New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has told the United Kingdom that all foreign entities operating in India need to comply with Indian laws and regulations, according to official sources. Jaishankar said this to UK’s Foreign Minister James Cleverly, who raised the issue of 'surveys' by Indian tax agencies at the offices of British media conglomerate BBC in Delhi and Mumbai. 


“UK Foreign Secretary brought up BBC tax issue with EAM today. He was firmly told that all entities operating in India must comply fully with relevant laws and regulations,” said an official source.


Jaishankar and Cleverly held a bilateral meeting Wednesday on the eve of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting that will be held on March 2. 


“Began the morning with a bilateral meeting with Foreign Secretary @JamesCleverly of the UK. Reviewed the progress in our relationship since our last discussion. Noted in particular the commencement of the Young Professional Scheme,” Jaishankar said in a tweet after his meeting with the British minister.






“Also exchanged views on the global situation as well as the G20 agenda,” he added. 

 

Addressing Indian industry later in the day, Cleverly said the world is living under an atmosphere of “geopolitical competition” and how the Russia-Ukraine War has given rise to a food and energy crisis. 

 

“Vladimir must listen to those words but sadly he is not doing that yet,” Clevery said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement in Uzbekistan last year that “this is not an era of war". 

 

He also said the war will dominate the G20 agenda. He said he will discuss the issues concerning the war at the Foreign Ministers' Meeting Thursday for which he is visiting India. 

 

Cleverly added that the UK also believes in the Indo-Pacific strategic framework and have a rules-based international system.