Boris set to visit India next week, focus on trade pact

A bilateral free trade agreement, cooperation in areas ranging from security to education and the Ukraine crisis are expected to be on the agenda for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s visit to India next week. With the free trade agreement dominating recent engagements between the two sides, Johnson and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi will review the discussions held so far and issue guidelines for the officials involved in the negotiations, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. India will host the third round of negotiations for the trade pact in a hybrid format in New Delhi in the last week of this month. A team of British officials is set to visit India for these discussions. The UK has been keen on forging new trade pacts with leading economies since its exit from the European Union and the British government is focused on the speedy conclusion of a deal with India.