Johnson is also likely to meet foreign minister S Jaishankar in Delhi, reports Asian Lite News
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson termed his India visit as “auspicious” and told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the ties between the two countries are strong and good.
“Don’t think things have ever been so strong or good between us as they are now,” Johnson told Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
He also thanked Prime Minister Modi for a “fantastic” welcome and said his India visit was an auspicious moment in the friendship with India. He also thanked the people of Gujarat for putting up a grand welcome at Ahmedabad.
“I have never seen such a joyful reception. I wouldn’t get that necessarily anywhere in the world,” Johnson further said.
The UK Prime Minister was given a ceremonial reception and a Guard of Honour at Rashtrapati Bhawan where he was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
After his reception, Johnson visited Rajghat to lay a wreath on the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi.
The British Prime Minister, who is on a two-day visit to India, will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the day for talks on the UK and India’s strategic defence, diplomatic and economic partnership, aimed at bolstering close partnership and stepping up security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
First, he will be holding a meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at Hyderabad House and later will have bilateral talks with Prime Minister Modi.
Johnson reached Delhi late on Thursday night and was received by Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar at the airport.
The British Prime Minister arrived in Ahmedabad on Thursday, where he was accorded a grand welcome there.
The UK and Indian businesses are going to confirm more than one billion pounds in new investments and export deals in areas from software engineering to health, creating almost 11,000 jobs across the UK, the British High Commission said in a statement.
Johnson had recently gone to Ukraine and met the country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky in the capital city of Kyiv. The UK has been repeatedly calling on Russia to end the violence.
Hours after kicking off the India visit, confirming a 1 billion pound deal, the UK PM in a late-night tweet on Thursday shared the experience of being in Gujarat: “It’s been a real pleasure to be in Gujarat today to see the fruits of the incredible partnership between the UK and our friends in India. Today we have confirmed more than £1 billion in new investments between our two great countries, creating almost 11,000 new jobs in the UK.”
In a message at the Gandhi Ashram, he earlier in the day wrote: “It is an immense privilege to come to the Ashram of this extraordinary man, and to understand how he mobilised such simple principles of truth and non-violence to change the world for the better”. He also visited a new factory and met business tycoon Gautam Adani.
“I was honoured to follow in the footsteps of millions in visiting the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad today. As the world faces renewed conflict, Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings remind us of the power of peace in changing the course of history,” one of his tweets read.
Johnson is also likely to meet foreign minister S Jaishankar in Delhi on Friday.
