UK Security Minister Tom Tugendhat's visit to India

At the G-20 Anti-Corruption Ministerial meeting in Kolkata, United Kingdom (UK) Security Secretary Tom Tugendhat and Indian counterpart Jitendra Singh had a bilateral meeting. 

They aimed to strengthen cooperation between their nations.

Key Points:

• Minister Tugendhat was joined by a British delegation, and both sides emphasized their commitment to transparency and anti-corruption efforts.

• Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted the shared goal of establishing a corruption-free society and called for increased collaboration in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) innovations, cross-sector cooperation, and anti-corruption partnerships.

• Minister Tugendhat reiterated the UK's stance that India, as a signatory to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), should implement Article 16 addressing bribery of foreign government officials.

• He also encouraged India to join the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Government Officials, of which the UK is a member.

• Dr Jitendra Singh affirmed India's ratification of the UNCAC. India's presidency of the G-20, starting in December 2022 under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, emphasized global cooperation in tackling corruption issues based on the principle of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'.

• India's efforts towards transparency included e-governance adoption, Aadhaar system implementation for Direct Benefit Transfer, procurement reforms, and the Citizen's Charter in public offices.

• India actively participates in the G-20 Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG) Forum, which has achieved notable progress in combating corruption globally.

• Under India's leadership, the G20 ACWG has adopted high-level principles and conducted successful working group meetings, promoting international cooperation and accountability in the fight against corruption.

United Kingdom (UK):

• The United Kingdom is a developed country located on the northwest coast of Europe.
• The United Kingdom includes Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
• Whereas England, Scotland and Wales are under Great Britain.
• So the UK includes England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
• The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and unitary state consisting of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
• It is governed by a parliamentary system with London as its capital. It has three devolved national administrations, Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland respectively.