British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to visit India later this month

LONDON: According to official sources, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is planning a visit to India towards the end of this month with the aim of strengthening bilateral relations in the context of the ongoing negotiations on the free trade agreement between India and the United Kingdom.

The visit, which is scheduled for around April 22, is long overdue after Johnson was forced to cancel planned visits to India twice last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While Downing Street has yet to confirm details, an in-person meeting was discussed during a phone call between Johnson and Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month.

The leaders hailed the strong and prosperous relationship between India and the UK, and agreed to continue to strengthen trade, security and commercial ties in the weeks and months ahead. They looked forward to meeting in person at the earliest opportunity, a Downing Street spokesperson said in a March 22 reading of the appeal.

Last week Downing Street sources told PTI that Johnson was keen to travel to India for talks with his Indian counterpart Modi, although firm plans have not yet been fully made.

The two leaders last met in person on the sidelines of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in November last year, when their bilateral talks at the world leaders’ summit focused on the India-UK climate partnership. United as well as on a review of the 2030 roadmap which they had signed during a virtual summit in May 2021.

The roadmap, which aims to at least double India’s two-way trade with the UK by 2030, is part of Britain’s so-called Indo-Pacific foreign policy tilt.

A trade deal with India’s booming economy brings huge benefits to British businesses, workers and consumers, Johnson said at the official launch of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations more early this year.

The UK has world-class businesses and expertise of which we can be justifiably proud, from Scotch whiskey distillers to cutting-edge financial services and renewable technologies.

“We are seizing the opportunities offered by the growing economies of the Indo-Pacific to cement our place on the world stage and create jobs and growth at home,” he said in January.

The conflict in Ukraine and the UK’s leading role in imposing tough sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime are also expected to figure prominently in talks between Johnson and Modi.

It will follow British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss’ visit to Delhi last week when she spoke with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and also joined him at the first Indo-British forum on the strategic future.

On Ukraine, India reiterated that immediate cessation of violence and return to dialogue and diplomacy are key to long-term peace in the region, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. with reference to the ministerial talks.

Both sides appreciated the substantial progress made in the India-UK FTA negotiations with two productive rounds already completed since their launch in January 2022, he noted.

The third round of FTA talks between India and the UK, which is expected to be hosted by India later this month, is expected to be timed around the Prime Minister’s visit.