Visit of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to India Is Expected to Boost Free Trade Talks
According to highly-placed Indian government sources, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to arrive in India next week, shortly after the UK’s long Easter break, with a state visit highlighting a successful India-UK partnership on the agenda, in addition to a busy schedule in New Delhi.
The visit, which has yet to be formally announced by Downing Street, comes after four of the 26 chapters of the ongoing India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations were successfully completed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Johnson are expected to assess the negotiations and set a deadline for the process’s possible completion, which was previously set for the end of this year.
According to officials familiar with the discussions, “significant progress” was made in the remaining 22 chapters of the FTA at the conclusion of the first two rounds of official negotiations, with the third round scheduled for later this month.
Johnson’s visit to India is expected to focus on the 21st and 22nd of April, when bilateral discussions and interactions with Indian business leaders are planned. A joint statement, which both sides are working on, is expected to cover agreements in a variety of sectors, including defence and security, as well as education.
Other regional issues such as the situation in Afghanistan and the UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt will be high on the agenda of the bilateral visit, according to officials. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is likely to dominate the meeting, but officials pointed out that other regional issues such as the situation in Afghanistan and the UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt will be high on the agenda of the bilateral visit. Officials say talks with the UK about India’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict have remained “cordial,” with New Delhi’s hopes for a peaceful resolution through diplomatic means respected.
In light of India’s historic defence equipment ties with Russia, closer defence ties that overcome some “legacy issues” around technology transfer and make use of the ‘Make in India’ initiative are seen as an important aspect of future India-UK relations. PM Modi and Johnson last met in person on the sidelines of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in November of last year, during which their discussions during the World Leaders’ Summit focused on the India-UK climate partnership as well as a review of the 2030 Roadmap that the two had signed during a virtual summit in May 2021.
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