British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will travel to India next weekend for a meeting with his counterpart Narendra Modi and trade and strategic discussions, Downing Street announced on Saturday, amid disagreements over the Russian invasion in Ukraine.
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"As our peace and prosperity are threatened by autocratic states, it is vital that democracies and friends stick together
," Boris Johnson said in a statement.
"India, a major economic power and the world's largest democracy, is a very important strategic partner for the UK in these uncertain times
," he added.
He explained that his visit is focused on
"what really matters"
to the people of both countries,
"from job creation and economic growth, to energy security and defence"
.
The United Kingdom and India have very different reactions to the situation in Ukraine: if London is stepping up economic sanctions against Russia and is on the front line of armed support for kyiv, the government of Narendra Modi has been careful not to condemn the Russian invasion openly and to join in the votes to that effect at the UN.
India calls Moscow a
"longtime friend"
and a
"key pillar"
of its foreign policy because of its
"strategic partnership"
for its national security.
On April 22 in New Delhi, Boris Johnson and Narendra Modi will hold, according to Downing Street,
"in-depth discussions"
on
"strategic defence"
,
"diplomatic and economic partnership"
, with the aim of
"strengthening our close partnership and intensifying security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region”
, an area that is at the forefront of British post-Brexit diplomacy.
The day before, Boris Johnson is expected in Ahmedabad, the main city of Gujarat, the state from which half of the British-Indian population in the United Kingdom, a former colonial power, originates.
According to Downing Street, he must announce there a major investment in
"key"
sectors , source of jobs and growth in the United Kingdom,
"as well as a new collaboration"
in the fields of science, health and technology.
Boris Johnson also hopes to advance negotiations to try to clinch a free trade agreement with India, which according to London's predictions would bring trade up to 28 billion pounds sterling (33.8 billion EUR) annually. by 2035 and would result in up to three billion pounds (EUR 3.6 billion) of additional revenue in the UK.
