British Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends a COVID-19 press conference in the Downing Street media briefing room in London, Britain, Dec. 15, 2021. Britain reported 78,610 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily number since the start of the pandemic, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 11,010,286, according to official figures released Wednesday. (Simon Dawson/No. 10 Downing Street/Handout via Xinhua)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will seek to put his domestic problems behind him when he visits India this week on a trip to strengthen links between the two countries which have not seen eye to eye over the response to the Ukraine crisis.

Johnson will head to India on Thursday with calls for his resignation ringing in his ears after he was fined for breaking his own COVID-19 lockdown rules by attending a birthday party for him in Downing Street in June 2020. 

Parliament returns from its Easter vacation on Tuesday and Johnson has said he would "set the record straight" about gatherings in his office. He had previously told lawmakers there were no parties and guidance was always followed.

In details released late on Saturday, Johnson's office said the British leader would use his trip to India to deepen relations, including in-depth talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the two nations' "strategic defense, diplomatic and economic partnership."

He will also push for progress in talks on a free trade deal, which Britain is hoping to strike as part of its post-Brexit strategy. His office said such a trade deal was predicted to boost Britain's total trade by up to 28 billion pounds ($36.5 billion) annually by 2035. 

But the visit will be overshadowed in part by disagreement over the Ukraine conflict.

Western allies have called for India, which imports arms from Russia, to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin in stronger terms, and US President Joe Biden earlier this week told Modi that buying more oil from Russia was not in India's interest. 

British trade minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan also said in March Britain was very disappointed with India's stance. However, Johnson's office made no direct reference to the conflict, although a source said it was expected that Ukraine would be discussed "among other geopolitical issues."

India says Russia is a long-term friend and an essential pillar of its foreign policy, and it relies on a strategic partnership with Moscow for its national security.

Johnson said India, as a major economic power, was a highly valued strategic partner. "India, as a major economic power and the world's largest democracy, is a highly valued strategic partner for the UK in these uncertain times."

In May 2021, the two countries announced a partnership involving over 530 million pounds of Indian investment into Britain, and Downing Street said Johnson was expected to announce further major investment and new collaboration on cutting-edge science, health and technology.

Reuters