PM to attend ASEAN Summit today

Updated on : 12-11-2014 11:15 AM

PM Narendra Modi will attend the ASEAN Summit in Myanmar on Wednesday, while his meetings with premiers of ASEAN nations are underway, a day after he met Myanmar's President U Thein Sein to begin a string of bilateral meetings with over 40 world leaders.

"I congratulate you for the reform initiatives you have taken not just for governance but also for opening the economy," Modi told the Myanmar Prime Minister.  During his 10-day three-nation tour, he will attend key multilateral summits in Nay Pyi Taw, Australia and later, in Fiji.  Modi met Then Sein at the Presidential Palace shortly after his arrival at the Nay Pyi Taw international airport where he was given a guard of honour and greeted by young boys and girls in traditional costumes. He was welcomed by Myanmar's Health Minister Than Aung.  After his 45-minute meeting, Modi tweeted that he had a "very good" meeting with President Thein Sein.  "We had extensive discussions covering various aspects of our bilateral relations," he said.  "We talked about strengthening ties in the fields of culture, commerce and enhancing connectivity," said Modi, who is expected to make a strong pitch to enhance regional connectivity at the one-day 12th annual ASEAN-India summit on Wednesday.  Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Syed Akbaruddin posted on his Twitter account that the two leaders had "comprehensive" discussions and reviewed all aspects of bilateral ties.  "Connectivity, commercial ties and cultural bonds figured in talks with President Thein Sein," he said, as India seeks deeper economic engagement with southeast Asian nations.  The Prime Minister earlier on landing had tweeted, "Landed in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar to a very warm welcome! Great being in this beautiful country," Modi tweeted on his arrival.  "Our ties with South East Asia are deep rooted. Strengthening relations with ASEAN nations is an important part of our 'Act East' policy," he had earlier tweeted.  Besides participating in the ASEAN-India summit and the East Asia Summit and at the G20 summit in Brisbane in Australia, Modi is due to have several meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of these international events.  "Summits, important bilaterals, meeting over 40 world leaders," he tweeted as he left New Delhi by a special Air India plane.  On the sidelines of the international summits in Myanmar, Modi will be meeting Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Singaporean President Tony Tan besides meeting the host President Thein Sein, Indian officials said.  Modi will have his first meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on the sidelines of the East Asia summit at Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar as he is set to meet several world leaders bilaterally there and in Australia.