LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will shorten his delayed visit to India later this month, his first major bilateral foreign visit since taking power in 2019, his office said Wednesday.

The trip was originally set for January and heralded as an opportunity for Britain to refocus its international trade policy in the wake of Brexit as it pursues a so-called “global Britain” strategy.

But spiking coronavirus deaths at home caused the delay and now rising cases in India have led to Johnson shorten the three-day visit, which starts April 26. “We’ve been in close contact with the Indian government about the PM’s upcoming visit in light of the Covid situation in India,” Johnson’s spokesman said.