Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pressed his British counterpart Keir Starmer on the issue of Khalistani extremism during their official meeting, stressing that radical elements must not be allowed to exploit democratic freedoms. The discussion, which formed a significant part of the bilateral talks held at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai, saw PM Modi unequivocally state that “radicalism and violent extremism had no space in democratic societies.”
Addressing a special briefing on the UK Prime Minister’s two-day visit, Foreign Secretary Misri confirmed that the matter was raised. He quoted the Prime Minister as emphasising that such elements “should not be allowed to use or abuse the freedoms provided by societies, and there was a need to move against them in the legal framework available on both sides.”
The leaders of the two nations strongly condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all their forms and manifestations, as noted in a joint statement released after their discussions. They called for a “zero tolerance” approach to terrorism and stressed the need for concerted international efforts to combat it comprehensively, in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.
The Prime Ministers agreed to step up cooperation in several key areas, such as countering radicalisation and violent extremism, tackling the financing of terrorism and cross-border movement of terrorists, preventing the exploitation of new technologies for terrorist purposes, and strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation, including at the UN and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
The joint statement also included a strong condemnation of the April 2025 terrorist attack that took place in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The leaders committed to taking “decisive and concerted actions against globally proscribed terrorists, terror entities and their sponsors.”
The Prime Minister also extended his condolences to the victims of the recent terror incident in Manchester earlier this month, where a car was driven into members of the public, resulting in two fatalities, Misri added.
Largest Ever UK Business Delegation Accompanying Starmer
PM Starmer’s visit to India was accompanied by a high-powered and historically large delegation, underscoring the focus on economic ties.
Foreign Secretary Misri revealed that the UK PM was accompanied by “the largest ever business delegation visiting India,” which included a 125-strong business contingent. Notably, the delegation comprised the Vice-Chancellors of nine major UK universities, “all of which have plans for India.”
During his engagements, PM Starmer interacted with Indian business leaders and participated in various events, including a visit to Yash Raj Films to explore collaboration in film production and a football-related event. Earlier today, both Prime Ministers interacted with the visiting Vice-Chancellors from the UK universities.
Economic engagement and innovation were key pillars of the discussions, with the leaders addressing both the India-UK CEO Forum and the Global Fintech Fest on Thursday.
Misri updated reporters on the status of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two nations, which is currently “undergoing the process of ratification in both countries.”
He noted that the current visit provided both sides with an opportunity to discuss “deepening economic engagement in order to derive the full benefits from tariff reduction under the FTA.” Furthermore, the UK Secretary of Business and Trade and the Indian Commerce and Industries Minister reviewed trade and investments. The leaders also announced new joint investments aimed at boosting the climate technology start-up fund, which the Foreign Secretary said “will also help the FTA chapter on innovation.” Technology and innovation, he added, were the “second pillar in focus during the ongoing visit.”
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