UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to visit India on Friday for UN counter-terrorism meet

It will be the first visit by a top-ranking official from Britain after Rishi Sunak took charge as the UK PM

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will visit India this week to attend a special meeting of the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee.

Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said at a press conference on Wednesday that Cleverly will be among the dignitaries to attend the UN meet.

It will be the first visit by a top-ranking official from Britain after Rishi Sunak took charge as the UK's first Indian-origin prime minister on Tuesday.

The meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee will take place on October 28 and 29.

The meet on October 28 will take place in Mumbai while the second day's deliberations will be in Delhi.

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Ways to check use of social media, new fund raising methods and unmanned aerial systems by terror groups will be the focus of the two-day special meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Cleverly are set to have a one-on-one meeting on the sidelines of the UN meet.

On Tuesday, Jaishankar had a telephonic conversation with Cleverly.

India and the UK have been engaged in negotiations for a free trade agreement.

Over a week back, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said both sides are holding negotiations for an early finalisation of the pact that could be beneficial to both sides.