Boris Johnson begins a two-day visit to India and will meet PM Modi on Apr 22
April 21, 2022, 7:48 am

Boris Johnson begins a two-day visit to India and will meet PM Modi on Apr 22

Boris Johnson-UK Prime Minister/Official Facebook page

The First Post news website reported, according to sources familiar with the development, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's two-day visit to India from Thursday is expected to give a fresh push to the proposed free trade agreement, boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and enhance defence ties, and he will not lecture New Delhi on how to respond to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The British prime minister is scheduled to arrive in Ahmedabad on Thursday morning on a two-day visit to India. After a series of engagements in Gujarat throughout the day, he will leave for Delhi in the evening.

Sources on Wednesday (Apr 20), a major focus of Johnson's talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on the situation in the Indo-Pacific as the UK is strongly opposed to any kind of coercion in the region.

They said the UK was ready to extend its cooperation in realising Modi's vision of making India a hub for defence manufacturing and that the country was ready for the transfer of technologies for joint production of military hardware.

On the India-UK free trade agreement, they said Johnson's visit will be a staging point for the next round of negotiations that are slated for next week.

Humayun tomb monument in New Delhi, India (Photo: India)

According to sources, the talks between Modi and Johnson are expected to further encourage the negotiations by the two sides for an ambitious free trade agreement between the two countries.

Both sides are making efforts to conclude the negotiations by end of this year.

They said issues relating to market access for apples, medical devices, shrimps and legal services have been almost resolved, describing it as good signs for the next stage of discussions.

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The aim is to have something long-lasting for the next 25 years, said one of the people while emphasising the importance the UK attaches to its ties with India.

The India-UK relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the India-UK virtual summit held between Modi and Johnson in May last year.

At the summit, the two sides adopted a 10-year-roadmap to expand ties in the key areas of trade and economy, defence and security, climate change and people-to-people connections, among others.

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The First Post noted that Boris Johnson and Modi will hold extensive talks in Delhi on Friday (Apr 22).

Source: firstpost

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
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Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”