British PM offers India help to build indigenous fighter jets

New Delhi: British Prime Minister Borris Johnson has offered India help to make its own fighter gets along with a licence for quicker deliveries of defence equipment. The offer comes as India keeps a neutral stand against Russia and buys more than half of its military hardware from Russia, IANS reported.

The Ministry of External Affairs informed in a statement that during the bilateral with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Johnson talked about how to boost trade and security ties with India.

Both Modi and Johnson agreed to transform defence and security cooperation as a crucial element of the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. They discussed opportunities in defence collaboration, co-development and co-production for the armed forces of both countries. The discussion also included co-production in defence technology like electric propulsion and modern defence aircraft's jet engines and other complex defence equipment.

The two parties released a joint statement for intensifying cooperation on cybersecurity in the areas of cyber governance, cyber deterrence and safeguarding critical national infrastructure. Cooperation is agreed on countering terrorist threats and radical extremism.

The two leaders also discussed the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Later they discussed the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict. PM Modi expressed his concern about the humanitarian crisis Ukraine faces and once again called for dialogue and diplomacy.

After his visit to Gujarat on Thursday, Johnson said, "The world faces growing threats from autocratic states that seek to undermine democracy, choke off free and fair trade and trample on sovereignty."