Boris Johnson’s planned visit to India next week has been canceled because of the country’s escalating coronavirus crisis, a joint statement by the UK and India has announced.
“In the light of the current coronavirus situation, prime minister Boris Johnson will not be able to travel to India next week,” said the statement, released by Downing Street.
“Instead, prime ministers [Narendra] Modi and Johnson will speak later this month to agree and launch their ambitious plans for the future partnership between the UK and India. They will remain in regular contact beyond this, and look forward to meeting in person later this year.”
The prime minister said it was frustrating to have to call off the trip but said much of the work could be done remotely before he and Modi were able to meet in the future.
Speaking to reporters on a visit to Gloucestershire, Johnson said, “The red list is very much a matter for the independent UK Health Security Agency – they will have to take that decision. But Narendra Modi and I have basically come to the conclusion that, very sadly, I won’t be able to go ahead with the trip. I do think it’s only sensible to postpone, given what’s happened in India, the shape of the pandemic there."
HJ/PR