Prime Minister Modi to visit Thailand and Sri Lanka for BiMSTEC Summit, bilateral talks
| 2025-03-28
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold bilateral talks with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Disanayaka and Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. (File photo)
The visits will reaffirm India’s commitment to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy as well as the ‘Act East’ policy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Thailand on April 3-4, 2025, to attend the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit and hold bilateral talks with his Thai counterpart, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Friday (March 28, 2025).
He will thereafter proceed to Sri Lanka on a state visit from April 4-6, 2025 at the invitation of the President Anura Kumara Disanayaka.
BIMSTEC Summit
The 6th BIMSTEC Summit will be held in Bangkok on April 4, 2025; it is being hosted by Thailand, the current BIMSTEC Chair.
This would be the first physical meeting of the BIMSTEC leaders since the 4th BIMSTEC Summit in Kathmandu, Nepal in 2018. The last edition - the 5th BIMSTEC Summit - was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka in March 2022 in a virtual format.
The 6th Summit’s theme is "BIMSTEC – Prosperous, Resilient and Open”. The participating leaders are expected to deliberate on ways and means to infuse greater momentum to BIMSTEC cooperation during the Summit. The leaders are also expected to discuss various institution and capacity building measures to augment collaboration within the BIMSTEC framework.
“India has been taking a number of initiatives in BIMSTEC to strengthen regional cooperation and partnership, including in enhancing security; facilitating trade and investment; establishing physical, maritime and digital connectivity; collaborating in food, energy, climate and human security; promoting capacity building and skill development; and enhancing people-to-people ties,” the MEA pointed out.
The day before the BIMSTEC Summit, Prime Minister Modi will meet his counterpart Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
During the meeting, the two Prime Ministers are expected to review bilateral cooperation and chart the way for future partnership between the countries. India and Thailand are maritime neighbours with shared civilizational bonds which are underpinned by cultural, linguistic, and religious ties, the MEA said.
This will be Prime Minister Modi’s third visit to Thailand.
PM Modi's Sri Lanka Visit
From Thailand, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Sri Lanka on a state visit from April 4-6, 2025, at the invitation of President Disanayaka.
According to the official schedule, Prime Minister Modi will hold discussions with President Disanayaka to review progress made on the areas of cooperation agreed upon in the Joint Vision for "Fostering Partnerships for a Shared Future” adopted during the Sri Lankan President’s State Visit to India.
Prime Minister Modi will also have meetings with senior dignitaries and political leaders. As part of the visit, he will also travel to Anuradhapura for inauguration of development projects implemented with Indian financial assistance.
Prime Minister Modi last visited Sri Lanka in 2019. President Disanayaka paid a state visit to India as his first visit abroad after assuming office.
India and Sri Lanka share civilizational bonds with strong cultural and historic links. This visit is part of regular high level engagements between the countries and will lend further momentum in deepening the multi-faceted partnership between India and Sri Lanka, the MEA noted.
“Prime Minister’s visit to Thailand and Sri Lanka, and his participation in the 6th BIMSTEC Summit will reaffirm India’s commitment to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, ‘Act East’ policy, ‘MAHASAGAR’ (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision, and vision of the Indo-Pacific,” the MEA stated.
He will thereafter proceed to Sri Lanka on a state visit from April 4-6, 2025 at the invitation of the President Anura Kumara Disanayaka.
BIMSTEC Summit
The 6th BIMSTEC Summit will be held in Bangkok on April 4, 2025; it is being hosted by Thailand, the current BIMSTEC Chair.
This would be the first physical meeting of the BIMSTEC leaders since the 4th BIMSTEC Summit in Kathmandu, Nepal in 2018. The last edition - the 5th BIMSTEC Summit - was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka in March 2022 in a virtual format.
The 6th Summit’s theme is "BIMSTEC – Prosperous, Resilient and Open”. The participating leaders are expected to deliberate on ways and means to infuse greater momentum to BIMSTEC cooperation during the Summit. The leaders are also expected to discuss various institution and capacity building measures to augment collaboration within the BIMSTEC framework.
“India has been taking a number of initiatives in BIMSTEC to strengthen regional cooperation and partnership, including in enhancing security; facilitating trade and investment; establishing physical, maritime and digital connectivity; collaborating in food, energy, climate and human security; promoting capacity building and skill development; and enhancing people-to-people ties,” the MEA pointed out.
The day before the BIMSTEC Summit, Prime Minister Modi will meet his counterpart Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
During the meeting, the two Prime Ministers are expected to review bilateral cooperation and chart the way for future partnership between the countries. India and Thailand are maritime neighbours with shared civilizational bonds which are underpinned by cultural, linguistic, and religious ties, the MEA said.
This will be Prime Minister Modi’s third visit to Thailand.
PM Modi's Sri Lanka Visit
From Thailand, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Sri Lanka on a state visit from April 4-6, 2025, at the invitation of President Disanayaka.
According to the official schedule, Prime Minister Modi will hold discussions with President Disanayaka to review progress made on the areas of cooperation agreed upon in the Joint Vision for "Fostering Partnerships for a Shared Future” adopted during the Sri Lankan President’s State Visit to India.
Prime Minister Modi will also have meetings with senior dignitaries and political leaders. As part of the visit, he will also travel to Anuradhapura for inauguration of development projects implemented with Indian financial assistance.
Prime Minister Modi last visited Sri Lanka in 2019. President Disanayaka paid a state visit to India as his first visit abroad after assuming office.
India and Sri Lanka share civilizational bonds with strong cultural and historic links. This visit is part of regular high level engagements between the countries and will lend further momentum in deepening the multi-faceted partnership between India and Sri Lanka, the MEA noted.
“Prime Minister’s visit to Thailand and Sri Lanka, and his participation in the 6th BIMSTEC Summit will reaffirm India’s commitment to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, ‘Act East’ policy, ‘MAHASAGAR’ (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision, and vision of the Indo-Pacific,” the MEA stated.
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