Modi leaves for Thailand, Sri Lanka, says visit to bolster ties, benefit region

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday left for a four-day visit to Thailand and Sri Lanka to participate in the Bimstec Summit in Bangkok and to bolster relations with the two countries.

Modi departed hours after US President Donald Trump slapped what he said were 26% “discounted reciprocal tariffs” on Indian exports to the US, and a formal Indian response is expected from the commerce ministry, people familiar with the matter said.

The Thailand leg of the visit will be watched closely for a possible encounter or meeting between Modi and Bangladesh interim government chief Muhammad Yunus. People familiar with planning for the trip had earlier said a formal meeting is unlikely, but the Bangladesh side has made a strong push for a meeting over the past few days.

In a statement ahead of his departure, Modi said he expected the visits to build on foundations of the past and contribute to strengthening India’s close relationships for the benefit of the wider region.

He said he was travelling to Thailand at the invitation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to attend the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) Summit. Over the past decade, Bimstec has emerged as a “significant forum for promoting regional development, connectivity and economic progress in the Bay of Bengal region”, he said.

Noting that India’s northeastern region lies at the heart of Bimstec, Modi said he would meet leaders of the grouping and engage “productively to further strengthen our collaboration”.

Since India stymied the activities of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) by pulling out of a summit to be hosted by Pakistan in 2016, it has focused on Bimstec – which includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand – as a platform for driving regional cooperation. A maritime cooperation agreement is expected to be signed during the Bimstec Summit in Bangkok on April 4.

Modi will also have bilateral meetings with Shinawatra and the Thai leadership to bolster relations between the two countries. He will hold talks with Shinawatra on Thursday evening before participating in a dinner hosted by the Thai premier for the Bimstec leaders.

Following the summit on Friday, Modi will meet Thai King Vajiralongkorn.

Modi will travel from Thailand to Sri Lanka on Friday evening. This trip follows the visit of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to India last December.

“We will have the opportunity to review progress made on the joint vision of ‘Fostering Partnerships for a Shared Future’ and provide further guidance to realise our shared objectives,” Modi said.

The people said India and Sri Lanka are expected to sign up to 10 agreements during the visit, including a crucial pact to refresh defence cooperation for the first time since the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) intervention during the island nation’s civil war in the late 1980s.