UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will visit India next week and will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi to bolster close partnership and security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
"The visit will begin from Ahmedabad on Thursday (21st April) to meet with leading businesses and discuss the UK and India's thriving commercial, trade and people links. This will be the first time a UK Prime Minister will visit Gujarat, India's fifth-largest state and the ancestral home of around half of the British-Indian population in the UK," Downing Street said in a statement.
In Gujarat, Johnson is expected to announce new science, health and technology projects, as well as major investments in key industries in the United Kingdom and India.
"The Prime Minister will then travel to New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (22nd April). The leaders will hold in-depth talks on the UK and India's strategic defense, diplomatic and economic partnership, aimed at bolstering our close partnership and stepping up security co-operation in the Indo-Pacific," the release added.
According to the British government, Johnson will use the upcoming visit to India to drive progress in the negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement, which is expected to boost bilateral trade by up to 28 billion pounds (USD 36.5 billion) annually by 2035.
"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," Johnson said as quoted in the Sunday government statement.
During their virtual talks last month, PM Modi had urged Johnson to visit India and expressed satisfaction at the positive momentum in the ongoing negotiations on the bilateral Free Trade Agreement.
Both leaders spoke to each other last month and agreed to build a strong relationship between the two countries on trade, security and business in the coming days.
They also spoke about the crisis in Ukraine and agreed its sovereignty must be respected. "The UK-India relationship continues to go from strength to strength, and we'll build on our trade, security & business ties in the coming weeks and months." Boris Johnson had tweeted last month.
PM Modi emphasized India's belief in respect for international law and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states, as the basis of the contemporary world order.
He also appreciated the progress in implementing the 'India-UK Roadmap 2030' adopted during the virtual summit between both leaders last year.
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