Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to Thailand on the 3rd of April to participate in the 6th BIMSTEC Summit. Briefing the media in New Delhi this afternoon, Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar said this will be the Prime Minister’s third visit to Thailand. In November 2019, Mr. Modi attended the ASEAN and East Asia Summit, which was hosted by Thailand. Earlier, he had traveled to Bangkok en route to Tokyo in November 2016 when he went to pay homage to the late King Rama IX. Secretary (East) said India and Thailand have historically warm bilateral relations and shared civilizational, cultural, and religious bonds. He said Thailand is India’s maritime neighbor, a valuable partner in the Act East policy and Vision for the Indo-Pacific, and a highly valued partner in BIMSTEC. Thailand is the third-largest economy in ASEAN and India’s fourth-largest trading partner after Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia in the ASEAN region. Mr. Mazumdar said bilateral trade is almost 15 billion dollars, with India’s exports to Thailand around 5 billion and imports from Thailand about 10 billion dollars.
Secretary (East) said the upcoming visit will present an opportunity to build on the positive momentum in bilateral ties since the visit of Prime Minister Modi in 2019. During the visit, the Prime Minister will hold bilateral talks with his Thai counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra. This will be his second meeting with the Thai Prime Minister. They will review the progress in the entire gamut of bilateral relations and discuss ways to add greater momentum to the India-Thailand bilateral partnership and exchange views on regional and multilateral issues. They will also witness the signing of several bilateral documents. The Prime Minister is also expected to have an audience with King Rama X and the Queen of Thailand.
Secretary (East) said the theme of the 6th BIMSTEC Summit is “BIMSTEC – Prosperous, Resilient and Open.” He said the Summit on the 4th of April will be preceded by the BIMSTEC Ministerial Conference and Senior Officials’ Meeting. He added that the Bangkok Vision 2030 will be adopted at the Summit, and the Report of the BIMSTEC Eminent Persons’ Group will also be endorsed to chart the future direction of BIMSTEC.
Secretary (East) said India’s focus on BIMSTEC is on institution and capacity building, strengthening security, and increasing connectivity. He said a number of agreements and declarations are likely to be concluded at the Summit. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that following the BIMSTEC Summit, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Sri Lanka from the 4th to the 6th of April for a state visit at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Disanayake. Earlier, the President of Sri Lanka paid a State Visit to India as his first visit abroad after assuming office. The Foreign Secretary said these visits in close succession reflect the importance that both countries attach to their bilateral relations. This will be the Prime Minister’s fourth visit to Sri Lanka during his tenure in office. He last visited Sri Lanka in 2019. The Foreign Secretary said the India-Sri Lanka relationship is rooted in deep civilizational links based on shared ties of history, religion, culture, and strong people-to-people ties. He said Sri Lanka is an integral part of India’s Neighbourhood First Policy, and the relationship has stood the test of time.
During the visit, the Prime Minister will hold discussions with the President of Sri Lanka. Both leaders will dedicate several projects that are being built with Indian assistance in Sri Lanka. They will also witness the exchange of several MoUs in the areas of energy connectivity, digitization, and health. The two leaders will also witness the virtual groundbreaking of the Sampur Solar Energy Project, which is going to be a milestone in the bilateral partnership. The Prime Minister will meet with other political leaders during his stay in Colombo, and the President will also host a state banquet in his honor. On the 6th of April, both leaders will travel together to the historic city of Anuradhapura and pay their respects at the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Temple. The two leaders will also inaugurate two India-assisted projects in Anuradhapura.
