External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, expressed gratitude to Maris Sangiampongsa, Thailand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, for the warm welcome ahead of the 20th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on Thursday. Jaishankar thanked Sangiampongsa for his hospitality and stated that he was looking forward to productive discussions leading up to the BIMSTEC Leader’s Summit.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said, “Thank you FM Maris Sangiampongsa of Thailand for the warm welcome in Bangkok today for the 20th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting. Look forward to conversations today ahead of the BIMSTEC Leader’s Summit.”
The 6th BIMSTEC Summit is set to take place on Friday, marking a significant regional engagement between India and its neighboring countries in the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) group.
Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for Bangkok, Thailand, to attend the summit. His official visit, as stated by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), also includes a trip to Sri Lanka. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed the visit on social media, stating, “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.”
Prime Minister Modi outlined his schedule in a post on X, emphasizing the importance of strengthening ties with Thailand and Sri Lanka, as well as the broader BIMSTEC region. He said, “Over the next three days, I will be visiting Thailand and Sri Lanka to take part in various programmes aimed at boosting India’s cooperation with these nations and the BIMSTEC countries.”
During his stay in Bangkok, PM Modi is set to meet Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to discuss the full spectrum of India-Thailand relations. He is also scheduled to meet with Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn as part of his diplomatic visit.
Following his visit to Thailand, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Sri Lanka for a State Visit from April 4 to 6, at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Disanayaka.
(With ANI inputs)
