Business 05 Jun, 2026

UK Foreign Secretary hails maritime, supply chain security talks after India visit

Business To Business, London, 5^th June, 2026:  Yvette Cooper's visit to India helped advance cooperation between the two countries in maritime security, economic resilience, and supply-chain stability, according to the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
High-level meetings
During her visit, Cooper met with:

• Narendra Modi
• S. Jaishankar

The UK government said the discussions built upon the framework of the India-UK Vision 2035 agreed between Modi and Keir Starmer for deeper bilateral cooperation.
Focus on maritime security
A major theme of the visit was maritime security, particularly concerns arising from disruptions to international shipping routes.
According to the FCDO, Cooper emphasized the importance of India and the UK working together on issues related to the Strait of Hormuz, whose disruption can significantly affect global trade and energy supplies.
The two sides discussed ways to:

• Enhance maritime security.
• Protect critical sea lanes.
• Improve resilience against global economic shocks.
• Secure international supply chains.

New maritime initiative
As part of the visit, Cooper and Indian counterparts co-launched the:

• Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence

The UK government said the new centre is intended to strengthen cooperation on:

• Maritime domain awareness.
• Security coordination.
• Resilience against disruptions to global shipping.
• Capacity-building and knowledge sharing.

Strategic significance
The initiative comes amid heightened concerns about the security of global shipping routes and supply chains. For both India and the UK—major trading nations dependent on maritime commerce—ensuring safe and reliable sea lanes is an increasingly important strategic priority.
The visit underscores the growing breadth of the India-UK partnership, which now extends beyond trade and diplomacy to include maritime security, regional stability, and protection of critical economic infrastructure.