New Delhi, July 23 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi embark on a visit to the United Kingdom and the Maldives from today, July 23, to July 26.

The visit to the UK is at the invitation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while the state visit to the Maldives is at the invitation of President Mohamed Muizzu, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visits to Britain and the Maldives will be shoring up trade and defence cooperation with the formalisation of the landmark India-UK free trade deal set to be the key outcome of his trip to London.

PM Modi's foreign trip comes in the middle of Monsoon Session of Parliament that began on July 21.

The prime minister will first travel to the UK on Wednesday on ...