London: In Britain, Indian-origin Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has given the green light to a plan to give visas to 3,000 Indian youth every year to work in the United Kingdom for two years. The British government said that India is the first country to benefit from such a scheme along with Britain. Rishi Sunak had said in Bali that he does not want to compromise quality at the expense of speed to enter into a free trade agreement with India. They will take some time to move in this direction.
The UK Prime Minister’s Office has confirmed the UK-India Young Professionals Scheme, announcing 3,000 visas for educated Indian youth aged 18 to 30 with degrees to live and work in Britain for up to two years. Within a few hours of the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and British Prime Minister of Indian origin Rishi Sunak during the G-20 summit in Bali, the new visa scheme was announced from Downing Street in London.
Downing Street said in a statement that the launch of the plan reflects Britain’s wider commitment to strengthening our bilateral relationship with India and the Indo-Pacific region. This is an important moment for both the countries. The visa scheme will be reciprocal and is of great importance to the UK’s bilateral relationship with India.
At the G-20 meeting in Bali, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunke said, I clearly understand the value of our historical and cultural ties with India. It gives me great pleasure to give talented young people from India an opportunity to experience living in Britain. Similarly, through this visa program, we will get an opportunity to further enrich our economy and society. The economies of the region are growing very fast and the coming decades will be determined by what happens in the region.
Downing Street said in a statement that Britain has more ties to India than any country in the Indo-Pacific region. Almost a quarter of all international students in Britain are Indian, and Indian investment in the UK supports 95,000 jobs. Britain is currently negotiating a trade agreement with India. This agreement, if concluded, will be the first of its kind signed by India with a European country.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has hinted that the long-awaited free trade agreement with India may still take some time. Sunke said he would take a different approach to the deal than his predecessor Lease Truss. They will not compromise on quality for a quick deal. After criticism of Britain’s trade deals after leaving the European Union, Sunke said he would not rush into FTA talks with countries like India.
“In my view, we will not sacrifice quality for speed,” Sunak said. I will take some more time for the trade deal with India, as some things need to be sorted out. Along with this, he expressed hope that Britain and America can deepen their economic relations. However, he made it clear that he did not talk to American President Biden specifically about FTA. Sunik said he had a conversation with Biden about economic and energy relations