UK delivering on new FTA with India, says Rishi Sunak
London (PTI): British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reiterated the UK's commitment to a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India as part of the country's wider focus on enhancing ties with the Indo-Pacific region.
Delivering a talk Monday night at the Lord Mayor of London's Banquet -- his first major foreign policy speech since taking charge at 10 Downing Street last month -- the British-Indian leader reflected upon his heritage and committed to promoting British values of "freedom and openness" around the world.
He also pledged to "do things differently" when it came to China, which he said poses a "systemic challenge" to British values and interests.
"Before I came into politics, I invested in businesses around the world. And the opportunity in the Indo-Pacific is compelling," said Sunak.
"By 2050, the Indo-Pacific will deliver over half of global growth compared with just a quarter from Europe and North America combined. That's why we're joining the Trans-Pacific trade deal, the CPTPP, delivering a new FTA with India and pursuing one with Indonesia," he said.
"Like many others, my grandparents came to the UK, via East Africa and the Indian subcontinent and made their lives here. In recent years, we've welcomed thousands of people from Hong Kong, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. We're a country that stands up for our values, that defends democracy by actions not just words," he noted.
On China, Sunak said he wants to "evolve" the UK's approach as he distanced his government from a slogan used by the previous Conservative Party led government to describe UK-China bilateral relations just over seven years ago.
"Let's be clear, the so-called golden era' is over, along with the na ve idea that trade would lead to social and political reform. But nor should we rely on simplistic Cold War rhetoric. We recognise China poses a systemic challenge to our values and interests, a challenge that grows more acute as it moves towards even greater authoritarianism," he cautioned.
The 42-year-old former chancellor admitted that the UK cannot simply ignore China's "significance" in world affairs, something he pointed out that other leading economies such as the US, Canada, Australia and Japan also acknowledge.
"So together we'll manage this sharpening competition, including with diplomacy and engagement. Much of this is about dramatically improving our resilience, particularly our economic security," said Sunak.
Reiterating his pro-Brexit vision, Sunak ruled out any alignment with European Union (EU) law in favour of cooperation on shared issues such as illegal migration. He also committed the UK to standing by Ukraine in its conflict with Russia as part of Europe's "collective resolve" to protect democratic values.
"After years of pushing at the boundaries, Russia is challenging the fundamental principles of the UN Charter. China is consciously competing for global influence using all the levers of state power. In the face of these challenges, short-termism or wishful thinking will not suffice. We can't depend on Cold War arguments or approaches, or mere sentimentality about the past. So, we will make an evolutionary leap in our approach," he declared.
Sunak confirmed that further detail on the UK's foreign policy outlook will be laid out in an updated Integrated Review' in the new year, which will also cover closer collaboration with the Commonwealth.
"Under my leadership, we won't choose the status quo. We will do things differently. We will evolve, anchored always by our enduring belief in freedom, openness and the rule of law and confident that in this moment of challenge and competition our interests will be protected and our values will prevail," he concluded.
The Lord Mayor's Banquet at Guildhall in the financial heart of London is an annual event where the UK prime minister addresses business leaders, international dignitaries and foreign policy experts on the subject of foreign policy.
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Bangladesh High Court refuses to ban ISKCON
Dhaka, Nov 28: Bangladesh High Court Thursday rejected a petition seeking a ban on ISKCON's activities in the country, days after a lawyer was killed in a clash between security personnel and supporters of a Hindu leader, previously linked to the religious group.
A lawyer had sought a ban on the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) after placing some newspaper reports related to the organisation on Wednesday.
"The two-member High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Debashish Roy Chowdhury on Thursday declined to ban the ISKCON activities in Bangladesh," a spokesman of the attorney general's office said.
He said the bench made the decision after the attorney general's office submitted a report on the action taken by the government regarding the death of assistant government prosecutor Saiful Islam Alif in the northeastern port city of Chattogram earlier this week.
Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachary, arrested earlier this week, was sent to jail by a Chattogram court on sedition charges, sparking a violent protest during which advocate Alif was killed. Chinmoy was earlier expelled from ISKCON.
"Right at this moment, the situation does not warrant the intervention of the (High) court as the State is carrying out its job (regarding the matter),” Justice Mahbub was quoted as saying by the spokesman.
The decision came a day after Attorney-General Mohammad Asaduzzaman urged the court not to take any decisions on the ISKCON issue as the government has started taking the required action.
Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque and Deputy Attorney General Asad Uddin informed the bench that three separate cases have been filed in connection with the murder of the lawyer and ISKCON's activities, and 33 accused have been arrested in these cases.
The bench then hoped that the government would remain cautious about protecting the law and order situation and the lives and properties of the people of Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, ISKCON Bangladesh refuted allegations linking the organisation to the lawyer's killing, saying the claims were baseless and part of a malicious campaign.
"A series of false, fabricated, and malicious campaigns is being spearheaded targeting ISKCON Bangladesh, particularly in connection with recent events. These efforts are aimed at discrediting our organisation and creating societal unrest," general secretary of the organization Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari said.
Speaking at a press conference at the organisation’s head office, he said ISKCON Bangladesh was never involved in "communal or conflict-driven activities and will continue to promote unity and harmony".
"We have already clarified the matter multiple times through press conferences and official communications with the government and administrative authorities. Regrettably, certain groups continue to deliberately spread false propaganda against our organisation and make unreasonable demands, such as banning ISKCON," Das said.
He said that Chinmoy was previously expelled from the organisation along with two others for violating its rules and none of their activities were connected to ISKCON.
ISKCON Bangladesh President Satya Ranjan Baroi also spoke at the press conference, saying their organisation was dedicated to communal harmony, religious tolerance, and the welfare of humanity and “the allegations are an attempt to tarnish our religious and social reputation".
Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum on Thursday staged a protest in front of the Supreme Court Bar, protesting the lawyer's killing and demanding the ban on ISKCON.
The group is regarded as the lawyers’ wing of ex-premier Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement, which led the mass upheaval to oust deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s regime on August 5, also demanded the ban on ISKCON.
Separately, a group of Supreme Court lawyers sent a legal notice to the Bangladesh government on Wednesday seeking the ban on ISKCON describing it as a “radical organisation.”
India on Tuesday noted with “deep concern” Chinmoy's arrest and denial of bail and urged Dhaka to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all other minority groups.
Earlier, the ISKCON had urged the Bangladesh authorities to promote "peaceful coexistence" for Hindus in the country as it "strongly" denounced the arrest of the Hindu leader.
Chinmoy, the spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested from Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday as he was about to fly to Chattogram to join a rally.
He was denied bail and sent to jail by the Chattogram’s Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate court in a sedition case on Tuesday.
