UK: The United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has stated that he is going to visit India the following month to “strengthen our friendship with World’s Biggest Democracy.”
This will be his 1st trip overseas since Britain left the European Union trade and market regime. The exact dates of the visit have not been announced officially by either side. The visit of the United Kingdom premier comes ahead of the G-7 meeting in June, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a special guest.
Agenda of the visit
No official agenda of the visit has been announced. However, according to sources, officials from both sides are in the process of firming up the agenda. The focus of the visit is going to be building partnerships with the UK in various sectors, including Maritime Security, Joint production in defense, Cyber Security, Climate Change, trade, education, vaccine production, health, migration and mobility. The two sides will also talk about regional and international issues of mutual interest.
British Scotch whisky to enter India soon?
The United Kingdom is a very important trade partner for India. Post-Brexit, India has been considering a Free Trade agreement with Britain, as that market is attractive for service providers from India. The bilateral trade between India & the UK touched USD 15.48 billion in 2019-20.
Based on the final outcome of discussions between the two countries on the FTA, as part of an Early Harvest Programme in lieu of matching benefits, there are reports that India is expected to give greater market access to Scotch whisky from the UK.
Ramanjot Kaur is a dedicated journalist with a Master’s in Journalism and Mass Communication, specializing in economic and political news reporting with incisive analysis and integrity.
