a secure and safe environment.

I agree that it does not have executive authority but to pretend it does is a mischaracterisation of its role.

EUFOR is there to support the state institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and maintain safety and security for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s citizens.

And it is clear, Mr President, and we’ve heard today, that those citizens want better relations with the European Union, they want Euro-Atlantic integration.

We heard, particularly from the representatives of Pakistan and Sierra Leone, of their very strong support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and I think all speakers in the Council want to uphold that.

But it bears repeating that there is one threat to that today, and it lies in the person of the RS Entity President, Milorad Dodik.

His secessionist moves, his introduction of unconstitutional laws, the threats to adopt a new anti-Dayton constitution represent direct threats to that sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence as well as to the aspirations of the Bosnian people.

What Bosnia and Herzegovina needs, Mr President, is more pluralist politics.

There is no threat to Republika Srpska entity, nor to the federation entity in EU integration, nor Euro-Atlantic future.

I repeat this again, it is not a threat to RS citizens, it is not a threat to the Federation. There are many models in Europe of national and sub-national government.

And I would point out that the High Rep would not need to use his powers if the RS President did not challenge Dayton on an almost daily basis.

The High Rep acts against all who challenge the state institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it happens that at the moment, the biggest challenges are coming from Republika Srpska, but the High Representative’s role is to uphold the Dayton Peace Agreement and help the state institutions to prosper and to do their work.

Mr President, in closing, I want to refer again to what other speakers have said.

It is the responsibility of this Council, as it was in the 1990s, and it was when the Dayton Peace Agreement was concluded, to uphold the Dayton Peace Agreement, to support Bosnia and Herzegovina on its journey, its journey freely chosen by her citizens for European integration and to help her citizens thrive and prosper.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 May 2025.

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Lord Collins of Highbury, launched the Conflict, Hunger and International Humanitarian Law Handbook.

Good morning.

It’s great to see you all.

Welcome to the Foreign Office.

For those of us lucky enough to have all the comforts we need in life it is hard to imagine how it feels to have no choice but to go without food or be forced to eat what hardly nourishes the soul and the body.

Sadly, the heart breaking reality is that millions of people today suffer from an extreme lack of food and are acutely malnourished due to conflicts.

This cannot go on and the UK is determined to act.

Part of the answer is providing clarity on what the law is and how we can comply with it.

That is why I’m privileged to be launching a new handbook to promote compliance with International Humanitarian Law and its critical role in addressing hunger in armed conflict.

Improving food security and nutrition are not just part of my job, I’m personally invested in this mission.

Before joining the government last July, I served as a shadow minister for a decade, where I was focused on driving up the global agenda on nutrition.

Earlier this year, the World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization warned that conflict has increased acute food insecurity in 17 countries, affecting as many as 175 million people across the world.

Many of these people have been suffering for years, trapped in never-ending conflicts.

Sadly Gaza is the example we think of most.

Almost the whole of Gaza is facing emergency levels of food insecurity, including Gaza’s one million children. The World Food Programme’s stocks have run out.

That is why together with our partners, we are denouncing the two-month long block on humanitarian aid and calling on Israel to immediately restart a rapid and unimpeded flow of lifesaving help.

It is hard to believe now that merely two decades ago the international community had confined famines to history.

Yet over the last decade we have seen a sizeable increase in the number and severity of conflicts.

Climate change and economic shocks have only compounded the problem.

In eastern DRC, hunger and malnutrition are at record levels and growing.

Trade routes and food production have been severely disrupted, and humanitarian access is limited.

Through our humanitarian programme, we have helped three and a half million people last year and are working flat out to reach as many people as we can.

And the United Kingdom has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and withdrawal of all Rwandan Defence Forces from Congolese territory. I am hoping that there is positive news from discussions last weekend but the situation is dire.

If we turn to Sudan, we see farms, food markets, and water treatment facilities being destroyed by the conflict and the siege of El Fasher is causing immense suffering.

Last month the Foreign Secretary co-hosted the Sudan Conference in London urging the warring parties to allow unrestricted humanitarian access, protect civilians and end the conflict.

The United Kingdom is providing a further £120 million to deliver lifesaving food and nutrition supplies, including for vulnerable children at risk of wasting – a lifelong condition that will affect the ability for economic development and growth.

It is a failure of the international system that babies and young children in conflict settings frequently suffer and die due to acute malnutrition.

Last year at the G20, the Prime Minster launched the Joint UN Initiative for the Prevention of Wasting to help find the best ways to prevent malnutrition and save lives.

All of these initiatives show that despite cuts to the UK’s development budget, the UK remains fully committed to playing a key humanitarian role globally.

And this handbook is a key part of our global mission to improve compliance with international humanitarian law.

The landmark United Nations Security Council resolution 2417, adopted in 2018, made hunger in conflict a political issue, and rightly so.

Because famines are significantly less like to occur if all warring parties comply with international humanitarian law.

Now, while not all causes of hunger are violations of this law, many rules are of course crucial in avoiding hunger and malnutrition.

Our Handbook provides clear information on the law and how to follow it, with suggestions for good practices.

Indeed, the Handbook firmly backs the agenda set out in that Security Council Resolution.

By helping parties comply with the law.

By making policy discussions more informed.

And by equipping partners with the necessary information to promote compliance with the law.

So I’m pleased to share that from today, the Handbook is free and publicly available.

We will soon be rolling it out throughout the government and our diplomatic missions.

I hope that you and partners across the world will use it in your mission to tackle food insecurity in armed conflicts.

This week, as we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day and reflect on the peace and freedoms we cherish, the international community must redouble its commitment to end the scourge of conflict and hunger.

Because change is only possible when all of us, all of us, work together as one team.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 May 2025.

The UK has secured the best deal India has ever agreed, providing businesses with security and confidence to trade with the fastest-growing economy in the G20.

Delivering Economic Growth

The core mission of this Government is to deliver economic growth that raises living standards and puts money in people’s pockets, and that is exactly what this deal will do. We estimate that it will increase bilateral trade by £25.5 billion, add £4.8billion a year to our economy and boost wages by £2.2 billion every year in the long run. ^{footnote 1} This is the best deal India has ever agreed to. It delivers on our manifesto commitment to create trade relationships that unlock new opportunities for businesses across all our nations and regions.

Case study – Standard Chartered

Standard Chartered is a leading UK-based international banking group with a presence in 53 of the world’s most dynamic markets. It is the largest and oldest foreign bank in India, acting as a ‘super connector’ of cross-border trade and investment by driving commerce and prosperity through its unique diversity for more than 165 years.

Saif Malik, CEO, UK and Head of Coverage, UK, Standard Chartered, said:

The UK-India Free Trade Agreement is a significant achievement. It will create new opportunities for UK and Indian businesses, enable greater access to one of the world’s largest and most dynamic markets, and drive growth and innovation across the UK-India corridor.

We welcome this strong commitment to partnership and prosperity.

Case study – UPS

UPS is one of the world’s largest companies, with 2024 revenue of $91.1 billion, and provides a broad range of integrated logistics solutions for customers in more than 200 countries and territories, including connecting the United Kingdom and India.

Markus Kessler, Managing Director, UPS UK, Ireland and Nordics, said:

We welcome the announcement of this important agreement between two countries that are both vital markets in our global network.

We look forward to continuing to help businesses of all sizes across the UK reach new customers in one of the world’s most populous and dynamic countries.

Future-Proofing Our Economy

This deal gives UK businesses first-mover advantage with a new economic superpower. Currently the biggest country in the world by population, India is projected to move from its fifth-largest global economy to third in the next three years, thanks to the highest growth rate in the G20. ^{footnote 2} By the end of the decade, it will be home to an estimated 60 million middle-class consumers, whose numbers are projected to grow to a quarter of a billion by 2050. ^{footnote 3} And by 2035, their demand for imports is on course to top £1.4 trillion. ^{footnote 4} The enormous scope of this market, where British goods and services are already sought after, represents an equally huge opportunity for UK businesses in the decades to come.

Case study – John Smedley Ltd

Established in 1784 in Lea Mills, Derbyshire, John Smedley Ltd is a UK-based manufacturer and retailer of luxury knitwear.

Bill Leach, Global Sales Director, John Smedley Ltd, said:

India is one of the fastest growing luxury markets in the world, and we are very excited about the UK- India Free Trade Agreement coming to fruition.

John Smedley knitwear is already sold in over 50 countries around the world, and now that the FTA has been finalised, we shall very much look forward to ensuring that an ever-increasing number of discerning luxury consumers in India will enjoy greater access to The World’s Finest Knitwear.

We are thankful to DBT for their significant efforts in bringing this FTA to successful conclusion.

Cutting costs for UK-India trade

From day one, this deal will support businesses across the United Kingdom by making it cheaper, easier, and quicker to trade with India. The deal will slash costs on UK exports, including whiskies and gin, cosmetics, medical devices, advanced machinery and lamb. Based on current trade alone, India’s tariff cuts amount to £400m in the first year, going up around £900m after 10 years. ^{footnote 5} And that’s before factoring in the savings from speedier and easier trade from improved customs and digital commitments. This immediate relief represents a major advantage our businesses will enjoy over their international competitors, helping them to invest, expand, and support more high-quality jobs.

Case study – Smith+Nephew

Smith+Nephew designs and manufactures technology that takes the limits off living. Smith+Nephew’s products include: Advanced Wound Management; orthopaedics and a robot assisted surgery system; and joint preservation and soft tissue orthopaedics.

Deepak Nath, Chief Executive Officer, Smith+Nephew, said:

Given the size of the Indian economy and its healthcare system, India is an important location for Smith+Nephew. The Free Trade Agreement offers the potential to build trading links in the healthcare sector.

We hope that the Free Trade Agreement will enable Smith+Nephew’s innovative medical technologies to support more healthcare professionals to return their patients to health and mobility.

Delivering opportunities for High-Growth Sectors

This deal supports the UK’s world-leading high-growth sectors identified in the Industrial Strategy, including:

• Slashing tariffs for UK’s large and varied advanced manufacturing sectors, including for automotives, electrical machinery and high-end optical products.
• Giving the clean energy industry brand new and unprecedented access to India’s vast procurement market, as India makes the switch to renewable energy, alongside their growing energy demand.
• Unlocking new opportunities for medical devices firms within the life sciences sector, with reduced tariffs and rules of origin that factor in the UK’s complex supply chains and ensure that businesses can reap the benefits.
• Enshrining copyright protections for the creative sector, enabling our exporters to feel confident exporting to India with a commitment that works will continue to be protected for at least 60 years. India will also commit to engaging on aspects of Copyright and Related Rights. This deal addresses the interests of UK creators, rights holders, and consumers, including around Public Performance Rights and Artist Resale Rights, which acknowledge the importance of payment rights. India will also conduct an internal review of their copyright protection terms.
• Guaranteeing access for the UK’s world-class financial and professional business services sectors to India’s growing market. This is on top of securing India’s foreign investment cap for the insurance sector, ensuring UK financial services companies are treated equally to domestic suppliers, and encouraging the recognition of professional qualifications.
• Securing India’s best ever commitments on digital trade for our Digital and technology sectors, such as promoting digital systems and paperless trade, helping UK businesses of all sizes take the opportunities on offer in this huge and rapidly expanding market.

Case study – Premier League

The Premier League is the world’s most-watched football competition, reaching 1.6 billion viewers in 189 countries around the world. The global success of the Premier League makes it one of the UK’s most significant soft power assets, amplifying British cultural values and generating economic growth and inward investment.

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said:

India continues to be incredibly important to the Premier League and its clubs. It is a vibrant country that presents exciting opportunities and significant potential. The Premier League’s recent announcement of an office opening in Mumbai demonstrates our commitment to build on longstanding work to engage local fans, develop grassroots and elite football and further promote the game in India.

The continued growth of the Premier League and UK businesses in India will have a positive impact on our domestic economy and we welcome the news of this new trade deal secured by Government, which will support UK businesses operating in India.

Case study – EY

EY teams work across a full spectrum of services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions. Fuelled by sector insights, a globally connected, multidisciplinary network and a diverse ecosystem of partners, EY teams provide services in more than 150 countries and territories.

Rohan Malik, EMEIA and UKI Government & Public Sector Managing Partner, EY, said:

This agreement is poised to accelerate an economic partnership that is already thriving, with the value of total trade between the UK and India having more than doubled from £16.6bn to £40bn over the last decade.

British businesses stand to benefit substantially from enhanced access to one of the world’s largest export markets and a skills pool that can fuel strategically important UK sectors, including professional services and emerging industries based around data and AI.

Case study – Concrete Canvas Ltd

Concrete Canvas Ltd is a Wales-based low-carbon concrete manufacturer.

William Crawford, Director of Concrete Canvas Ltd, said:

India is a dynamic and vibrant economy and an increasingly important market for Concrete Canvas products. A UK-India FTA will help to accelerate our plans for growth by reducing trade barriers and making us more competitive.

This is welcome news for both UK and Indian businesses!

Case study – Biopanda

Biopanda is a Belfast-based medtech manufacturer which exports in vitro test kits for clinical laboratories, veterinary practice, and food safety laboratories.

Philip McKee, Sales Manager at Biopanda, said:

Biopanda have been supplying a range of diagnostic products to the Indian market throughout the past ten years.

We value the business we have done already throughout India and with the introduction of the UK-India FTA this should benefit in increased trade with the removal of export barriers.

This will hopefully increase the market access, allowing our distributors throughout India to provide a larger range of our highly accurate clinical diagnostic products at a lower price to the consumer.

Unlocking Opportunities Nationwide

Through our Plan for Change, this government will raise living standards in every part of the United Kingdom. This deal supports that goal, unlocking new opportunities in every region and nation.

This deal also opens a huge new market for iconic UK brands, securing India’s best ever tariff offer and providing access to India’s growing middle-class consumer base, which will give iconic UK brands the opportunity to expand their reach and influence. This access includes cutting tariffs on whiskies from 150% to 75% at entry into force, following to 40% after 10 years, as well as on other agri-food products such as soft drinks dropping from 33% to 0% after seven years, and lamb dropping from 33% to 0% at entry into force. Separately high-end cars will benefit from a drop from over 100% to 10% under a quota. We have also secured India’s best ever agreement on Rules of Origin, which enables UK businesses to take advantage of these new lower tariffs.

This deal will also support consumers as they benefit from the best of India and greater variety as our trading relationship grows, including clothing, footwear, and iconic food and drink. New commitments will also help protect consumers from spam texts from India, which could include requiring opt-out or prior consent.

Case study – Chivas Brothers Ltd

Chivas Brothers Ltd is part of the Pernod Ricard group of companies and exports over £2bn of Scotch whisky and gin every year, including brands like Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, The Glenlivet and Beefeater. India is amongst Chivas Brothers’ largest export markets and the biggest consumer of whisky worldwide by volume. The UK-India trade agreement will help solidify and potentially expand on Pernod Ricard’s existing investments, which includes a €200m distillery construction in the Indian state of Maharashtra and £100m in bottling facilities in Dumbarton, Scotland.

Jean-Etienne Gourgues, Chivas Brothers Chairman and CEO, said:

The announcement of a free trade agreement in principle between the UK and India is a welcome boost for Chivas Brothers during an uncertain global economic environment.

India is the world’s biggest whisky market by volume and greater access will be a game changer for the export of our Scotch whisky brands, such as Chivas Regal and Ballantine’s. The deal will support long term investment and jobs in our distilleries and bottling plants in Scotland, as well as help deliver growth in both Scotland and India over the next decade. Slàinte to the UK Ministers and officials who steered the deal though long negotiations.

Case study – Diageo

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with a collection of brands across spirits and beer categories sold in more than 180 countries around the world. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B and Buchanan’s whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is a leading player in India’s beverage alcohol sector and is among the top 10 fast-moving consumer goods companies in India by market capitalisation. Diageo has 50 manufacturing facilities across India, employs over 3,300 people directly in market with a further 100,000 jobs supported throughout its value chain. India is one of Diageo’s largest markets globally and accounts for almost half of its total global spirits volume.

Diageo Chief Executive Debra Crew said:

The UK-India Free Trade Agreement is a huge achievement by Prime Ministers Modi and Starmer and Ministers Goyal and Reynolds, and all of us at Diageo toast their success. It will be transformational for Scotch and Scotland, while powering jobs and investment in both India and the UK.

The deal will also increase quality and choice for discerning consumers across India, the world’s largest and most exciting whisky market.

Enhancing Security through our partnership

The UK and India already enjoy a deep and broad partnership built on our shared principles as two democracies, our commitment to the rules-based international order, strong ties in areas including culture, education, food, and sport, and of course through our living bridge – with some 1.9 million people with Indian heritage calling the UK their home. ^{footnote 6}

This agreement encourages collaboration between our two complementary economies. It creates a framework to promote closer ties on innovation – including on new technologies in areas like agriculture, health, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy. And our agreement on business mobility will help experts on both sides deliver their services, enabling us to capitalise on the economic transformation that technology will bring over the course of this century.

Through this deal, we are showing the world that we stand for free, fair, and open trade. In an increasingly unstable and volatile world, this provides businesses with the confidence that they need to grow and expand. And as India’s approach to global trade changes, so can this deal. We have agreed in numerous areas that, if India offer a better deal to a different country, we can come back to the table to renegotiate for the UK.

Case study – Coltraco Ultrasonics

Coltraco Ultrasonics are high-exporting advanced manufacturers of ultrasonic instrumentation and systems, exporting 90% manufactured output to 120 countries. Coltraco have twice won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade and have exported to India for 30 years. Since 2019, Coltraco have won the contract for nearly 200 ships of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard and support in-service use and maintenance of their ultrasonic watertight integrity instrumentation on board.

Professor Carl Stephen Patrick Hunter OBE, Chairman Coltraco Ultrasonics Limited & Director-General The Durham Institute of Research, Development & Invention, said:

Coltraco Ultrasonics is strongly supportive of the India FTA Trade Agreement and proud to have modestly contributed to and advising the British negotiating team on various chapters.

The UK private sector can now, because of the India FTA, the Windsor Framework CPTPP, and a variety of other UK FTAs, look out to the world, balancing our exporting and investment opportunities between the USA, the EU and Asia Pacific.

It is a tremendous success and we thank British and Indian Civil Servants for their public service in the UK-India FTA.

Unlocking Access to India’s Untapped Procurement Market

For the first time, UK businesses will have guaranteed and unprecedented access to India’s vast procurement market, covering goods, services and construction. UK businesses will be granted brand new access to approximately 40,000 tenders with a value of at least £38 billion a year. ^{footnote 8} This will unlock significant opportunities spanning a range of sectors, including transport, healthcare and life sciences and green energy. Alongside this UK firms will, for the first time, have access to India’s procurement portal, connecting them to the information they need to make the best out of these opportunities – which will grow as India builds the infrastructure necessary for an economic superpower with the world’s largest population.

UK companies will also get exclusive treatment under the ‘Make in India’ policy, which currently provides preferential treatment for federal government procurement to businesses who manufacture or produce in India. However, this unprecedented treatment will mean that if at least 20% of a company’s product or service is from the UK, they will be treated as a ‘Class Two local supplier’– granting them the same status that is currently only ever given to Indian businesses.

Case study – Arup

Arup is an employee-owned business that provides engineering and technical and advisory services dedicated to sustainable development. It is headquartered in the UK and operates globally with around 18,000 members. It is a trusted partner of the government in India and has delivered a wide range of projects including the Bangalore international airport, the iconic Statue of Unity, and the Indian Railways Station Redevelopment programme.

Paula Walsh, Managing Director, UK, India, Middle East and Africa, said:

Arup supports the UK–India Free Trade Agreement and the powerful role this will play in boosting investment, jobs and growth. It is an important opportunity to deepen our collaboration with partners in India, sharing UK skills and technical expertise to deliver resilient and future-focused solutions across transport, energy, and the built environment.

We are proud to have been part of a recent delegation to India, sharing renewable energy expertise with government representatives and look forward to continuing this critical partnership.

Protecting Our Values

Throughout the negotiations, we have championed our values – securing India’s first ever chapters on anti-corruption, consumer protections, labour rights, the environment, gender equality, and development. We have protected the NHS, defended the UK’s interests, ensured the points-based immigration system is not affected, upheld our high food standards, and maintained our animal welfare commitments throughout. This deal demonstrates our commitment to both workers and businesses, staying true to our values while driving economic growth.

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1. DBT CGE modelling. See Technical Annex

2. World Economic Outlook Database, October 2024

3. Projections are calculated using the methodology described in DBT’s Global Trade Outlook, February 2023

4. Ibid.

5. The methodology for estimating the value of duties can be found in Annex 5 of the technical annexes accompanying the UK-India FTA Scoping assessment

6. 2021 England and Wales Census; 2021 NI Census; 2011 Scottish Census

7. DBT inward investment results 2023 to 2024 (HTML version) – GOV.UK; ; Grant Thornton, Britain meets India 2024; Grant Thornton, India meets Britain tracker: 2023.

8. This analysis utilises Top 200 Entity data from India’s e-procurement dashboard, for the financial years 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23, which is not exhaustively used by all federal government agencies for all procurements. Therefore, several entities included within India’s market access schedule cannot be included within the analysis. This analysis does not take into account restrictions on access as a result of Make in India, the chapter thresholds and tenders for goods or services not covered by the government procurement chapter.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 May 2025.

UK Statement on Türkiye, delivered at Türkiye’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Thank you, Mr Vice President,

We recognise efforts by Türkiye to address human rights concerns. The UK urges Türkiye to take further action to uphold freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and media freedom, in accordance with its international human rights obligations.

We recommend Türkiye:

1. Strengthens judicial independence by amending constitutional provisions for appointing members of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors, ensuring peer election and preventing executive interference.
2. Protects workers’ rights by enhancing legal frameworks for trade unions, prevents harassment and intimidation, and guarantees the right to union activities without reprisals.
3. Eliminates restrictions on the right to freedom of expression, ensuring no undue interference and allows independent media to operate freely, without fear of censorship.

Thank you.