UK PM Boris Johnson to begin two-day India visit to 'deepen strategic ties'

London/New Delhi: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to arrive in India on Thursday for a two-day visit to deepen the long-term partnership for peace and prosperity with a fellow leading democracy.

Ahead of Johnson's two-day visit, Downing Street has stressed that the UK would not look to "lecture" India over its neutral stance in the United Nations or its decision to hike Russian oil imports, reported ANI.

The UK has been trying to persuade India to reduce its reliance on Moscow since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Addressing the House of Commons for his weekly Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs), Johnson said the trip to Ahmedabad and New Delhi will build on India being invited as a guest country for the G7 Summit hosted by the UK in Cornwall in June last year.

"I will be travelling to India to deepen the strategic trade, defence and people-to-people ties between our two countries, building on India's involvement in the Carbis Bay G7 summit," Johnson told members of Parliament. It will be Johnson's first major trip to India as Prime Minister after previous visits were postponed due to Covid.

Johnson will begin his India visit from Ahmedabad in Gujarat by meeting with leading business group leaders and discussing 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.

On Friday morning, Johnson will attend a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan and later a wreath-laying at the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi. The UK Prime Minister will then travel to New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Modi on April 22 where the leaders will hold in-depth talks on the UK and India`s strategic defence, diplomatic and economic partnership, aimed at bolstering close partnership and stepping up security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

UK Prime Minister will also hold talks with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar. On the same afternoon, the two sides will issue a press statement at around 1 pm at Hyderabad House.

According to the British High Commission statement, Johnson will use the visit to drive progress in the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations launched earlier this year as a deal with India is predicted to boost 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.

Last year, Johnson and PM Modi agreed on a UK-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, announcing more than 530 million pounds in investment into the UK and committing to a deeper bilateral relationship across trade, health, climate, defence and security, and connecting our people.

India was also identified 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.