EAM Jaishankar congratulates Miliband on appointment as UK Foreign Secretary
London, July 21
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday congratulated Ed Miliband on his appointment as the UK Foreign Secretary while emphasising that he is looking forward to working together with him to advance cooperation between India and the United Kingdom.
"Congratulate Ed Miliband on his appointment as UK Foreign Secretary. The India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has witnessed a strong momentum in recent years, including the entry into force of CETA. Look forward to working together to advance our cooperation," EAM Jaishankar posted on X.
Elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Doncaster North in May 2005, Miliband was appointed as UK's Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on Monday. He was previously Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero between July 2024 and July 2026.
He has also previously served as Minister for the Cabinet Office in 2007 and then as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change from 2008 to 2010. In this role, he oversaw the introduction of the world leading Climate Change Act 2008 which made the UK the first country in the world to put climate targets into law.
Miliband served in the Shadow Cabinet in a number of positions, including Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero (2021 to 2024) and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (2020 to 2021).
He was Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2010 to 2015.
Last year, Miliband - then Secretary for Energy Security and Net Zero for the United Kingdom - co-chaired the Fourth India-UK Energy Dialogue along with Union Minister of Power and Housing and Urban Affairs of India, Manohar Lal, reviewing progress made in the energy sectors of both nations, including power and renewable energy.
Recognising the shared ambition for advancing offshore wind development, the ministers announced the establishment of a UK-India Offshore Wind Taskforce, which is focusing on advancing offshore wind ecosystem development, supply chains, and financing models in both countries.
They had also discussed the progress of trade missions focusing on offshore wind and green hydrogen, as well as the cooperation between the UK's Energy Systems Catapult and India's Power Trading Corporation.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Looking forward to deeper cooperation on offshore wind and green hydrogen! India has huge potential in renewable energy and UK's expertise can help accelerate our transition. The UK-India Offshore Wind Taskforce sounds promising.
Nice to see continuity in diplomatic relations. But I hope our government also pushes for easier visa processes for Indian students and professionals in UK. That would truly strengthen the partnership beyond just energy deals.
Miliband seems knowledgeable about climate issues. Hope he brings that same energy to strengthening UK-India ties. We need more joint projects in solar and wind energy. Good to see both countries working together on this.
As someone who works in renewable energy, this is encouraging. The UK-India Offshore Wind Taskforce could be a game-changer for both countries. India's ambitious 500GW renewable target by 2030 needs all the international collaboration it can get.
Diplomatic courtesies are fine, but I hope this isn't just photo-op diplomacy. Let's see concrete outcomes - more trade, technology transfer, and people-to-people exchanges. The CETA implementation needs to actually benefit Indian businesses on ground.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.