Trade, defence, meeting with Adani on agenda as UK PM visits India

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will arrive in India next week for a two-day visit beginning April 21. Johnson’s office said that he and Prime Minister Modi would hold “in-depth talks” in Delhi on April 22 on “strategic defence, diplomatic and economic partnership”.

Johnson though will start his visit by landing in Ahmedabad in Gujarat on April 21. He will become the first British Prime Minister to visit Gujarat. The Hindu reported that Johnson is likely to meet industrialist Gautam Adani, among others.

Meeting business leaders

In Ahmedabad, Johnson is scheduled to meet with leading businesses leaders and discuss the UK and India’s “thriving” commercial, trade and people links, The Hindu reported. Apart from being Prime Minister Modi’s home state, Gujarat was also chosen because around half of the British-Indian diaspora population in the UK comes from the state.

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“In Gujarat, Johnson is expected to announce major investment in key industries in both the UK and India, boosting jobs and growth at home, as well as new collaboration on cutting-edge science, health and technology,” the Downing Street statement said.

Johnson “will then travel to New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Modi on Friday (April 22). The leaders will hold in-depth talks on the UK and India’s strategic defence, diplomatic and economic partnership, aimed at bolstering our close partnership and stepping up security co-operation in the Indo-Pacific,” the statement said.

Impetus to FTA

According to officials on both sides, Johnson will also use his India visit to drive progress in the ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations launched earlier this year, The Hindu report said. “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,” said Johnson, ahead of the visit. “India, as a major economic power and the world’s largest democracy, is a highly valued strategic partner for the UK in these uncertain times,” he added.

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The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks, which will move into their third round later this month, are expected to result in a deal predicted to boost the UK’s total trade by up to £28 billion pounds ($36 billion) annually by 2035 and increase incomes across the UK by up to £3 billion ($3.9 billion), The Hindu said.

Russia-Ukraine war

The visit comes at a time when Britain and India hold divergent views on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While London has imposed economic sanctions on Moscow and supplied weapons to Kyiv, Modi’s government has not openly condemned the Kremlin or backed a UN Security Council vote that deplored Moscow’s “aggression” against its neighbour. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is likely to feature strongly during the meeting.

Since Britain’s departure from the European Union, the conservative government has sought to boost trade and security ties with countries in the Asia-Pacific.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s expected visit next week is seen as long overdue, having been cancelled twice before – first when he was invited as a chief guest for Republic Day celebrations due to a COVID-19 spike in the UK in early 2021 and then cancelled again as a result of the pandemic situation in India around this time last year.