New Delhi: British foreign secretary Boris Johnson on Wednesday called for “turbocharging" ties between India and the UK with a free trade deal (FTA)—just as his country looks to exit the European Union (EU) single market.

In New Delhi for a visit which included delivering a speech at the Raisina Dialogue, a geopolitical conference hosted by the Indian foreign ministry and the Observer Research Foundation think-tank, Johnson made a strong case for free trade which he said would help create jobs for those who see their livelihoods threatened in the UK and elsewhere.

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“The time is fast upon us when we need to turbocharge the relationship in the form of a new trade deal," Johnson said, referring to Britain and Asia’s third largest economy. “We can’t do it now but we can sketch it out on the back of an envelope," he said.

Johnson’s comments come a day after British prime minister Theresa May spelt out a 12-point plan for Britain to leave the world’s largest trading bloc which included seeking the greatest possible access to European markets, establishing its own free trade deals with countries beyond Europe and imposing limits on immigration into Britain from Europe.

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May mentioned India twice in her speech as one of the key countries with which Britain will seek a FTA and forge closer engagement. She added that initial talks on free trade with India had already started.

In November, on a visit to India, her first after taking office in July, May and Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to set up a joint working group on trade that will lay the groundwork for a new economic partnership between the two countries. The UK is among India’s major trading partners, ranking 18 out of India’s top 25 trading partners. The UK is also the third largest inward investor in India, after Mauritius and Singapore with a cumulative equity investment of $22.56 billion (April 2000-September 2015). India is also a significant investor in the UK. Some 800 Indian companies have their base in the UK, mainly for operations in Europe.

In his speech, the pro-Brexit Johnson also argued for dismantling trade barriers and said Britain should embrace free trade not only with Europe but with the world.

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“We want to be outside the cathedral but support it like a flying buttress," Johnson said, adding London would not lose its status as a global financial centre even outside the EU.

On the possibility of EU countries restricting market access to Britain after Brexit, Johnson said this “cuts both ways." But Johnson also made several points underlining Britain’s commitment to be a strong partner in Europe.

“We love Europe, we are part of European culture and civilization but we simply think there is a great wide world out there," he said, adding that the UK believed in multilateral cooperation and institutions like the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato).

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