UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has accepted his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi’s invitation to be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade on January 26, Downing Street said here on Tuesday.

The visit will mark Johnson’s first major bilateral visit since taking office last year and the first since Britain’s exit from the European Union.

Describing India as a key player in the Indo-Pacific region, Johnson said on Tuesday that his visit would mark the start of an “exciting year” for Global Britain and deliver a “quantum leap” in the bilateral ties.