NEW DELHI, 18 April 2022, (TON): UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to travel to India next week to discuss trade and security with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has taken a neutral stance on Russia's war in Ukraine.

Johnson said in a statement before the visit, his first to India as British leader "as we face threats to our peace and prosperity from autocratic states, it is vital that democracies and friends stick together.”

Britain and India hold divergent views on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

While London has imposed economic sanctions on Moscow and supplied weapons to Kyiv, Modi's government has not openly condemned the Kremlin or backed a UN Security Council vote that deplored Moscow's aggression against its neighbour.

India said “Russia is a long-term friend and an essential pillar of its foreign policy, and it relies on a strategic partnership with Moscow for its national security.”

Johnson said “the visit on April 21-22 would focus on what he said were the things that really matter to the people of both our nations- from job creation and economic growth, to energy security and defence.”