Boris Johnson likely to be Republic Day chief guest: Why this will bode well for India

New Delhi, Dec 03: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson is likely to be the chief guest at the 2021 Republic Day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited him during a telephonic conversation on November 27.

Johnson on his part invited PM Modi to the G-7 summit in the United Kingdom, officials told OneIndia. The move by the PM to invite his UK counterpart is strategically important for ties between the two nations. With Brexit and UK's uneasy relationship with the US under the incoming Joe Biden administration, the move by PM Modi is important for ties between India and the United Kingdom.

Officials say that the engagement is important as London is part of P-5. Further the UK also has a powerful political lobby from Mirpur in Pakistan occupied Kashmir which often takes up issues like Jammu and Kashmir, the official further added.

The formal announcement in this regard would be made once 10 Downing Street accepts the invitation formally. PM Modi and Johnson spoke to each other over phone and reviewed bilateral cooperation in the area of development and manufacturing of the COVID-19 vaccines. They reiterated and shared desire to impart a quantum jump to the India-UK partnership in the post COVID-19, post-Brexit era and agreed that there is tremendous potential for enhancing collaboration in trade and investment, scientific research, mobility of professionals and students, and defence and security, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

PM Modi had said in a tweet, 'we agreed to work towards a quantum leap in our cooperation in all areas-trade and investments, defence and security, climate change and fighting COVID-19.'

The PM also said that he had an excellent discussion with his friend UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson on an ambitious road map for India-UK ties in the next decade.