Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday arrived here on his much-anticipated maiden visit to the UK that will see him holding talks with top British leadership including his counterpart David Cameron. The Prime Minister flew into the British capital on his three-day visit with a hectic schedule aimed at boosting Indo-UK economic ties. “Reached London. India-UK ties will receive a great impetus. Will attend a wide range of programmes in UK,” he tweeted. Welcoming Modi, Cameron tweeted: “Welcome to the UK @narendramodi from Britain’s Indian community #ModiInUK.”
Modi was received at the Heathrow Airport by British Indian MP Priti Patel; Hugo Swire, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and James Bevan, British High Commissioner to India. The Indian Prime Minister will be greeted by Cameron with a Guard of Honour at the Treasury Quadrangle near 10 Downing Street this afternoon before the two leaders head in to the world’s most famous political office for nearly a 90-minute dialogue. After the talks, Modi will address a joint press conference at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). Ahead of his departure, he had tweeted: “Leaving for UK
I am hopeful this visit will strengthen economic ties between India and UK & bring more investment to India. #makeinindia.” A brief stop to pay tributes at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square will be followed by speeches at the Houses of Parliament and then at the Guildhall in the financial hub of London. His talks with Cameron will carry on at the British Prime Minister’s country residence of Chequers in Buckinghamshire, where he is being hosted overnight. Coinciding with his arrival, a number of groups have announced a “day of protest”, including a campaign called ‘Modi Not Welcome’ by The Awaaz Network that works to monitor and combat religious hatred in South Asia and the UK.
