Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday that Britain hopes to complete a free trade agreement with India by the end of the year, stressing the need to reduce its reliance on foreign oil and gas due to the conflict in Ukraine. “We hope to complete another free trade agreement with India by the end of this year,” Boris Johnson told reporters as he began a two-day visit to the western Indian state of Gujarat.

India abstained in a UN vote condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, drawing the attention of major Western nations. But Johnson’s office had said before the visit that he would not speak to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the matter. Moscow called the war a “special operation”.

“Historically, India and Russia’s relationship may differ from Russia and Britain’s relationship over the past few decades. We have to reflect on that reality, but I will be with Narendra Modi. Talk about it,” Johnson said. “Both India and the UK are anxious about authoritarian states worldwide. We are all democracies, and we want to stand together,” Johnson said, stressing the need to wean itself off foreign hydrocarbons.

“One of the things we’re talking about is what we can do to build partnerships in hydrogen, electric vehicles, victories at sea, and we also have an opportunity to deepen our security and defense partnerships.