British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived in India on Thursday touting job-creating investment but facing long odds to get his reticent counterpart Narendra Modi to back Western action against Russia.
Johnson arrived in western Gujarat — Modi’s home state — where he’s listed to meet business leaders and take an artistic stint in the major Ahmedabad megacity, the ancestral home to half of the Anglo-Indian population in Britain.
He’ll leave for New Delhi to meet his Indian counterpart on Friday, furnishing Johnson some respite from the “ partygate” contestation over his felonious violation of epidemic lockdown rules.
"It’s fantastic to be in India, the world’s largest democracy. I see vast possibilities for what our great nations can achieve together. Our powerhouse partnership is delivering jobs, growth and opportunity. Look forward to strengthening this partnership...": UK PM @BorisJohnson pic.twitter.com/KFxSUhx87E
— NDTV (@ndtv) April 21, 2022
Johnson will miss a administrative vote on Thursday into whether he designedly misled the House of Commons in preliminarily denying any Downing Street rule- breaking — typically a relinquishing matter.
The India trip has been doubly held up because of Covid flare-ups in each country, and was compactly in mistrustfulness again this week when the vote was blazoned, with opposition leaders averring Johnson stand down.
But UK sources said it was seen as too important to put off again. Downing Street said it would seal two- way investment deals worth further than 1 billion ($1.3 billion), creating nearly jobs in Britain.
The visit will “ consolidate the strategic trade, defence and people-to-people ties between our two countries”, Johnson told congress before flying out of London.
Downing Street said the visit would yield new hookups on defence, artificial intelligence and green energy, along with investment deals in areas including robotics, electric vehicles and satellite launches.
“ Our hustler cooperation is delivering jobs, growth and openings for our people, and it’ll only go from strength to strength in the coming times,” Johnson added in a statement.
Still, London acknowledges that it’s some way off deciding apost-Brexit trade deal with Modi’s government, which wants further visas for Indians to work or study in the UK.
No lectures
India meanwhile has refused openly to condemn the Kremlin for its irruption of Ukraine, reliant as it’s on Russian significance of energy, agrarian goods, and military tackle.
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss came down from New Delhi empty-handed last month when she pressed the Indians to do more against Russia, and Modi has also given short shrift to prayers from US President Joe Biden.
Johnson’s spokesperson told journalists that Ukraine would feature in peak addresses on Friday. But he said the intention wasn’t to “ lecture” Modi but to “ broaden the (Western) coalition”.
Johnson will tout the benefits of India moving more snappily towards renewable energy, the spokesperson said, although he was unfit to say how the UK could help achieve that in the near term as Russia launches a new descent in Ukraine.
Downing Street also denies that, given the war’s impact on energy inventories, it’s soft-pedaling its commitment to net zero carbon emigrations — after India joined with China to torpedo a stronger accord at the COP26 climate peak held in Scotland last time.
The UK also has a sizeable Sikh community, and its leaders have been demanding that Johnson raise the case of Scotsman Jagtar Singh Johal, who has been detained without trial in India for further than four times.
