My visit to India will focus on job creation and economic growth, says UK PM Boris Johnson

Categories: UK NEWS

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, will visit India on April 21 and 22. In a tweet on Sunday, he said that the main focus of his trip would be job creation and economic growth, apart from energy security and defence.He tweeted, "This week I’ll be travelling to India, to deepen the long-term partnership between our countries."“As we face threats to our peace and prosperity from autocratic states, it is vital that democracies and friends stick together,” added Boris Johnson.

The UK PM termed India as a major economic power and the world’s largest democracy. He said that India is a highly valued strategic partner for the UK.UK PM Boris Johnson will push for progress in talks on a free trade deal, which Britain is hoping to strike as part of its post-Brexit strategy. His office said such a trade deal was predicted to boost Britain's total trade by up to 28 billion pounds ($36.5 billion) annually by 2035.As per Boris Johnson's office, he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold "in-depth talks" in Delhi on April 22.

Last year, Boris Johnson had to cancel a planned trip to India because of the coronavirus pandemic.Last May, the two countries announced a partnership involving more than 530 million pounds of Indian investment into Britain, and Downing Street said Johnson was expected to announce further major investment and new collaboration on cutting-edge science, health and technology.