Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his upcoming visit to India will focus on issues “that really matter” to the people of India and UK.
In a tweet today, Mr Johnson said he is coming to India to “deepen the long-term partnership between our countries.”
“This week I’ll be travelling to India, to deepen the long-term partnership between our countries. As we face threats to our peace and prosperity from autocratic states, it is vital that democracies and friends stick together,” Mr Johnson tweeted.
“India, as a major economic power and the world’s largest democracy, is a highly valued strategic partner for the UK in these uncertain times,” he said, alluding to the war in Ukraine.
“My visit to India will deliver on the things that really matter to the people of both our nations – from job creation and economic growth, to energy security and defence,” the British Prime Minister tweeted.
Mr Johnson’s India visit would also successfully complete four out of 26 chapters in the ongoing India-UK free trade agreement, or FTA, negotiations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Johnson are expected to take stock of the negotiations and mandate a timeline for the possible completion of the process, initially set for the end of this year, news agency PTI reported.
According to officials close to the discussions, there has also been “significant progress” in the remaining 22 chapters of the FTA at the end of the first two rounds of official negotiations, with the third round of talks scheduled for later this month, PTI reported.
The focal point of Mr Johnson’s India visit is expected to be on April 21 and 22, when bilateral discussions and interactions with Indian business leaders are on the cards.
A joint statement, being worked on by both sides, is likely to cover agreements across a variety of sectors, including defence and security and education.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict is likely to feature strongly during the meeting, but officials pointed out that other regional matters such as the situation in Afghanistan and the UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt will be high on the agenda of the bilateral visit.
