The two-day visit of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to India is an important development. Important because his journey was postponed twice. Johnson’s tour of India comes at a time when he has suffered a lot on the domestic front. Due to the Ukraine crisis, many countries of Eastern Europe are facing the heat of war. He has tendered an unconditional apology in the ‘Partygate’ (celebration and gathering by breaking COVID rules) controversy.
However, the opposition is adamant on the demand for his resignation over the issue. His Finance Minister Rishi Sunak was also fined for violating COVID rules and he is embroiled in tax-related controversies. In these circumstances, questions are being raised about the diplomatic agenda of his visit. A roadmap for 2030 has been prepared in India and UK and efforts have been made to increase business.
Defense cooperation is set to increase. If this exercise is successful, it could increase Britain’s annual trade by about US$ 36.5 billion by 2035. Johnson described his visit to India as important in terms of trade and investment agreements worth 100 billion pounds (9800 billion rupees).
Condition of Eurasia and India
The geopolitical temperature of the soil of the Eurasia region is warming. The Western countries have shown tremendous mobilization against Russia. In such a situation, possibly England’s hopes have been added to India on the Russia-Ukraine issue. England has provided political, economic and military aid to Ukraine while imposing economic sanctions on Russia. India, on the other hand, has been neutral on this issue.
At the diplomatic level, India and Britain have had opposite stances on Russia, but both countries ignored it. Bilateral talks with India have happened in the midst of all these developments. It is clear from the announcements that both sides focused on achievable goals and issues. After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Boris Johnson admitted that India’s position on Russia is well known, and it is not going to change.
basic and serious issues
The primary goals of his tour were clear from Johnson’s schedules. He chose Ahmedabad as his first base. A Prime Minister of England reached Ahmedabad for the first time. Among the Indians living in England, there are a large number of residents of Gujarat. In this context, Gujarat has emerged as an important destination to promote two-way trade between the two countries.
During the India-England digital summit in May 2021, the two sides agreed to prepare a decade-long roadmap for bilateral relations. British Foreign Minister Liz Truss had visited India just days before Johnson’s recent bilateral visit. The process of improving bilateral relations in many important areas had started with the visit of Truss. These include food security, climate change, defense and energy. Prime Minister Johnson cited jobs, economic growth, trade and defense as the main objectives of his visit.
economic-tactical map
Indeed, Britain is looking for a new path for itself in the post-Brexit era. In such a situation, creating a comprehensive partnership with India in many areas is at the top of its agenda. In the latest assessment of the International Monetary Fund, a growth rate of 8.2 percent has been estimated in India. This figure may be less than the previous estimate of the growth rate, but despite this, India’s place in the countries with the highest growth rate in the world remains intact.
India’s economic potential is an important source of investment. On the one hand, the European Union has an important role in the economic-strategic map of India. On the other hand, India with a huge market is also important in Britain’s strategy after Brexit. In 2021, Johnson released the Global Britain document from the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy.
Many of the points in this document coincide with India’s own vision of the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. Logistics-related agreement was agreed between the two countries in May 2021. This opened new opportunities for both the countries to enhance naval synergy in the Indo-Pacific. Agenda for the Indo-Pacific region
Both India and Britain are engaged in the exercise of developing a common vision in the Indo-Pacific region through their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This ambitious roadmap rests on a shared commitment to democracy, fundamental freedoms, multilateralism and a rules-based international order. A solid partnership with India is crucial to the British vision of building a strong presence in the Indo-Pacific.
Johnson made it clear that India and Britain share common interests in keeping the Indo-Pacific free and independent. Britain is increasing deployment and patrols in the region. In July last year, the British Carrier Strike Group was deployed in the South China Sea and the western Pacific Ocean.
Earlier, Britain had conducted joint maritime military exercises in the waters of Thailand. This was the first such deployment from the UK since 1997. In fact, Johnson’s government wants to restore Britain’s old clout as Europe’s leading naval power.
what the experts say
Boris Johnson, who was openly supporting Ukraine in the war and opposing Russia, appeared to avoid making any opposing comments on India’s stand. They know that India’s relations with Russia are very old. That’s why he talked about a common platform of mutual cooperation.
- Rajiv Dogra, former diplomat
After leaving the European Union, Britain is busy repairing its economy. In this episode, along with India, while it has opened the way to attract talent, it has also increased employment facilities for them. In such a situation, India’s support has become necessary for Britain.
- KP Fabian, former diplomat