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Defense and trade is what British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will discuss with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Friday as the former makes a long-delayed trip to India. It will be Johnson’s first major trip to India as prime minister, after previous visits were postponed due to Covid.
In addition to tightening ties, the UK is trying to convince India to take a less pro-Moscow stance. Last month, Foreign Minister Liz Truss visited India in a bid to urge the country to impose tougher sanctions on Russia and cooperate more closely on trade, defence, energy and food security.
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India has never directly criticized Russia since it invaded Ukraine on February 24 and did not condemn the invasion in a United Nations vote on the issue. In addition to Delhi, Johnson will also travel to Gujarat, India’s fifth-largest state, where he is expected to announce major investment in key industries in the UK and India, as well as new collaborations in the areas of science, health and technology.
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Strategic partner
Ahead of his visit, the Prime Minister said: “As we face threats to our peace and prosperity from autocratic states, it is vital that democracies and friends come together.”
India is a major economic power and the largest democracy in the world. It is a valued strategic partner of the UK in these uncertain times. My visit to India will lead to the issues that really matter to the peoples of our two nations – from job creation and economic growth to energy security and defence.
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