Prime Minister Rishi Sunak congratulated India’s Narendra Modi on Wednesday (5) following his recent election victory, expressing optimism about the future of UK-India relations. In a social media post, Sunak emphasized that the bilateral relationship between the two countries will “thrive,” reflecting the deep friendship shared by the nations.

“Today I spoke to Narendra Modi to congratulate him on his election victory,” Sunak stated. “The UK and India share the closest of friendships, and together that friendship will continue to thrive,” he added, enhancing the message with a phrase in Hindi: “Britain aur Bharat ke beech kareebi mitrata hai, aur saath milkar yeh mitrata aage badhti rahegi (Britain and India share a close friendship, which will be enhanced moving forward in partnership).”

According to a Downing Street spokesperson, the two leaders will meet in person at the upcoming G7 Summit in Apulia, southern Italy. Modi has been invited to the Outreach Sessions by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The spokesperson noted that Sunak wished Modi every success for his third term and that both leaders agreed to stay in touch, looking forward to their meeting at the G7.

Notably absent from the conversation was the topic of the stalled India-UK free trade agreement (FTA), currently paused in its fourteenth round of negotiations. The general election cycles in both countries have delayed progress. The FTA discussions, which Sunak and Modi aimed to accelerate after their last meeting at the G20 Summit in New Delhi last September, are expected to resume post-election.

Sunak is currently on the campaign trail for the UK general election, set for July 4, with hopes of securing a record fourth term for his Tory-led government. Meanwhile, the opposition Labour Party has pledged to finalize the FTA if elected.

The continuation of UK-India relations remains a pivotal focus, as both nations look to enhance their partnership in the coming years.