"We believe India can be a vital force for stability in this region, the keystone of a giant natural arch, created by the Indian Ocean running from Perth in the east to Cape Town in the west… Imagine how wonderful it would be if the nations of South Asia — Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan — could break down the barriers of mistrust and make the most of their economic opportunities," Johnson said in a speech, the transcript of which was published on the UK government's official website.
Johnson is now on his first official visit to India as the UK foreign minister.
South Asia is a region with a number of security challenges – crisis-torn Afghanistan, unsafe Afghan-Pakistan border amid the presence of three nuclear-armed powers – China, India and Pakistan.
