As we face threats from autocratic states ...: Boris Johnson ahead of India visit

London, Apr 17: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his upcoming visit to India will deepen the long-term partnership between our countries.

In a tweet today, Johnson said his upcoming visit to India will focus on issues "that really matter" to the people of India and UK.

"This week I'll be travelling to India, to deepen the long-term partnership between our countries. As we face threats to our peace and prosperity from autocratic states, it is vital that democracies and friends stick together," Johnson tweeted.

"India, as a major economic power and the world's largest democracy, is a highly valued strategic partner for the UK in these uncertain times," he said, alluding to the war in Ukraine.

"My visit to India will deliver on the things that really matter to the people of both our nations - from job creation and economic growth, to energy security and defence," the British Prime Minister tweeted.

Johnson's first visit to India as UK Prime Minister will begin on April 21 with a trip to Ahmedabad in Gujarat, which is Prime Minister Modi's home state.

Johnson will then proceed to New Delhi to meet Modi on April 22, where the focus will be on India-UK strategic defence, diplomatic and economic partnership. According to officials on both sides, Johnson will also use his India visit to drive progress in the ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations launched earlier this year.

The choice of Gujarat, India's fifth largest state, was linked with it being the ancestral home of around half of the British-Indian diaspora population in the UK.