UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson To Be Chief Guest of India's Republic Day Celebration

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar confirmed that the United Kingdom's Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be attending India's Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2021 as the chief guest, adding that it is symbolic of a new era of India-UK ties.

The External Affairs Minister (EAM) said, "It would be in a way symbolic of a new era, a new phase of our relationship, it will also really drive us to put in place a lot of mechanisms, platforms that would realise the kind of expectations that both Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Johnson have of the relationship and which they have discussed with each other."

"The UK is a very important partner for us, whether it is on global issues, whether it is multilateral organisations. We certainly expect a much closer working together in international organisation and platforms and on global issues," Jaishankar said.

Earlier while delivering the joint-statement, the EAM said he and UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab had a four-hour-long discussion on a wide range of issues including on how to take India and UK ties at a higher level.

"We focused on five broad themes -- coting people, trade and prosperity, defence and security, climate change, and health," Jaishankar added.

Jaishankar and Raab also reviewed the situation in Afghanistan, the evolution of the Indo-Pacific, and developments in the middle-east.

"We reviewed the situation in Afghanistan, the evolution of the Indo-Pacific, and developments in the middle-east were among the subjects discussed. Challenges posed by terrorism and radicalism were a shared concern," Jaishankar said.

Raab, who arrived here on Monday, is on a four-day visit.

The External Affairs Ministry said Raab's visit will pave the way for further strengthening of the partnership across trade, defence, climate, migration and mobility, education, and health sectors in the post-Covid, post-Brexit context.