Boris Johnson in India LIVE Updates: Free Trade Agreement (FTA), need for diplomacy to resolve the Ukraine conflict and use of Afghanistan soil for terror were among key points discussed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart Boris Johnson who is in India for a two-day visit. Addressing a joint press conference after talks, PM Modi said Johnson’s visit was of special significance as India celebrates Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
Johnson reached Delhi late on Thursday night, where Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar received him at the Airport. The British prime minister was in Ahmedabad on Thursday, where he was given a grand welcome. He also welcomed “more than 11,000 new jobs created through huge new UK-India trade and investment deals as he begins two-day visit,” a statement by the UK High Commission said on the day.
HERE ARE THE LIVE UPDATES FROM DAY 2 OF JOHNSON’S VISIT:
- PM Modi, addressing the briefing, said: “We signed a comprehensive strategic partnership last year. We discussed that and how we want to work further under the Free Trade Agreement. In the last few months, India has started FTA with UAE and Australia, we want to do the same with UK.
- The two leaders also discussed the need for diplomacy in ending the Ukraine-Russia war.
- Johnson began the day by attending a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan and later laid a wreath at the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat.
- During Boris Johnson’s visit, UK and Indian businesses are going to confirm more than 1 billion pounds in new investments and export deals today in areas from software engineering to health, creating almost 11,000 jobs across the UK, the British High Commission said in the statement.
- The investment agenda includes a new Switch Mobility electric bus R&D centre in the UK and the opening of their Asia Pacific Headquarters in Chennai, generating over 1,000 jobs in the UK in India, besides investment from leading Indian manufacturer Bharat Forge and electric truck maker Tevva Motors to expand to a new site in the south-east and create 500 new jobs and Indian software company Mastek investing 79 million pounds to create 1600 jobs over the next three years all over the UK, added the British High Commission in the statement.
- Last year, Prime Minister Johnson and PM Modi agreed on a UK-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, announcing more than 530 million pounds in investment into the UK and committing to a deeper bilateral relationship across trade, health, climate, defence and security, and connecting our people.
- India was also identified as a priority relationship for the UK in the 2021 Integrated Review and was invited by the UK as a guest to last year’s G7 in Carbis Bay.
