Kolkata: India and the UK are striving to create a more transparent and corruption-free society, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said. He also called for broader cooperation between the two countries in sharing information and communication technology (ICT) innovations, promoting cross-sectoral cooperation and building partnerships to prevent and fight corruption, according to an official statement released on Sunday.

British Security Secretary Tom Tugendhat visited Singh and held a “bilateral” meeting on the sidelines of the G20 anti-corruption ministerial meeting in Kolkata, sources said.

Tugendhat was accompanied by a senior British government delegation and reaffirmed closer cooperation with India.

Singh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated that India has a strict zero-tolerance policy on corruption, the Human Resources Ministry statement said.

Tugendhat reiterated the UK’s offer that India, as a signatory to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), should also implement Article 16 of the UNCAC, which deals with bribery of foreign public officials (foreign bribery), he added.

He also called on India to sign the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, also known as the OECD Anti-Corruption Convention, to which Britain is a party, the statement said. Singh explained that India has already ratified UNCAC. “On December 1, 2022, India assumed the G20 presidency, led by Prime Minister Modi amid global crises. To take on the message of India’s ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, both the developed and emerging economies of the G20 have come together to share their responsibilities in tackling critical global issues and fighting corruption,” he said.

Singh said steps have been taken to ensure transparency and accountability in the way the government works.

“These include the adoption of e-governance, the implementation of the Aadhaar system of direct power transfer, procurement reforms and citizenship charters in public offices,” the statement said.

Singh said India is actively participating in the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG) forum and related joint meetings.

“Under India’s leadership, the G20 ACWG has achieved significant milestones, including the adoption of three high-level principles and the hosting of three successful working group meetings. This will add impetus to the continued momentum of facilitating international cooperation and enhancing accountability in the political fight against corruption,” he said.