PM Modi & UK PM Boris Johnson hold bilateral; discuss economy, defence & P2P ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the sidelines of the COP26 World Leaders' Summit in Glasgow on Monday. As per a release of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), PM Modi congratulated PM Johnson for organising the global summit successfully and lauded him for his personal leadership in championing global action for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The two leaders discussed cooperation in areas like green hydrogen, renewables, and clean technology extensively and also exchanged views on the economy, defence, and peer-to-peer (P2P) ties. 

"He (PM Modi) reiterated India's commitment to closely work with the UK on climate finance, technology, innovation & adaptation green hydrogen, renewables and clean technologies including joint initiatives under ISA and CDRI," the MEA said in an official statement after the meeting.

"The 2 PMs reviewed the implementation of Roadmap 2030 priorities particularly in trade & economy, people-to-people, health, defence and security areas. They expressed satisfaction at the progress in delivering Enhanced Trade Partnership incl steps taken towards the launch of FTA negotiations," it added.

Apart from bilateral and P2P ties, PM Modi and PM Johnson also discussed regional and global challenges including Afghanistan, counter-terrorism, Indo-Pacific, supply chain resilience and post-Covid global economic recovery, the MEA shared. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reiterated his desire to welcome PM Johnson in India soon. Notably, his last visit (as the Chief Guest for the Republic Day celebrations) had to be called off after the sudden surge of COVID cases in the UK. 

COP26 begins 

Host United Kingdom's Prime Minister Boris Johnson kicked off the world leaders' summit of the UN climate conference - COP, on Monday. The conference aims at getting an agreement to curb carbon emissions fast enough to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) below pre-industrial levels.

Making a comparison between world leaders and fictional character James Bond, the UK PM said that the top spy's movies are usually about him fighting to save the world.

"As we look at the Green Industrial Revolution, it's now needed around the world. We in the developed world must recognize the special responsibility we have, to help everybody else to do it," Johnson stated. 

"The tragedy is that this is not a move and the doomsday device is real," Boris Johnson warned, adding that two degrees more to global temperature will threaten food supplies, and a rise in temperature by three degrees would bring more cyclones and wildfires. He said that a four degree rise would mean "goodbye to whole cities".