UK prime minister Boris Johnson will subsequent week meet his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, the place he’ll reiterate the necessity for democracies to “stick collectively” and intention to bolster financial and defence co-operation between the UK and India.
In the course of the two day go to, Johnson will maintain talks with Modi in New Delhi specializing in strengthening safety co-operation between India and the UK within the Indo-Pacific area in addition to strategic defence in gentle of accelerating Russian aggression.
All through the Ukraine battle, India has maintained a strategically impartial stance on Russia. President Modi has expressed concern over using violence in opposition to civilians equivalent to that recorded in Bucha, however India has opted to abstain on vital UN votes condemning Russia. Modi even met Russia’s international minister Sergei Lavrov this yr.
India’s stance has been met with frustration by some western allies equivalent to US president Joe Biden, who final month accused India of being “considerably shaky” in its response to Russian aggression.
“As we face threats to our peace and prosperity from autocratic states, it’s vital that democracies and associates stick collectively,” Johnson stated, commenting forward of this go to. “India, as a significant financial energy and the world’s largest democracy, is a extremely valued strategic accomplice for the UK in these unsure instances”
He added: “My go to to India will ship on the issues that actually matter to the folks of each our nations — from job creation and financial development, to power safety and defence.”
As a part of his journey, Johnson can even meet companies in Gujarat the place he’s anticipated to announce additional collaboration between the 2 international locations in areas equivalent to well being and know-how and main funding in essential industries throughout the UK and India.
Commerce between India and the UK is value an estimated £23bn every year. Final yr the 2 international locations agreed on a UK-India Complete Strategic Partnership, which the UK authorities stated would carry greater than £533mn of funding into the nation from India and would outcome within the creation of greater than 6,500 jobs.
Johnson can also be anticipated to make use of the journey to proceed negotiations for a Free Commerce Settlement, which started in January of this yr.
In an announcement on Sunday, India’s exterior affairs ministry hailed the international locations’ “historic relationship” and stated the leaders would assessment progress below the strategic partnership, which additionally covers know-how, local weather change, healthcare and defence.
Johnson’s journey comes because the UK authorities goals to refocus efforts within the Indo-Pacific area as a part of its International Britain technique.
The built-in assessment, a defence and safety doc revealed in March of final yr, argued that the Indo-Pacific can be of “growing geopolitical and financial significance” within the coming years.
Specifically, the assessment highlighted the strategic worth of India and outlined the UK authorities’s intention to strengthen its partnership with the nation throughout areas equivalent to defence, commerce and tackling local weather change.
“The UK-India relationship is already robust, however over the subsequent ten years we search transformation in our co-operation throughout the complete vary of our shared pursuits,” the assessment stated.
