PM Modi, Johnson discuss ‘ambitious roadmap’ for India-UK ties in next decade

A Downing Street spokesperson said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK’s Boris Johnson discussed joint efforts to find treatments and vaccines for coronavirus and welcomed the collaboration between the two countries’ leading scientists.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to his British counterpart Boris Johnson on Friday about the way ahead for the bilateral ties between the two countries in the next 10 years. The two leaders discussed cooperation in sectors of trade and investment, defence and the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

“Had an excellent discussion with my friend, UK PM @BorisJohnson on an ambitious roadmap for India-UK ties in the next decade. We agreed to work towards a quantum leap in our cooperation in all areas - trade & investment, defence & security, climate change, and fighting Covid-19,” PM Modi wrote on Twitter.

Johnson, on the other hand, made a pitch for 2021 to be a year to deepen and strengthen the relationship between India and the United Kingdom in the sectors including climate change and health.

“Thank you @narendramodi, great to speak to you. I’m very much looking forward to deepening and strengthening the UK-India relationship in 2021 and beyond!” the British Prime Minister tweeted.

A Downing Street spokesperson said the two prime ministers discussed joint efforts to find treatments and vaccines for coronavirus and welcomed the collaboration between the two countries’ leading scientists. “They looked forward to next month’s Climate Ambition Summit, which will be an opportunity to reinvigorate the global efforts against climate change ahead of the UK-hosted COP26 Summit next year,” he added.

As the UK won’t be part of the European Union from January 1, 2021, it hopes to build new relationships and strengthen existing ones across the world, particularly a free trade agreement with India, as mentioned by pro-Brexit supporters such as Johnson and others.

“The Prime Minister stressed the importance of improving bilateral trade and investment flows. Both leaders welcomed the extensive work that has taken place on this to date and shared an ambition for deepening the economic relationship,” the spokesperson said.