British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had arbitrated many times to ask Russian President Vladimir Putin what on earth he is doing in Ukraine. And said it’s clear India wants the Russians out of Ukraine. Both the PMs held long discussions on bilateral ties and committed decided on a new and expanded defense and security partnership in land, sea, air, space, and cyber along with collaboration on maritime electric drive systems for ships and co-development of fighter aircraft, jet engines, and sub-sea radars.
After their talks, Modi said, “We stressed dialogue and diplomacy for an instant ceasefire and solution of the problem in Ukraine. We also repeated the significance of respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries.” Johnson and Modi together reassessed the decade-long bilateral roadmap for ties settled by the two Indians the previous year and undertake a Global Innovation Partnership under which the two countries will co-finance up to the US $100 million for the transfer and scaling up of Made in India innovations to the third countries.
Additionally, they also decided to tackle green technologies and develop wind energy from the Celtic Sea to Dhanushkodi. Both leaders discussed opportunities for defense collaborations, especially co-development and co-production of advanced defense technologies, including in areas like electric propulsion, subsea radars, complex weapons, modern fighter aircraft, jet engines, etc.
The British Prime Minister said on the repatriation of purported economic offenders like Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya, he did not prefer economic miscreants to use British law to deceive trial in India but pertained to certain legal technical issues that have made repatriation enigmatic so far. Modi and Johnson together recalled the highly successful collaboration on the AstraZeneca/Oxford university vaccine with the Serum Institute of India and agreed to work together closely to reinforce the global response to future health emergencies and advance the progressive plan to sophisticate vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics in 100 days, along with vaccine development.