E-Paper
British PM Boris Johnson calls off India visit, cites need to oversee response to Covid-19
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelled the planned trip to India later this month, citing the need to personally oversee the pandemic response in the United Kingdom.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed his inability to visit India, where he had been invited to be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister Modi this morning, to express his regret that he will be unable to visit India later this month as planned”.
“In light of the national lockdown announced last night, and the speed at which the new coronavirus variant is spreading, the Prime Minister said that it was important for him to remain in the UK so he can focus on the domestic response to the virus”.
“The leaders underlined their shared commitment to the bilateral relationship, and to continuing to build on the close collaboration between our countries – including in response to the pandemic”.
“The Prime Minister said that he hopes to be able to visit India in the first half of 2021, and ahead of the UK’s G7 Summit that Prime Minister Modi is due to attend as a guest.”
The Johnson government has been grappling with continuing surge of Covid-19.
