British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson laid emphasis on the bigger picture of the India-UK bilateral ties by talking about safety, security and freedom in the Asian region.
Johnson, at a dinner hosted by the Indian Journalists' Association in London last night which was held to celebrate India's 71st Independence Day stated, "Our relationship is much more than trade and export of whisky. Our relationship is about ensuring safety, security and freedom in the Asian region."
Johnson took the bond between the two countries a notch higher by highlighting that the UK is closely working with India to combat terrorism and also by throwing light on UK-India defence cooperation in producing the Hawk Jetliners in Bangalore.
"We are sharing information with India in tackling the scourge of terrorism and extremism and we are working ever more closely with India than in the past," he added.
The Advanced Hawk has been in the works for two years under a unique model with Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) and the BAE pooling resources to develop a more agile Hawk that can also carry smart weapons.
India's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Y. K. Sinha, sardonically suggested that there could still be greater cooperation between the two countries "if you bring down the price of Hawk".
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