British PM Boris Johnson cancels trip to India due to coronavirus worries

Gulf Today Report

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday cancelled a planned trip to India, scheduled to take place next week, due to the current coronavirus situation in India, Johnson's office said.

"In the light of the current coronavirus situation, Boris Johnson will not be able to travel to India next week," a joint statement from the British and Indian government, released by Johnson's office, said.

Boris, his first major bilateral foreign visit since taking power in 2019, scheduled to take place next week, due to the current coronavirus situation in India, Johnson's office said.

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Johnson had already postponed the trip once from January, when COVID-19 infections were high in Britain. Infections in India are currently surging as the country endures a second wave of the virus.

The vast nation of 1.3 billion people reported a record high of 273,810 infections on Monday. 

"In the light of the current coronavirus situation, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will not be able to travel to India next week," it said, adding the countries' leaders would instead speak later this month "to agree and launch their ambitious plans for the future partnership between the UK and India".

"Instead, Prime Ministers Modi and Johnson will speak later this month to agree and launch their ambitious plans for the future partnership between the UK and India."

Relations with India are seen as a key component of both Britain's post-Brexit ambitions to reinvigorate trade with countries outside the European Union, and a diplomatic push to gain more influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Britain has invited India to attend the G7 summit it is hosting in June.