New Delhi: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has arrived on a two-day visit to India, will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi today focusing on strategic defence, diplomatic and economic partnership besides stepping up security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
Johnson landed in Gujarat on Thursday kickstarting the two-day visit. Johnson reached the national capital late on Thursday where Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar received him at the Airport, according to the news agency ANI.
What’s on the itinerary?
After a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan, Johnson will attend wreath-laying ceremony at the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi. The UK Prime Minister will also meet with external affairs minister (EAM) S Jaishankar. Both sides will issue a press statement at around 1 pm at Hyderabad House.
What’s on agenda?
Johnson will review the progress in the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations launched earlier this year as the deal with India is aimed to give a fillip to UK's total trade by up to 28 billion pounds annually by 2035 and increase incomes across the UK by up to 3 billion pounds.
The High Commission said both sides would confirm 1 billion GBP in new investments and export deals - from software engineering to health - that will create nearly 11,000 jobs in the United Kingdom.
Both sides agreed on a UK-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership focussed on more than 530 million pounds in investment into the UK and committing to a deeper bilateral relationship across trade, health, climate, defence and security.
India has emerged as a priority relationship for the UK in the 2021 Integrated Review and was invited by the UK as a guest to last year's G7 in Carbis Bay.
With the third round of negotiations starting next week, both two sides are keen to double bilateral trade by 2030.
Besides that the UK is also looking to increase its footprint in defence production in India. British Prime Minister's visit to India comes amid the increasing influence of the Indo-Pacific and India's centrality in the region with the two countries set to further intensify cooperation across the full spectrum of bilateral ties.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict is also expected to remain on the agenda with Johnson sharing UK’s stance while listening to the Indian perspective and not lecturing India, according to the agency sources .