<p>Britain and India agreed to a "new and expanded" defence and security partnership on Friday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in New Delhi.</p>.<p>Johnson is visiting India just as he faces criticism from his own Conservative MPs and the embarrassing prospect of a probe into whether he lied to parliament over the "Partygate" scandal.</p>.<p>New Delhi is part of the Quad grouping with the United States, Japan and Australia that is seen as a bulwark against an increasingly assertive China.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/pm-modi-holds-talks-with-british-counterpart-boris-johnson-1102914.html">PM Modi holds talks with British counterpart Boris Johnson</a></strong></p>.<p>But India also has a long Cold War history of cooperation with Moscow, still its biggest military supplier, and has refused to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.</p>.<p>"The threats of autocratic coercion have grown even further," Johnson said alongside his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi.</p>.<p>"And it's therefore vital that we deepen our cooperation including our shared interest in keeping the Indo-Pacific open and free."</p>.<p>The new partnership was "a decades-long commitment", he added, hailing the relationship between "one of the oldest democracies, and India, certainly the largest democracy".</p>.<p><strong>Check out the latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>
<p>Britain and India agreed to a "new and expanded" defence and security partnership on Friday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in New Delhi.</p>.<p>Johnson is visiting India just as he faces criticism from his own Conservative MPs and the embarrassing prospect of a probe into whether he lied to parliament over the "Partygate" scandal.</p>.<p>New Delhi is part of the Quad grouping with the United States, Japan and Australia that is seen as a bulwark against an increasingly assertive China.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/pm-modi-holds-talks-with-british-counterpart-boris-johnson-1102914.html">PM Modi holds talks with British counterpart Boris Johnson</a></strong></p>.<p>But India also has a long Cold War history of cooperation with Moscow, still its biggest military supplier, and has refused to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.</p>.<p>"The threats of autocratic coercion have grown even further," Johnson said alongside his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi.</p>.<p>"And it's therefore vital that we deepen our cooperation including our shared interest in keeping the Indo-Pacific open and free."</p>.<p>The new partnership was "a decades-long commitment", he added, hailing the relationship between "one of the oldest democracies, and India, certainly the largest democracy".</p>.<p><strong>Check out the latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>