India invites UK PM Boris Johnson as chief guest for Republic Day 2021

New Delhi: India has invited Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson to be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations in January 2021.The invite was extended during the telephonic conversation that took place between the two sides on November 27.”The leaders reiterated their shared desire to impart a quantum jump to the India-UK partnership in the post-Covid, post-Brexit era, and agreed that there was tremendous potential for enhancing collaboration in trade and investment, scientific research, mobility of professionals and students, and defence and security,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement on the phone conversation.Earlier in November, acting British High Commissioner to India Jan Thompson, in a media interaction had alluded to “in-person” visit to India by the British premier.”We are expecting UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will be paying an in-person visit to India in the next few months. Beyond that, PM Boris Johnson is very very keen to come to India. So we hope, over the next few months, we will visit, by both FS Raab and PM Johnson,” Thompson said.Meanwhile, British High Commission Spokesperson said that they can not confirm the news.”We can’t confirm one way or other. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is keen to visit India as soon as possible,” said the official.