External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday congratulated Ed Miliband on his appointment as the United Kingdom’s new Foreign Secretary and expressed his intention to work closely with him to further strengthen India-UK relations. Jaishankar highlighted the progress made under the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and said he looked forward to expanding cooperation between the two countries.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said the bilateral partnership had gained strong momentum in recent years, including developments such as the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). He said both nations would continue working together to deepen collaboration across various areas of mutual interest.
Ed Miliband was appointed as the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on Monday. He has represented Doncaster North as a Member of Parliament since 2005 and previously served as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero from July 2024 to July 2026.
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Miliband has held several senior government and opposition roles during his political career. He served as Minister for the Cabinet Office in 2007 and later became Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change from 2008 to 2010, where he played a key role in introducing the Climate Change Act 2008, making the UK the first country to establish legally binding climate targets.
The new Foreign Secretary has also been involved in India-UK cooperation, particularly in the energy sector. Last year, while serving as the UK’s Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary, Miliband co-chaired the Fourth India-UK Energy Dialogue with India’s Union Minister Manohar Lal, reviewing cooperation in areas including renewable energy, power systems and clean technology.
During the dialogue, both countries announced the creation of a UK-India Offshore Wind Taskforce aimed at developing offshore wind projects, supply chains and financing models. Discussions also covered cooperation on green hydrogen, offshore wind trade missions and collaboration between energy organisations from both countries, reflecting the growing strategic partnership between India and the UK.
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