“We have made great progress in the negotiations and continue to work towards an agreement that works for both countries,” James Cleverly said in an interview with the Times of India published on Sunday. “We have made it very, very clear that our partnership with India matters to us and that we want to improve and develop further,” he was quoted as saying to the newspaper during the two-day visit.

India and its former colonial ruler have been negotiating the pact to boost trade and investment between the countries for about 18 months. The goal was to wrap up the talks by Diwali, but no new deadline was set for the talks to be completed, people aware of developments said.

India’s gains rather than likely UK alcohol and UK car tariff cuts and visa flexibilities would be the focus areas. In return, India wants more work and study visas for its citizens, in line with similar recent deals between the UK and Australia and New Zealand.

The prime ministers of both nations are set to resume talks and agreed on the need for an early conclusion. Political changes in the UK and recent comments by UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman that Indians are the largest group of people residing in the UK were seen as major hurdles to reaching a deal, officials said.

Cleverly told the Times he “sees it as very positive that so many Indians want to come to the UK to study, that Indian business people want to do business in the UK. This is a reason to celebrate.”

“Of course, this means that we have to ensure that our processes are right.”

However, Cleverly refused to delve into the expectation that the appointment of Rishi Sunak, who is of Indian descent, as prime minister could help strengthen ties.

“Nevertheless, it’s nice to see how much excitement and enthusiasm there is around the British Prime Minister here in India,” he told the newspaper.

(with AFP inputs)