New Delhi: British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson on Wednesday strongly pushed for removal of tariff barriers by India, while mentioning the tariffs imposed by India on import of Scotch Whisky.
The visiting British dignitary also sent a clear message to China from Indian soil, saying he “opposed militarisation of the South China Sea” and “supported” the freedom of navigation (in international waters in the region). Mr Johnson, one of the prominent votaries of Brexit, also said Britain would continue to “support” EU despite remaining “outside the main body of the Cathedral”.
Mr Johnson was speaking at the second edition of the “Raisina Dialogue”, India’s flagship geo-political conference held annually that is organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) along with thinktank Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in the Capital on Wednesday afternoon.
In a speech laced liberally with humour, Mr Johnson appealed to India to “remove pesky tariffs”, adding that it is “not the time to put up (trade) barriers but the time to tear these barriers down”.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued earlier in the day, the British High Commission said, “The British foreign secretary will set out UK’s vision for a Global Britain and a strengthened relationship with India. He will hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian ministers including finance minister Arun Jaitley to continue working towards the ambitious partnership that Prime Ministers Theresa May and Narendra Modi committed to during her visit to India last November. He will also meet young Indian entrepreneurs and civil society leaders, as well as hosting a breakfast for British and Indian business representatives and investors.
On Thursday, the Foreign Secretary will travel to Kolkata where he will meet Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee. He will also meet representatives of the Cricket Association of Bengal and attend a debating competition featuring teams from Cambridge University and the London School of Economics marking the bicentenary of Presidency University.
