Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart, Rishi Sunak, held a telephone conversation to discuss recent developments in West Asia, with a particular focus on the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group, Hamas. Downing Street reported that the two leaders addressed the latest progress in negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement.

“Both leaders expressed deep concern at terrorism, worsening security situation, and the loss of civilian lives. They agreed on the need for regional peace, security, stability, and continued humanitarian assistance,” said the Indian PM’s Office, in a statement.

According to the readout leaders also discussed the "deeply distressing situation in the Middle East and condemned Hamas's attacks on Israel."

"They reiterated that Hamas did not represent the Palestinian people and reflected on the need to deescalate tensions in the wider region," it added.

As countries like the United Kingdom and the United States have previously asserted, the militant organization does not represent the Palestinian people. Sunak also “underscored the importance of protecting innocent civilians in Gaza and ensuring aid was able to flow into the country,” said his office.

This coincides with the UK Prime Minister's earlier commitment to provide millions of dollars in humanitarian aid to assist the civilian population in Gaza. In the previous month, India dispatched approximately 6.5 tonnes of medical aid and 32 tonnes of disaster relief supplies via an Indian Air Force (IAF) flight to Egypt. Subsequently, the aid was transferred to the Egyptian Red Crescent for the benefit of the Gaza population.

During their recent conversation, the two leaders emphasized the significance of achieving an "ambitious" trade agreement, as negotiations continue with the potential for finalization this year. A spokesperson from Rishi Sunak's office stated that the leaders deliberated on the recent progress in Free Trade Agreement discussions and concurred on the importance of securing a mutually beneficial deal.

Earlier this year, Sunak acknowledged that there was still work to be done to finalize a free trade pact with India. Prime Minister Modi also extended his congratulations to his British counterpart on the successful completion of one year in office. Following the call, Prime Minister Modi shared on X that he had discussed methods to enhance bilateral relations and exchanged viewpoints on the situation in West Asia with his British counterpart.

“We agree that there is no place for terror and violence. The death of civilians is a serious concern. Need to work towards regional peace, security, stability and continued humanitarian assistance,” said the Indian PM, in a post on X.

Both leaders concurred on maintaining communication and extended Diwali greetings, as stated in a release from PM Modi's office. The leaders reaffirmed their dedication to further bolstering bilateral relations and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, encompassing trade, investment, emerging technology, defense, security, healthcare, and various other domains, according to the statement by the PMO.

Image source: ANI