Speaking on the plane on his way to India, Johnson signalled he was ready to be more accommodating on an issue that could have stalled the talks. “I have always been in favour of talented people coming to this country,” Mr Johnson told reporters. “We are short to the tune of hundreds of thousands of people in our economy and we need to have a progressive approach and we will.”
The UK had said it would not look to “lecture” India over its neutral stance in the UN on the Ukraine war or India’s decision to increase Russian oil imports. The UK, however, has been trying to persuade India to reduce its reliance on Moscow since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.
Johnson’s visit is likely to give a fresh push to the proposed free-trade agreement between India and the UK, boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and enhance defence ties. A major focus of Johnson’s talks with PM Modi would be on the situation in the Indo-Pacific as the UK is strongly opposed to any kind of coercion in the region.
After a series of engagements in Gujarat throughout the day, he will leave for Delhi in the evening.
With inputs from NDTV
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