Starmer Hot Mic Moment Suggests Breakthrough in India Trade Row
“We did it,” Modi can be heard saying to Starmer as the two men meet on the sidelines of the meeting, with other leaders milling around. Starmer then replies: “We did it. Yes, yes, yes, I hear. We got it over the line. So this is good.”
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer raised expectations that Britain has resolved a trade impasse with India, when he and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi were caught on a microphone at the G7 summit in France saying some form of agreement had been reached.
“We did it,” Modi can be heard saying to Starmer as the two men meet on the sidelines of the meeting, with other leaders milling around. Starmer then replies: “We did it. Yes, yes, yes, I hear. We got it over the line. So this is good.”
While the subject of their conversation wasn’t explicit, the exchange suggests they may be closer to resolving issues over a trade deal sealed last year, but not yet fully implemented. India initially blamed the UK’s parliamentary process for the hold-up, but more recently officials from the Asian nation have suggested they could delay the progress over disagreements about new UK steel safeguards.
India had been saying it may reconsider some concessions under the free trade agreement with Britain in response to the UK’s recent steel safeguards, which will sharply reduce tariff-free import quotas.
Following the initial exchange between Starmer and Modi, an Indian aide then asks “how will we announce it today?,” with Starmer replying: “I think we put a statement out.” The British premier then says “or we could do something more,” before asking “should I ask our teams how we should do this?”
Starmer’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Starmer and Modi had a formal bilateral meeting at the G7 summit in Evian on Tuesday, but neither of the readouts from the British or Indian sides made any mention of the steel dispute.
“The leaders looked forward to the early entry into force of the comprehensive economic and trade agreement,” the readout issued by the Indian government said.
