New Delhi (NVI): UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has accepted the invitation by PM Narendra Modi to be a chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations on January 26 in New Delhi.
With this, Johnson has become the second PM to attend the event after John Mayor in 1993.
On the occasion, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said that the invitation for the Republic Day was, in a way, symbolic of a new era in Indo-UK ties.
“I’m pleased that PM Boris Johnson has invited PM Modi to join the UK-hosted G7 summit next year. UK PM Johnson has also accepted the very generous invitation to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations in January, which is a great honour. The presence of PM Boris Johnson as the chief guest at Republic Day 2021 would be in a way symbolic of a new era, a new phase of our relationship,” Jaishankar said.
In the past, members of the British royalty have been chief guests — Prince Philip in 1959 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1961.
-ARK
