British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s two-day India visit begins today amidst high expectations. The trip is expected to not only strengthen trade ties between the two countries, which share a long history, but also pave the way for greater cooperation between them on issues of global concern such as terrorism.
It is significant to note that Johnson, a former journalist whose first wife was half Indian, is the first British Prime Minister to visit Gujarat. He landed in Ahmedabad, the political and commercial nerve centre of Gujarat which was nurtured for a long time by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was the chief minister of the state. The city is also closely connected with the activities of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, who set up the Sabarmati Ashram on the banks of river Sabarmati. Most visiting dignitaries make it a point to pay tributes to the Mahatma and have a look at the Gandhi memorabilia at the Ashram.
Johnson’s next stop will be New Delhi where he will hold in-depth talks with Prime Minister Modi on a range of crucial issues, including the current international situation. India-UK strategic defence, diplomatic and economic partnership will be in focus. Trade between the two countries is high on the agenda of any visiting British premier and Johnson is no exception. Announcements about investments in key industries in both countries are expected during the trip.
Officials on both sides have indicated that Johnson is likely to use the visit to drive progress in the ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations launched earlier this year. Ahead of the trip, he had issued a statement underscoring the importance of the visit. The British Prime Minister said that his visit to India would deliver on things that really mattered to the people of both the countries, ranging from job creation and economic growth to energy security and defence.
In an obvious reference to the threat of global terrorism he had said that in a scenario where there is a threat to the peace and prosperity of democratic countries from autocratic states, it was of vital importance that democracies and friends stuck together. India, as a major economic power and the world’s largest democracy, is highly valued by the UK as a strategic partner which wants closer ties with such trusted friends in these uncertain and trying times.
The choice of Gujarat, India’s fifth-largest state, as the first stop for Johnson on his maiden visit to the country as Prime Minister, is also significant as it happens to be the ancestral home of around half of the British-Indian diaspora residing in Britain. In Gujarat, Johnson is expected to announce major investments in key industries in both countries to boost jobs and growth. At the same time, he will also be looking at mutually advantageous new collaborations on cutting-edge science, health and technology.
Johnson will then travel to New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Modi, with whom he is expected to have in-depth talks on UK and India’s strategic defence, diplomatic and economic partnership aimed at bolstering close ties between the two countries and stepping up security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The visit, which is likely to have far-reaching implications for both sides, will be keenly watched by international relations experts around the globe.
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