New Delhi, April 7 (NationPress) The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to undertake an official visit to the United Kingdom and Austria from April 8-13. This visit will include participation in ministerial-level bilateral discussions, as revealed in an official announcement on Monday.

During her trip, the Finance Minister will engage in the 13th Ministerial round of the India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue and interact with think tanks, investors, and business leaders in both the UK and Austria, according to a statement from the Ministry of Finance.

The 13th EFD is set to occur in London on April 9, co-chaired by the Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister alongside the UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer.

According to the ministry, “The 13th EFD is a crucial bilateral platform that enables open dialogue at ministerial and officer levels, facilitating discussions among respective regulatory bodies on various aspects of financial collaboration, such as investment, financial services, regulations, UPI interlinkages, taxation issues, and measures against illicit financial flows.”

Key areas of focus during this dialogue will be collaboration in the IFSC GIFT City, as well as sectors like investment, insurance, pensions, FinTech, the Digital Economy, and the mobilization of affordable and sustainable climate finance.

On the margins of the 13th EFD, FM Sitharaman will also conduct bilateral meetings with distinguished dignitaries, engage in investor roundtables, and meet with executives from significant financial institutions and corporations.

The Minister will present the keynote speech at the India-UK Investor Roundtable, attended by CEOs from international organizations and senior management from various sectors of the UK financial landscape, including pension funds, insurance firms, and banks.

FM Sitharaman will co-host the roundtable with the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, in collaboration with the City of London, inviting top executives and senior managers from leading UK pension funds and asset management companies.

During her visit to Austria, the Finance Minister will hold bilateral discussions with senior leaders of the Austrian government, including Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer and Chancellor Christian Stocker.

The Ministry indicated that Sitharaman and the Austrian Minister for Economy, Energy and Tourism, Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, will co-chair a session with leading Austrian CEOs to inform them about current and future investment opportunities in India, aiming to enhance investment collaboration between the two nations.