New Delhi, July 22: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to the United Kingdom and the Maldives from July 23 to 26, with a focus on strengthening strategic and economic ties, including the formal signing of a long-negotiated free trade agreement with the UK and deepening bilateral cooperation with the Maldives, officials said on Sunday.
Modi’s official visit to the UK from July 23 to 24 comes at the invitation of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and marks his first trip to London since Starmer’s Labour Party ended 14 years of Conservative rule in a sweeping electoral victory in 2024.
During the visit, Modi and Starmer will hold wide-ranging talks on bilateral cooperation, with particular emphasis on trade, technology, defence, climate, and people-to-people links, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. Modi is also expected to meet King Charles III.
The centrepiece of the visit will be the expected signing of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement, which was finalised in May after three years of negotiations. The pact is set to eliminate tariffs on 99% of Indian exports and ease market access for British products, including whisky, automobiles, and industrial goods. The agreement is seen as a key pillar of the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
This will be Modi’s fourth visit to the UK as prime minister. He and Starmer have previously met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Brazil last November and the G7 summit in Canada in June.
In the second leg of his trip, Modi will travel to the Maldives from July 25 to 26, becoming the first foreign head of government to visit the island nation since President Mohamed Muizzu took office in November 2023.
Modi will attend the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of Maldivian independence as Guest of Honour and hold bilateral talks with President Muizzu. The leaders are expected to review the implementation of the India-Maldives Joint Vision for a Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership, signed during Muizzu’s visit to India in October 2024.
The visit is being seen as a diplomatic reset after an early rift in ties, when Muizzu demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel stationed with aviation assets in the Maldives. The issue was resolved with India replacing military staff with technical personnel earlier this year.
“The visit reflects the importance India attaches to its maritime neighbour, which continues to hold a special place in India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and Vision MAHASAGAR,” the MEA said.
India is expected to use the visit to reinforce its strategic presence in the Indian Ocean region and further deepen its economic and security engagement with the Maldives amid growing regional competition.
