British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (left).

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to be the chief guest at India’s 2021 Republic Day celebrations.

India has reportedly invited British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as the chief guest for 2021 Republic Day celebrations.

If Johnson accepts the reported invitation, he will be the fifth leader from Great Britain to be the chief guest at the Republic Day event.

The last UK premier to be the chief guest at the January 26 parade was John Major in 1993.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reportedly invited British Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a telephonic conversation between the two on November 27.

After the telephonic exchange, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tweet had said, “Had an excellent discussion with my friend, UK PM Boris Johnson on an ambitious roadmap for India-UK ties in the next decade. We agreed to work towards a quantum leap in our cooperation in all areas – trade and investment, defence and security, climate change, and fighting Covid-19.”

Responding to PM Modi’s tweet, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson thanked him and tweeted, “Thank you @narendramodi, great to speak to you. I’m very much looking forward to deepening and strengthening the UK-India relationship in 2021 and beyond!”

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Meanwhile, both India and the UK are eyeing a recast of bilateral ties given Britain’s exit from the European Union next year. The UK is seeking a trade and investment agreement with India that would help it forge an economic partnership with Asia’s third largest economy.