New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi left on Tuesday night for Brussels as part of his three-nation tour where he will attend the India-EU summit and the global nuclear security summit in the US. "An invigorating mix of bilateral & multilateral diplomacy in the offing as PM @narendramodi departs on 3 nation tour," MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.
In Brussels, Modi will attend the 13th India-EU Summit. In a pre-departure statement, he said it will advance multifaceted engagement across a whole range of sectors and described the 28-member bloc as a "vital trading partner". Trade and investment would figure prominently during the summit meeting.
Modi will meet President of the European Council Donald Tusk and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Junker. The Prime Minister had met both these leaders during the G20 summit at Antalya in Turkey in November 2015. A number of agreements are expected to be exchanged following the summit meeting.
The March 22 terror attacks in Brussels will figure in Modi's bilateral summit meeting with his Belgian counterpart Michel on March 30. At least 35 people were killed in two explosions at the Zaventem airport and one at a metro station in the Belgian capital on March 22.
The Belgian PM will host a luncheon meeting during which Modi will meet Belgian businessmen and CEOs in a bid to enhance foreign direct investment (FDI) in India. Belgium is India's second largest trading partner in the European Union (EU).
Another highlight of Modi's visit will be the technical activation of Asia's largest optical telescope at Devasthal near Nainital that has been built with Belgium's aid.
From Brussels, Modi will leave for Washington to attend the Nuclear Security Summit on March 31 and April 1 and from there he will travel to Saudi Arabia on a two-day visit with a focus on boosting energy and security cooperation.
Leaders of 52 countries and four international organisations are expected to participate in the summit. On April 2, on his way back to India, Modi will drop in at Riyadh for a two-day bilateral visit to Saudi Arabia.
This will be the first prime ministerial visit from India to the Gulf after the visit of then prime minister Manmohan Singh in 2010.
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