E-Paper
Covid-19 worries force UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to call off India visit
In New Delhi, people familiar with developments said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conveyed his regrets to the UK PM due to the prevailing Covid-19 situation in Britain
Due to rising concerns over a new Covid-19 variant and the ensuing lockdown situation in the UK, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday spoke to Indian 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 on January 26.
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 spokesperson added that Johnson hopes to visit India in the first half of 2021, and ahead of the UK’s G7 Summit that Modi is due to attend as a guest.
In New Delhi, people familiar with developments said PM Modi has expressed hope that the UK PM will be able to visit India in the near future. PM Modi also hoped that the UK would overcome Covid-19 challenges successfully, the people said, adding that both leaders reaffirmed commitment to work towards deepening bilateral relationship.
The British government has been grappling with continuing spikes in Covid-19 infections, especially since the recent detection of a new and fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus.
Johnson was to be the first British prime minister as the chief guest on India’s Republic Day since John Major was invited in 1993.
The British PM’s India visit was expected to see a major change in bilateral relations over the next decade, as the post-Brexit UK embarks on a new path free from the obligations of being a member of the European Union.
