INVC NEWS,
Kathmandu Nepal,
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today had five bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the SAARC Summit in Kathmandu. These were with the Prime Minister of Bhutan Mr. Tshering Tobgay, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Ms. Sheikh Hasina, the President of Afghanistan Dr. Ashraf Ghani, the President of Sri Lanka Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa and the President of Maldives Mr. Abdulla Yameen.
A large part of the discussions centred around the statements made and events at the SAARC Summit.
During the bilateral meetings, various heads of Government complimented the Prime Minister for his statement at the SAARC Summit and his forward looking vision. The Prime Minister was also complimented for his initiative of the SAARC satellite. Some countries also shared what they look forward to from such a satellite. The Prime Minister’s emphasis on solar energy was also greeted with enthusiasm during these meetings.
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives reiterated their invitations to the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister emphasized that engagement with SAARC nations is a priority for him. The Prime Minister invited Mr. Tshering Tobgay, the Prime Minister of Bhutan to visit India in January, and also be part of the Vibrant Gujarat summit.
The Prime Minister also invited the President of Afghanistan Dr. Ashraf Ghani to visit India.
The National Security Advisor will travel to Sri Lanka and Maldives next month. Maritime security shall be on the agenda during these visits.
The Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh had a detailed exchange of views on matters relating to security and terrorism which impact both countries.
