British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conceded on Saturday that there was “a lot of work” left for the UK and India to reach a trade deal but said he was “confident”. “The opportunities are there for both countries, but there is still a lot of work to do,” Rishi Sunak told British television channels, after meeting his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at the G20 summit in New Delhi.
“Trade deals of this size and ambition are never easy,” he continued, explaining that he would never put “an arbitrary deadline” for concluding such agreements, saying he was “confident” about a positive outcome. According to the report of their meeting published by Downing Street, Rishi Sunak and Narendra Modi agreed that “ministers and negotiating teams would continue to work at a sustained pace to achieve a free trade agreement”.
Since its effective exit from the European Union (EU) and the European single market on January 1, 2021, the United Kingdom has sought to establish all-round trade agreements to boost its international trade. London has notably concluded trade treaties with the EU and other European states, but also with more distant countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. The hope of a trade agreement with the United States seems to be fading.