India-UK Free Trade Agreement Commences; Nepal Rejects British Mediation in Border Talks

India and the United Kingdom will implement their long‑awaited free trade agreement on 15 July, Trade Minister Piyush Goyal announced. The pact, the ninth such agreement signed by India, is expected to give Indian exporters access to 38 developed‑country markets and boost jobs for farmers, fishermen, women entrepreneurs and others.

Separately, Nepal’s prime minister Balwan Shah clarified that Kathmandu does not want the United Kingdom to act as a mediator in the India‑Nepal border dispute over Kalapani, Lipulekh and other areas. Shah said Nepal will resolve the issue directly with its neighbors, rejecting any third‑party involvement, a stance echoed by India’s foreign ministry, which maintains that bilateral mechanisms alone should handle the matter.