Battling virus surge, UK PM calls off R-Day go to; no name on new visitor but

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday referred to as up Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed “regret” that he wouldn’t have the ability to go to India to be Chief Guest for the Republic Day celebrations.
Johnson took this resolution in view of the recent nationwide lockdown in his nation, as his authorities responded to the brand new, extra contagious mutant pressure of the novel coronavirus.
Indian authorities sources stated Modi “conveyed his understanding of the exceptional situation and hoped that the UK would overcome Covid challenges successfully”.
Both leaders reaffirmed their dedication to working in the direction of deepening bilateral relationship, the sources stated.
India has to now search for another Chief Guest for the Republic Day celebrations, which can, nevertheless, be truncated on account of the pandemic. Last yr’s Independence Day celebrations had been scaled down as effectively.
An invitation to be Chief Guest at India’s Republic Day is a particular honour for a visiting overseas dignitary. New Delhi has been weaving technique with hospitality whereas deciding on the Chief Guest. The alternative is dictated by a lot of components — strategic and diplomatic, enterprise pursuits, and geopolitics.
This just isn’t the primary time that India has needed to search for another visitor, as the primary alternative couldn’t make it. In 2013, Oman’s sultan Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said couldn’t come because of a communication challenge, and Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk, got here as an alternative. Similarly, in 2019, after US President Donald Trump couldn’t come, India invited South African President Cyril Ramaphosa who attended the Republic day celebrations.

An announcement by 10, Downing Street — the British PM’s workplace — stated, “The Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister Modi this morning, to express his regret that he will be unable to visit India later this month as planned.”
“In light of the national lockdown announced last night, and the speed at which the new coronavirus variant is spreading, the Prime Minister said that it was important for him to remain in the UK so he can focus on the domestic response to the virus,” the assertion stated.
It stated the 2 leaders “underlined their shared commitment to the bilateral relationship, and to continuing to build on the close collaboration between our countries – including in response to the pandemic”.
Johnson stated that he hoped to have the ability to go to India within the first half of 2021, forward of the G7 Summit within the UK that Modi is because of attend as a visitor, the assertion stated.
An announcement by the Ministry of External Affairs echoed the British authorities’s assertion. “Prime Minister expressed his understanding of the exceptional situation in the UK, and conveyed his best wishes for the quick control of the pandemic spread. He looked forward to receiving Prime Minister Johnson in India at the earliest opportunity after normalisation of the situation,” the MEA stated.
“The leaders reviewed ongoing cooperation between both countries, including in the area of making Covid-19 vaccines available for the world. They reiterated their shared belief in the potential of the India-UK partnership in the post-Brexit, post-Covid context, and agreed to work towards a comprehensive roadmap for realising this potential,” the MEA stated.