India indispensable partner for UK, absolutely delighted to be visiting there: British PM Boris Johnson

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday called India an indispensable partner for the United Kingdom, adding that he is "absolutely delighted to be visiting India". Johnson has accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation to be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade on January 26.

The visit will mark his first major bilateral visit since taking office in 2019 and the first since Britain's exit from the European Union. Johnson will be only the second British leader since Indian independence to attend Republic Day parade in New Delhi as Guest of Honour, after John Major in 1993. 

Calling 2021 "an exciting year for Global Britain", he said that he looks "forward to delivering the quantum leap in our bilateral relationship that Prime Minister Modi and I have pledged to achieve".

"I am absolutely delighted to be visiting India next year at the start of an exciting year for Global Britain, and look forward to delivering the quantum leap in our bilateral relationship that Prime Minister Modi and I have pledged to achieve," read an official statement quoting Johnson.

"As a key player in the Indo-Pacific region, India is an increasingly indispensable partner for the United Kingdom as we work to boost jobs and growth, confront shared threats to our security and protect our planet," he added.

Johnson further said, "As the ‘pharmacy of the world’ India supplies more than 50% of the world’s vaccines, with over a billion doses of the UK’s Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine being manufactured at India’s Serum Institute in Pune."

"Our countries have cooperated closely throughout the coronavirus outbreak to maintain the flow of medical goods for our citizens. The UK has received 11 million face masks and 3 million packets of paracetamol from India during the pandemic, and we continue to work together to keep vital supply chains open," he added.

"There are more than 400 British companies in India, including those at the forefront of our collaboration to tackle climate change. Our partnership is creating jobs and opportunities for UK firms in areas such as renewable energy and electric vehicles, as our countries work together to reduce global emissions ahead of next year’s COP26 Summit in Glasgow," he stated.

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