India Invites Boris Johnson As Republic Day Chief Guest - Here's Why UK PM's Visit Holds Significance

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has himself extended the invitation to his UK counterpart during a telephonic conversation on November 27.

(File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: India has invited United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson to be the chief guest for its 2021 Republic Day celebrations on January 26, several media houses reported. As per the information, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has himself extended the invitation to his UK counterpart during a telephonic conversation on November 27. If Boris Johnson accepts the invitation, it will be after a gap of 27 years that a UK Prime Minister will be the chief guest at India's Republic Day next month. John Major was the last British Prime Minister to attend the Republic Day parade in New Delhi in 1993. There has been no official confirmation yet from either Indian or the British government on a possible visit by Johnson. However, PM Modi hinted in a tweet on November 27 that India-UK are embarking on an ambitious partnership. "We agreed to work towards a quantum leap in our cooperation in all areas - trade and investments, defence and security, climate change and fighting Covid-19," Modi had tweeted.

Had an excellent discussion with my friend, UK PM @BorisJohnson on an ambitious roadmap for India-UK ties in the next decade. We agreed to work towards a quantum leap in our cooperation in all areas - trade & investment, defence & security, climate change, and fighting Covid-19.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 27, 2020

Why Boris Johnson's India Visit Holds Significance  The invitation from Modi is tactical and timely as the transition period for Brexit ends on December 31 and it's almost certain that the UK will go for a 'hard Brexit' - a clean break from Europe which will entail Britain giving up membership of the EU's single market, allowing it to to trade freely with EU members without restrictions. The hard Brexit is likely to disrupt UK's economy, which even after four years of the Brexit vote, is for most practical purposes still functioning as part of the EU. To reduce the adverse effects of the economic disruption, the UK has been looking for trading opportunities elsewhere. Prime Minister Johnson has offered a free trade agreement with India, given its huge market. Johnson's visit to New Delhi next month will be significant for trade negotiations between the two countries. Chances Of Boris Johnson's India Visit Usually, guest invitations for Republic Day and their confirmations are sealed by November end. But due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, New Delhi has asked Johnson whether he is willing to travel to India in January amid the pandemic. Keeping in the mind the surge in Covid-19 cases in United Kingdom, it could be tough for its Prime Minister to commit an international trip which is less than two months from now. If Johnson confirms his availability and accepts New Delhi's invitation, he will be the sixth from the United Kingdom to visit India's Republic Day celebrations as chief guest.