New Delhi: UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Wednesday to announce the UK-India Technology Security Initiative, aimed at strengthening investment and employment.

Sharing a post on X, Lammy said, "Thank you @DrSJaishankar for the warm welcome. The UK-India relationship is indispensable. It's fantastic to be in Delhi as we announce a UK-India Technology Security Initiative to boost investment, create jobs, and address future challenges."

The Ministry of External Affairs said in an official release that the Prime Ministers of India and the UK are launching a new 'Technology Security Initiative' (TSI) to elevate the strategic partnership between the two countries to the next level.

The TSI builds upon the ambitious bilateral cooperation agenda set out in the India-UK Roadmap 2030 and will bring a sharper focus collaboration in critical and emerging technologies (CET) across priority sectors.

The initiative will reinforce existing collaborative efforts in various technologies, broaden the mandates of existing mechanisms, and establish new mechanisms for cooperation.

The TSI will be coordinated by the National Security Advisors (NSAs) of both countries through existing and new dialogues.

"The NSAs will set the priority areas and identify interdependencies for cooperation on critical and emerging tech that will, in turn, help build meaningful technology value chain partnerships between our two countries. The progress made on the initiative will be reviewed on a half-yearly basis at the Deputy NSA level. A bilateral mechanism led by India's Ministry of External Affairs and the UK government for the promotion of trade in critical and emerging technologies, including resolution of relevant licensing or regulatory issues," the MEA release read.

"Building on shared values, as part of the Strategic Tech Policy Dialogue, the UK and India will hold a dialogue on global tech governance, seeking to coordinate positions on digital technical standards, and support the multi-stakeholder model of internet governance. The nations will seek to expand this dialogue to include Internet Governance issues; and promotion of multi-linguism through Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), the release added.

The release further said that to expand and deepen the technology security partnership, the UK and India will launch new bilateral initiatives and accelerate bilateral cooperation between all relevant stakeholders within government, which include technology and research centres, industry and academia, across telecoms, critical minerals, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum, biotechnology, health tech, and advanced materials.

It is pertinent to note that UK Foreign Secretary Lammy arrived in Delhi earlier this morning in the first high-level visit by the newly-elected Labour government in the United Kingdom.

He is on a two-day tour to highlight the importance of a new partnership between the UK and India that focuses on economic, domestic and global security.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar welcomed Lammy here in the national capital and held a meeting with the visiting minister.

In his opening remarks at the meeting with Lammy, Jaishankar said that he is looking forward to worl with him.

"Delighted to welcome you to India on your first official visit in that capacity. I remember your last visit, I think it was in March and I remember our meeting in London, last November. So, it is great to see you in this responsibility. I convey my good wishes for your success, and look forward to working with you," the EAM said.

"I do believe that our relationship is a very important relationship with the enormous possibilities there. And how we explore those possibilities, how do we realise our potential in a more meaningful way, is one of the tasks that I look forward to undertaking with you," he further added.

The EAM also said that both countries have a global presence and that it is essential for them to cooperate on global issues.

"We are both countries that have a big global presence in different ways. So I think it's also important that India and the UK work together on global issues and on global platforms. So, that too, I hope would be part of our conversation," Jaishankar said.

The External Affairs Minister also shared a post on X regarding his meeting with Lammy, in which he underscored the importance of building on close links in trade and economy, defence, IT amongst others.

"Productive and engaging discussions with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy this evening. Noted the immense potential to take forward India and UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, building on close links in trade and economy, defence and security, education, IT, digital, space and high tech, culture, mobility and people to people ties," Jaishankar said, while sharing a post on X on meeting with Lammy.

"Welcomed the launch of the Technology Security Initiative that will open new avenues for collaboration. Also exchanged perspectives on regional and global issues and cooperation in multilateral forums," he added.

This report is auto-generated from a syndicated feed