Name: UK-India relations: 'We don't duck the difficult issues' - BBC News
Uploaded: 2020-12-17T20:40:05.000Z
Duration: 4 min 30 s
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Basic passive voice

the British public were told that leaving the EU would free the UK to secure free trade deals around the world with countries like India.

But did your government over sell how easy it would be to do those deals?

Adverbs of manner

I think we expressed it exactly Aziz you have which is there's an opportunity.

But opportunities have got to be grasped.

One of the great things that I've been able to talk through with the prime minister today on with Dr Jaishankar, the foreign minister yesterday was the If you like the roadmap, the milestones to liberalizing and deepening our trade in the interests of both Indian and British businesses and consumers.

Of course, free trade negotiations are always a haggle.

We'd expect on both sides that to take place.

But if we look at the joint mutual benefits over 10 2030 year period, not just to three months, their enormous a free trade agreement with India won't happen overnight.

I mean, it could take a long as a decade.

A free trade agreement is really important on there are milestones to reaching that.

Sometimes it can take a long as you suggested, but I think with political will on my senses on the UK side, but also on the Indian side.

There is the political will on with the right leadership on both sides, which I know is there.

We could drive it for much, much quicker than that.

Okay, let's move on to the issue of democratic values.

International human rights groups are gravely concerned that Indian government policies have put minority groups, especially Muslims, under increasing pressure.

We're talking about brutal crackdowns against the government's critics.

Arbitrary detentions, Internet shutdowns, Um, increased media censorship on a decline in press freedom.

Well, first of all, I think big picture context.

India is the biggest democracy in the world.

It has a vibrant culture of debate protest.

What we've seen that recently on, in many ways, is an example to the world.

Of course, there are always cases of human rights issues.

They reported to me, we've got domestic constituents that raised them with us.

I have ah, candid conversation with officials in the Indian government.

I spoke toe doctor Jaishankar about it this week, but equally we recognize that the democratic depth and breadth of India is pretty much unrivaled in this region.

I think it's important to set it against that context.

You've just come from meeting Prime Minister Modi.

Did you raise any of these concerns with him?

I've raised on my trip is you'd expect human rights issues on Gance earns.

That's my job equally at a professional level, you'd expect that to take place.

I discussed them with Foreign Minister Joschka I discussed with Foreign Minister Joe Schenker yesterday.

Onda course We'll continue to raise those issues if it hasn't been raised with the prime minister, One might say, Is that because it's a sensitive issue to bring up when you're trying to strike a trade deal with India with a close friend on a partner, I think actually you can have candid conversations about difficult issues between you on DWI won't shrink from doing that.

Equally, we wouldn't allow that to eclipse the broader corporation and bilateral relationship because there are huge opportunities, but we don't duck the difficult issues.

There's Bean, a cross party group of MPs who called on you to raise the issue off the ongoing farmers protests.

Um, what is your message to the British Indians, who are concerned about what's happening in these protests on Did you racist with the prime minister today?

It's something that I discussed with Foreign Minister Krauchanka.

But in the context, of course, off the reforms that the Indian government are trying toe pass.

Of course, we understand that there are different groups that disagree with that.

India has a tradition of noisy debate, which is quite right that shows you the health of the democracy.

Ultimately, those are matters politically for discussion within, uh, India and its democratic framework.

But I did have a good conversation update with Doctor.