United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is currently in India for the G20 Summit, has planned a visit to Delhi’s Akshardham temple on Sunday. During a conversation with ANI, the UK PM mentioned his intention to visit the Akshardham temple tomorrow.
He also expressed his pride in his ‘Hindu’ heritage and expressed his desire to make time to visit a temple while in India for the G20 Summit. Sunak further conveyed his deep respect for PM Modi and expressed his eagerness to contribute to the success of the G20 Summit.
Speaking exclusively to ANI, Rishi Sunak said, “I am a proud Hindu. That’s how I was raised, that’s how I am. Hopefully, I can visit the Mandir while I am here for the next couple of days. We just had Rakshabandhan, so from my sister and my cousin, I have all my Rakhis.”
“I didn’t have time to celebrate Janmashtami. But hopefully, as I said I can make up for that if we visit a Mandir this time,” he added.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, currently in India for the G20 Summit, emphasized the importance of faith as a source of strength and resilience during stressful times.
Earlier today, PM Sunak engaged in a bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit hosted in the national capital under India’s presidency. The meeting took place at the Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan, the designated summit venue.
This meeting between the two leaders followed their prior encounter at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima earlier this year, during which discussions encompassed the India-UK free trade agreement, innovation, science collaboration, and strategies for bolstering the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations.
Negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between the UK and India, initiated in 2022, have been ongoing, with the 12th round of talks held from August 8 to 31 this year. In August, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and the UK’s Secretary of State for Trade Kemi Badenoch reviewed the FTA progress and outlined the way forward, with the 13th round of negotiations set for September.
Furthermore, earlier today, both PM Modi and Rishi Sunak participated in Session 1 on ‘One Earth’ during the G20 Summit. Sunak emphasized the world’s expectations from the G20 in terms of providing leadership during these challenging times and expressed confidence in the leaders’ ability to address these challenges.
PM Modi extended a warm welcome to world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, UK PM Rishi Sunak, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and others, as they arrived to attend the Summit at the Bharat Mandapam venue. Rishi Sunak and PM Modi exchanged greetings with a Namaste and handshake, and they shared a friendly hug for the cameras.
Accompanied by his wife Akshata Murty, Sunak arrived in Delhi on Friday, marking his first visit to India as Prime Minister since assuming office in October of the previous year.
The Ministry of External Affairs highlights the strong historical and cultural ties between India and the UK, with their multifaceted bilateral relationship gaining intensity since its elevation to a Strategic Partnership in 2004.
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