New Delhi [India], January 13 (ANI): Emphasising on the mutual commitment to new and transformational comprehensive strategic partnership and the 2030 roadmap for future UK-India relations, UK Secretary of State for International Trade, Anne Marie-Trevelyan, said that the UK aims to double trade between the two countries by the end of this decade supporting jobs, businesses and communities.

"Through our commitment of new and transformational comprehensive strategic partnership and the 2030 roadmap for future UK-India relations, we aim to double trade between our countries by the end of this decade supporting jobs, businesses and communities in both of our countries," said Anne Marie while addressing a press conference with Union Minister of Commerce and Trade Piyush Goyal, at the launch of India-UK Free Trade Agreement Negotiations here on Thursday.

"It is a real pleasure to be here to formally launch trade negotiations with India. Our vibrant countries share a clear-eyed commitment to democracy to those fundamental freedoms to multilateralism and rules-based international order," she added.

"We are deeply entwined through our close bonds of friendship, kinship and commerce that are its living bridge of people and ideas between us so," said the UK Secretary, adding, "We have unique opportunities to build on these ties to recalibrate, refresh and to reinvigorate our relationship on trade, on defence on climate and on health."The UK Secretary also said that this is an opportunity that both countries must cease to steer our partnership with purpose onto the track of mutual prosperity for those decades to come.

"We aim for this to be a future-facing deal accelerating the business that we do together in the cutting-edge sectors that are reshaping the global economy and areas like services and innovation where Britain and India are already world leaders and in which we are therefore ideal partners.," said Anne Marie.

She also said that the negotiations are part and parcel of the UK's ambitious agenda to strengthen our strategic and economic partnership with India as it continues to cement its rightful place as an economic superpower home to more than a billion consumers and one of the world's fastest-growing economies.

The agreement aims to create huge benefits for both countries and could boost our total trade by up to euro 28 billion a year by 2035 and increase wages by up to euro 3 billion across the UK, according to the UK Department for International Trade. (ANI)