Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on an official visit to Thailand and Sri Lanka on Thursday morning to participate in the 6th BIMSTEC Summit, scheduled for April 4 in Bangkok.
Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), confirmed Modi’s departure in a post on X: “PM @narendramodi departs on a visit to Thailand & Sri Lanka. PM will be paying an Official Visit to Thailand & participate in the 6th BIMSTEC Summit. Thereafter, he will proceed on a State Visit to Sri Lanka.”
During his visit to Thailand (April 3-4), PM Modi is set to meet Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and discuss bilateral cooperation. He will also have an audience with King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand.
In a post on X, PM Modi highlighted the significance of his trip: “Over the next three days, I will be visiting Thailand and Sri Lanka to take part in various programs aimed at boosting India’s cooperation with these nations and the BIMSTEC countries. Tomorrow, I will take part in the BIMSTEC Summit and also call on Maha Vajiralongkorn, the King of Thailand.”
The 6th BIMSTEC Summit, hosted by Thailand, will be the first in-person meeting of the BIMSTEC leaders since the 2018 Kathmandu Summit. The previous summit, held in Colombo (2022), was conducted virtually. The theme for this year’s summit is: “BIMSTEC – Prosperous, Resilient and Open.”
Leaders at the summit are expected to discuss:
- Institutional and capacity-building measures to enhance collaboration.
- Regional security, trade, and connectivity (physical, maritime, and digital).
- Cooperation in food security, energy, climate change, and skill development.
India has been actively working to strengthen the BIMSTEC framework, promoting regional economic integration and security cooperation.
Following his engagements in Thailand, PM Modi will proceed to Sri Lanka for a State Visit from April 4-6, at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Expressing anticipation for his visit, Modi stated: “My visit to Sri Lanka will take place from the 4th till the 6th. This visit comes after the successful visit of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to India. We will review the multifaceted India-Sri Lanka friendship and discuss newer avenues of cooperation.”
This visit aims to reinforce India-Sri Lanka relations, focusing on economic collaboration, trade, and regional stability.
With this trip, PM Modi reaffirms India’s commitment to fostering stronger ties within BIMSTEC and strengthening bilateral partnerships with neighboring nations.