- Thursday, March 13, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIA’S ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Thursday (7) responded to the resignation of British prime minister Boris Johnson the same day saying it was the UK’s “internal development” and stopped short of commenting on the upcoming change of leadership at 10 Downing Street.
“These are internal developments, and we’re keeping a close watch. Prime Ministers Modi and Johnson enjoyed a close friendship. We have multi-faceted partnership with the UK and we hope this will continue. We won’t comment on leadership change,” Asian News International quoted MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi as saying.
India will assume the presidency of G20 in December, this year, a large number of G20 events will be organised across the country during our presidency: MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi pic.twitter.com/JIOyWoZ86g
— ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2022
Bagchi said this while addressing the media as part of the ministry’s weekly press briefing.
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Thursday’s briefing took place almost simultaneously with Johnson’s address to the UK’s media, in which he said that he was resigning as the leader of the Conservative Party. The embattled leader will continue as the interim prime minister till a new leader is elected in October.
“It is clearly the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader, and therefore a new prime minister. The process of choosing a new leader should begin now. And today I have appointed a cabinet to serve,” Johnson, 58, said.
Johnson also said that a timetable for a Tory leadership race will be unveiled next week. According to media reports, the election for the new leader will be held over the summer and by early October, Johnson’s successor will replace him during the Conservative Party’s annual conference.
The beleaguered outgoing prime minister batted for strong relations with India and called Modi his “khaas dost” or special friend.
