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Indian PM to visit Indonesia, Singapore next week
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Indonesia and Singapore next week to give an impetus to India’s ‘Act East’ policy.
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) gestures as he arrives at the ground breaking ceremony of the new international airport in Navi Mumbai on February 18, 2018.
( AFP/PUNIT PARANJPE )
I
ndia is expected to sign key agreements in defense and other areas with both Indonesia and Singapore during Modi’s five-day visit to the two Southeast Asian nations, beginning on May 29.
Briefing the media on Thursday, Preeti Saran, Secretary (East) in the External Affairs Ministry, said the PM would reach Indonesia on May 29 on the first leg of his tour. This would be his first official visit to Indonesia, a close maritime neighbor of India.
Modi will have meetings with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and other leaders on May 30-31. India and Indonesia are expected to sign an agreement the renewal of defense cooperation, apart from accords in areas like science and technology.
The Indian leader is also expected to visit Hero National Cemetery, a Buddhist temple and other national monuments and interact with the Indonesian business community. He will also address a gathering of the Indian diaspora. Both India and Indonesia will unveil a logo marking 70 years of diplomatic ties.
Modi will reach Singapore on the evening of May 31 to deliver the keynote address at the prestigious Shangri-La Dialogue the next day.
This is the first time that an Indian PM has been invited to deliver the keynote address.
The dialogue provides the PM an opportunity to articulate his thoughts about India’s policy on peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region. The PM is also likely to share his philosophy on "Sagarmala" during the address.
He will also have bilateral talks with Singapore PM Lee Hsein Loong and other leaders. The two countries will sign accords in defense, skill development and other areas.
This article appeared on The Statesman newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
