UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is likely to visit India this year, said outgoing British high commissioner to India Dominic Asquith at his last media interaction today.
Asquith noted that Johnson liked India a lot and added that the post-Brexit United Kingdom would see an expansion of diplomatic, trade and security relations with India, with a renewed focus on matters of national interest.
The high commissioner said that trade ties were robust between the two countries and that the UK would continue to remain the most important European partner for India post-Brexit. He added that the balance of investment was an advantage to both countries; while the revenue of Indian companies based in the UK had doubled in the last four years [during his tenure], 150 new British companies had established themselves in India. The UK issues more business visas to Indians than it does to the rest of the world, he said.
Responding to queries regarding the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the diplomat noted that the BJP's election manifesto had been ‘Sabka saath, sabka vikas and sabka vishwas’, and that Britain was hopeful the government would be able to address the concerns of the people. He noted that governments the world over were facing protests.
Will an environment of protests in the country deter British investments? Asquith said that India had a long history of tolerance and inclusiveness and British companies will look at that history. “India is a huge country with extraordinary talent, massive ambitions and great opportunities. Sometimes we have got to step back and look at the picture,” he said, pointing out that the British-India relationship had a strong structure to stand on.
He expressed regret over the protests outside the Indian high commission in London in August and September 2019 [against the abrogation of Article 370] saying he regretted any threat that Indian diplomats may have felt as a result of the protests. Asquith said that the balance between the right to protest and ensuring the protesters did not cross the line was always difficult to maintain.
The departing envoy said that the Indian Ocean region was becoming a very important region for his country, and they had established diplomatic ties with 27 to the 28 littoral countries on the region. He said that Britain was building two aircraft carriers, and once commissioned and operational, they would make their presence in the region.
Noting the importance the UK gave to India as a partner in issues of common interest such as climate change, he pointed out that it was no coincidence that Claire O’Neill, president of the upcoming 26th Conference of Parties summit in Glasgow and the former UK minister for energy and clean growth, started her climate change campaign in India at the Raisina Dialogue.
