COVID-19: UK PM Boris Johnson defers India visit again amid surge in cases

Even as the number of COVID-19 numbers are increasing in India, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson has deferred his India visit. He was expected to visit India from 25th April. India has reported 2,73,810 new COVID cases in the last 24 hours with 1,619 fatalities

A ministry of external affairs release said, "In view of the prevailing Covid situation, it has been decided by mutual agreement that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom will not visit India next week.”

"Both leaders attach the highest importance to taking the India-U.K. partnership to its fullest potential and propose to remain in close touch in this regard and look forward to an in-person meeting later in the year,” it said further.

PM Narendra Modi and PM Boris Johnson will be holding a virtual meeting in the coming days to launch plans for a "transformed India-U.K. relationship". Both sides during the physical visit of Boris Johnson were expected to announce Roadmap 2030 for future relations.

This is the second time in a row that Johnson has deferred his India visit due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year he was the chief guest for India's republic day parade, but the visit could not happen as cases in the UK increased. 

UK PM has been keen on India visit, and his India visit would have been his first major non-European nation visit. The last visit by a UK Prime Minister to India was by Theresa May in November 2016.