Johnson, Modi to Hold Talks in India Next Week

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is scheduled to head to India next Thursday to hold trade and security talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This trip will mark the two countries' first face-to-face talk since the Ukrainian-Russian war.

In a statement released late on Saturday, Johnson's office said this trip aims to deepen the bilateral relations and discuss the two nations' "strategic defence, diplomatic and economic partnership".

In his talks with Modi, Johnson will push for progress on a free trade deal, which Britain is hoping to strike as part of its post-Brexit strategy. The office claimed that such a trade deal was predicted to boost Britain's total trade by up to 28 billion pounds ($36.5 billion) annually by 2035.

The British leader affirmed that India, as a major economic power, was a highly valued strategic partner.

"As we face threats to our peace and prosperity from autocratic states, it is vital that democracies and friends stick together," he said in a statement.

Johnson's trip to India came in line with calls for his resignation after he was fined for breaking his own COVID-19 lockdown rules by attending his birthday party in Downing Street in June 2020.