Republic Day 2021: Boris Johnson Accepts PM Modi's R-Day Invite; First UK PM To Visit As Chief Guest After 27 Yrs

It is after a gap of 27 years that a UK Prime Minister will be the chief guest at India's 70th Republic Day next month.

British PM Boris Johnson has accepted India's R-Day invite. (Photo by Leon Neal - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Republic Day 2021: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has accepted India's Republic Day invite for  2021 celebrations on January 26. "I'm pleased that PM Boris Johnson has invited PM Modi to join the UK-hosted G7 summit next year. UK PM Johnson has also accepted the very generous invitation to attend India's Republic Day celebrations in January, which is a great honour," said UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had formally invited Johnson to be the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations. As per agencies, the invitation was extended by Modi to Johnson during their phone conversation on November 27. "We look forward to taking the spot in 2021 including the UK's presidency of G7 & also our presidency of UN Climate Change Conference. We welcome India's return to UN Security Council," Raab said. Johnson, First UK PM To Visit As R-Day Chief Guest In 27 Years: It is after a gap of 27 years that a UK Prime Minister will be the chief guest at India's 70th Republic Day next month. He will also be the sixth PM from the UK to be the Guest of Honour at the event. John Major was the last British Prime Minister to attend the Republic Day parade in New Delhi in 1993. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was the Chief Guest of India's Republic Day Parade in 2020. In 2019, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had graced the event. India-UK embarking on ambitious partnership, PM Modi hints Prime Minister Modi tweeted 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

India will be celebrating its 70th Republic Day on January 26, 2021.