Johnson will travel to India on Thursday with calls for his resignation to be heard after he was fined for violating his own lockdown rules for COVID-19 while attending a birthday party for him on Downing Street in June 2020. . Read more Parliament returns from its Easter break on Tuesday, and Johnson said he would “fix the record” of rallies in his office. He had previously told lawmakers that there were no parties and that instructions were always followed. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register In details released late Saturday, Johnson’s office said the British leader would use his trip to India to deepen relations, including in-depth talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Montt on “strategic defense, diplomatic and economic cooperation “of the two nations. It will also push for progress in talks on a free trade agreement, which Britain hopes to achieve as part of its post-Brexit strategy. His office said such a trade deal was expected to boost Britain’s total trade by up to 28 28 billion ($ 36.5 billion) a year by 2035. But the visit will be overshadowed in part by the dispute over the conflict in Ukraine. Western allies have called on India, which imports weapons from Russia, to crack down on Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden earlier this week. interest of India. read more British Commerce Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan also said last month that Britain was “very disappointed” with India’s stance. However, Johnson’s office made no direct reference to the conflict, although a source said Ukraine was expected to be discussed “among other geopolitical issues.” Johnson said India, as a major economic power, was a valuable strategic partner. “As we face threats to our peace and prosperity from authoritarian states, it is vital that democracies and friends stay together,” he said in a statement. Last year, he was forced to cancel a planned trip to India due to the coronavirus pandemic. Last May, the two countries announced a partnership involving more than 30 530 million of Indian investment in Britain, and Downing Street said Johnson was expected to announce further significant investments and new partnerships in science, health and cutting-edge technology. read more ($ 1 = 7 0.7658) Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Michael Holden. curated by Clelia Oziel Our role models: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
