New Delhi [India], October 22 (ANI): British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who is on a two-day trip to India, on Friday met External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and said that partnership with India is absolutely crucial.

"I am delighted to make this one of my early priorities as Foreign Secretary and indeed our second meeting together. It is because we see our partnership with India as absolutely crucial. You believe in free enterprise and you believe in freedom," said UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss.

Truss stressed that both countries should work together on the set plans for the future.

"I think it's very important that countries like ours act together on our shared plans for the future. We have a huge opportunity to deepen our relationship in a number of areas whether it's security and defence, or technology, or health," said Truss.

She also congratulated the nation on vaccinating 1 billion Indians in record time.

"Vaccination is a great area of collaboration between our two countries - the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine produced here at the Serum Institute. There's so much more we can do in areas like sharing our expertise on the environment ahead of COP26," added Truss.

She also said, "I am very much looking forward to positive discussions that will take our relationship forward."Talking about her Mumbai visit on Saturday, she said, "We will be seeing the Carrier Strike Group in Mumbai."India and the UK will be having a busy calendar of engagements starting with the UK's Carrier Strike Group (CSG) led by 65,000 tonne HMS Queen Elizabeth entering Indian water and one of the ship dockings at Mumbai Port. (ANI)