Dipanjan Mondal
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United Kingdom from July 23 to 24, 2025, at the invitation of UK Prime Minister The Rt. Hon. Sir Keir Starmer. This will be PM Modi’s fourth trip to the UK, as announced by the Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday.
During the visit, PM Modi and his British counterpart will discuss various topics related to their relationship. These topics include trade, economy, defense, security, technology, innovation, health, education, climate, and connections between people. They will also address regional and global issues. Prime Minister Modi is expected to meet His Majesty King Charles III. Both sides will review the progress made under the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
India and the UK are expected to formally sign the long-pending Free Trade Agreement (FTA) during the visit, which was agreed upon in principle earlier this May after nearly three years of negotiations.
The trade agreement, finalized after three years of negotiations, is expected to give Indian goods broad market access across all sectors. According to officials, India will benefit from the elimination of tariffs on about 99 percent of tariff lines, covering nearly the entire value of bilateral trade.
After the UK, Prime Minister Modi will visit the Maldives from July 25 to 26 on a State Visit at the invitation of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. This will be Modi’s third trip to the Maldives and the first by a Head of State or Government during President Muizzu’s term.
On July 26, PM Modi will be the Guest of Honour at the 60th Independence Day celebrations of the Maldives. He will meet President Muizzu to discuss bilateral issues and review the progress on the India-Maldives Joint Vision for a ‘Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership.’ This partnership was adopted during President Muizzu’s visit to India in October 2024.
The visit shows India’s commitment to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and Vision MAHASAGAR. It aims to further strengthen India-Maldives ties.
