New Delhi: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was so overwhelmed by the reception he received in India, he felt like cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan.
Johnson was greeted by posters and banners when he landed in Ahmedabad on Thursday, met Narendra Modi in New Delhi today.
Thanking the Indian PM, Johnson described him as a ‘khaas dost’ (special friend).
“Thank you my friend Prime Minister Modi, Narendra Modi… my khaas dost I think is the phrase I want to use in Hindi. We had a fantastic two days in India. I became the first conservative Prime Minister to visit Gujarat, your birthplace, of course. It is also the ancestral home of almost half the British Indians. I had an amazing reception. I felt like Sachin Tendulkar. My face was as ubiquitous as Amitabh Bachchan. I was everywhere to be seen. It was fantastic,” Johnson said.
Johnson visited Sabarmati Ashram, Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar and the manufacturing unit of JCB in Gujarat.
“They put on a fantastic welcome for us… I have never seen such a joyful reception. I would have not gotten the same reception anywhere else in the world,” Johnson said.
On Friday, Johnson and his team held bilateral talks with Modi and his team. Talking about the India-UK relationship, the UK PM said things have never been so strong and good between India and the United Kingdom.
Important takeaways from Johnson’s visit
Ukraine crisis — Modi reiterated India’s stand on Russia’s invasion and stressed on the need for dialogue and diplomacy for an ‘immediate ceasefire and resolution of the problem’.
“We also reiterated the importance of respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries,” Modi said.
Mallya, Modi extradition — The extradition of fugitive businessmen Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi, which has been pending, was brought up and the British PM said he wants them taken back for trial.
“There are technicalities that have made it very difficult but the UK government has ordered their extradition and, from our point of view, we want them taken back to India for trial… We don’t welcome, I want to make it absolutely clear now, people who want to use our legal system to evade the law in India,” Johnson said.
FTA by end of 2022 — Modi and Johnson revealed a free trade agreement (FTA) should be finalized by the end of this year.
“Teams of both countries are working on the free trade agreement. Negotiations are progressing well. And we have decided to do our best to conclude the FTA by the end of this year,” Modi said.
Johnson added that they were urging their negotiators to get the FTA done by Diwali in October.
Defence partnership — The two countries agreed on a new and expanded defence and security partnership, whereby the UK will set up an India-specific open general export licencing regime to reduce delivery time for defence procurements, Johnson said.
Indo-Pacific — There was emphasis and agreement on the need to maintain a free, open, inclusive and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific. The UK decided to join the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.
