British Prime Minister Keir Starmer refused to comment on whether he would press Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on India's relations with Russia during his talks tomorrow, PA media/DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
Modi faces sanctions from US President Donald Trump over his country's continued purchases of Russian oil, amid the West's tightening of sanctions regime against Moscow.
Ahead of their face-to-face meeting tomorrow, Starmer was asked whether he would suggest his Indian counterpart stop buying oil from President Vladimir Putin.
Starmer told reporters that the UK "has been a strong supporter of Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict", while maintaining solid ties with India.
He did not directly answer the question about buying Russian oil from India, only indicating that the UK was taking "really effective sanctions on the so-called shadow fleet".
Pressed again whether he would raise the issue of Russian oil with Modi, Starmer said: "Our position on energy in Russia is to focus primarily on the shadow fleet, which we have focused our attention on".
As the British prime minister travelled to India on Tuesday, Modi wished his "friend" Putin a happy birthday, PA media/DPA noted.
In an interview with the media, Starmer sought to clarify his comments that it was "not part of the plan" to extend access to work visas for Indians in the UK UK.
Prime Minister Starmer initially dismissed suggestions that the CEOs who accompanied him on the flight to Mumbai were seeking an extension of the visa regime.
In a statement at the Maidan Oval cricket ground in Mumbai, he said of the business leaders: “None of them have raised the issue of visas with me. That was not part of the free trade agreement (FTA). It is about providing opportunities for them to benefit from the FTA even before it is fully implemented. They are all full of ideas. We are doing deals. They are doing deals every day.”
Earlier, Starmer urged business leaders to “seize” the opportunity offered by the UK’s trade agreement with India.
He described the agreement as a “springboard for growth” as it offers significantly reduced Indian tariffs on many British industries.
Around 125 business leaders, cultural figures and university chancellors joined the British leader in Mumbai for what Starmer's office called the UK's largest trade mission to India ever.
The trade deal is expected to bring the British economy 4.8 billion pounds ($6.4 billion) a year.
The Indian government went out of its way to give Starmer a warm welcome when he arrived in Mumbai at dawn. Posters and billboards with his face were plastered across the western Indian coastal city with messages of welcome.
A picture of Starmer shaking hands with Modi - from their meeting at Chequers in July - appeared on hundreds of huge billboards across the city, welcoming the prime minister's motorcade.
Amid bright orange and blue colours, the posters carried the message: “We are paving the way for a new dynamic era of partnership between India and the UK“.