External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir here on the occasion of Diwali and prayed for the peace, harmony and prosperity of the Indian community around the world, hours aft🎐er he called on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Downing Street.
Jaishankar is on a five-day official visit to the UK with an aim to review various aspects of bila🃏teral ties and give &quo✃t;new impetus to the friendly ties".
"Blessed to visit the BAPS Shri Swaminarayaꦉn Mandir, Lonꦉdon on Deepavali. Prayed for the peace, harmony and prosperity of our community around the world," Jaishankar said in a post on platform X.
"Glad to interact with our community. Their contributio🅰ns are raisi🃏ng our profile around the world," he said of the Indian community across the world.
The Bochasanwasi Akshar Purusho♈ttam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in London, also called the Neasden Temple, thanked Jaishankar for taking time out toꦍ join the Diwali celebrations on Sunday, reported PTI.
"We appreciate your kind words, which inspired the thousands of devo🅺tees and visitors from the local community who had joined the celebrations. May the #LivingBridge between Great Britain and Great Bharat grow and glow from s🀅trength to strength," the Neasden Temple said on X.
Earlier, British Prime Minister Sunak ﷺand his wife Akshata Murty on Sund𝕴ay hosted Jaishankar and his wife Kyoko Jaishankar for Diwali tea at Downing Street here.
"The Prime Minis🗹ter @RishiSunak welcomed @DrSJaishankar to Downing Street this evening. Together they expressed 𝕴their very best wishes as Indian communities around the world begin #Diwali celebrations," the UK Prime Minister's office said in a post on X.
“Delighted to call on Prime Minister @RishiSunak on #Diwali Day🐠. Conveyed the best wishes of PM @narendramodi. India and the UK are actively engaged in reframing the relationship for contemporary times,” Jaishankar posted on X.
He also thanked Pr꧑ime Minister Sunak and his wife ♉for their warm reception and gracious hospitality.
"Wishing everyone a very happy and prosperous Diwali.ꦚ Hope that this꧑ Festival of Lights brings peace, prosperity and health for all," the minister posted earlier on X.
While in t꧋he UK, he is expected to attend an event at Lord’s Cricket Ground and address a Diwali Reception organised by the High Commission of India in London o🥃n Monday.
He is also expected at a repatriation ceremony for two ancient temple sculptures from Uttar Pradesh and join a discussio☂n on the🦄 theme of ‘How a billion people see the world’.
During his talks with his UK counterpart, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, it is expected that preparations🌳 for Sunak's possible visit to India in the next few months will be on the agenda.
"India and the UK have a growing bilateral partnership. During his visit, the external affairs minister will be holding disꦇcussions with his counterpart, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and will meet several other dignitaries," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement last week.
The MEA also referred to the "warm and thriving&quไ♍ot; relationship between the two sides.
The India-UK Comprehen🌱sive Strategic Partnership was launched in 2021 along with the India-UK Roadmap 2030 which seeks 🐓to expand ties in a range of areas.
India and the UK have been negotiating a free trade agreement since January last year with a🔯 target to significantly enhance the estimated GBP 36-billion bilateral trading partnership.
The talks have undergone 13 rounds of negotiations, with officials hopeful of clinching a deal ahead of general elections in both countries scheduled for 2024.
