<p>UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday extended greetings to his Indian counterpart “friend” Narendra Modi on his 70th birthday, expressing hope that the two leaders would meet soon.</p>.<p>“Very best wishes to my friend @NarendraModi on his 70th birthday. I hope to see you soon,” he said on a post on Twitter.</p>.<p>The two leaders are known to share a strong personal rapport, with the prospect of his visit to India next year under consideration, contingent upon the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.</p>.<p>Gaitri Issar Kumar, the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, made reference to such a visit during her address at a webinar entitled ‘India-UK relations post-Covid and post-Brexit’ organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London on Wednesday.</p>.<p>“India and the UK are in an enhanced engagement mode, in pursuit of an early harvest trade agreement,” the envoy said.</p>.<p>Modi had extended a formal invitation for Johnson to visit India during his phone call to congratulate the newly-elected UK Prime Minister following the December 2019 general election.</p>.<p>However, an expected visit this year failed to materialise due to the coronavirus pandemic constraints, with early 2021 being considered as a possible timeframe.</p>.<p>The leaders last met on the sidelines of the multilateral G7 summit in Biarritz, France, last year.</p>.<p>Modi's last visit to the UK as Prime Minister was a year earlier for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in April 2018, during which he held bilateral meetings with then prime minister, Theresa May.</p>.<p>Earlier this year, Modi had sent Johnson a similarly personalised Twitter message when the UK Prime Minister confirmed his coronavirus symptoms.</p>.<p>“You're a fighter and you will overcome this challenge as well. Prayers for your good health and best wishes in ensuring a healthy UK,” he said in March.</p>.<p>Johnson was later hospitalised with Covid-19 and went on to make a full recovery weeks later.</p>
<p>UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday extended greetings to his Indian counterpart “friend” Narendra Modi on his 70th birthday, expressing hope that the two leaders would meet soon.</p>.<p>“Very best wishes to my friend @NarendraModi on his 70th birthday. I hope to see you soon,” he said on a post on Twitter.</p>.<p>The two leaders are known to share a strong personal rapport, with the prospect of his visit to India next year under consideration, contingent upon the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.</p>.<p>Gaitri Issar Kumar, the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, made reference to such a visit during her address at a webinar entitled ‘India-UK relations post-Covid and post-Brexit’ organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London on Wednesday.</p>.<p>“India and the UK are in an enhanced engagement mode, in pursuit of an early harvest trade agreement,” the envoy said.</p>.<p>Modi had extended a formal invitation for Johnson to visit India during his phone call to congratulate the newly-elected UK Prime Minister following the December 2019 general election.</p>.<p>However, an expected visit this year failed to materialise due to the coronavirus pandemic constraints, with early 2021 being considered as a possible timeframe.</p>.<p>The leaders last met on the sidelines of the multilateral G7 summit in Biarritz, France, last year.</p>.<p>Modi's last visit to the UK as Prime Minister was a year earlier for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in April 2018, during which he held bilateral meetings with then prime minister, Theresa May.</p>.<p>Earlier this year, Modi had sent Johnson a similarly personalised Twitter message when the UK Prime Minister confirmed his coronavirus symptoms.</p>.<p>“You're a fighter and you will overcome this challenge as well. Prayers for your good health and best wishes in ensuring a healthy UK,” he said in March.</p>.<p>Johnson was later hospitalised with Covid-19 and went on to make a full recovery weeks later.</p>