Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for Bangkok on Thursday morning to attend the 6th BIMSTEC Summit, which is scheduled to be held on Friday.
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), confirmed Modi’s departure in a post on X, 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.”
During his visit, the Prime Minister is set to engage in key diplomatic meetings, including discussions with his Thai counterpart, Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Modi is also scheduled to call on King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand.
In a social media post, the Prime Minister outlined his itinerary, saying, “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. In Bangkok later today, I will be meeting Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and discussing the full range of India-Thailand friendship. Tomorrow, I will take part in the BIMSTEC Summit and also call on Maha Vajiralongkorn, the King of Thailand.”
The MEA highlighted that this would be the first in-person BIMSTEC Leaders' Summit since the fourth summit held in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 2018. The previous BIMSTEC Summit, held in 2022 in Colombo, was conducted in a virtual format. This year’s summit, hosted by Thailand as the current BIMSTEC Chair, is centred on the theme “BIMSTEC - Prosperous, Resilient and Open.”
The summit is expected to deliberate on strategies to accelerate regional cooperation under BIMSTEC. Leaders will discuss institutional and capacity-building measures to enhance collaboration within the framework, focusing on areas such as security, trade, investment, connectivity, climate action, and skill development. India has been actively advocating for deeper cooperation within BIMSTEC, especially in maritime, digital, and infrastructure connectivity.
On the bilateral front, Modi is expected to hold a meeting with Shinawatra today to review and strengthen India-Thailand ties. The two nations, connected through maritime routes and deep cultural and religious affiliations, are anticipated to chart a roadmap for future collaboration.
Following his engagements in Thailand, Modi will travel to Sri Lanka on a State Visit from 4 to 6 April at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Discussing his visit to Colombo, Modi wrote on X, “My visit to Sri Lanka will take place from the 4th till the 6th. This visit comes after the successful visit of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to India. We will review the multifaceted India-Sri Lanka friendship and discuss newer avenues of cooperation. I look forward to the various meetings there.”
India’s ties with Sri Lanka have seen renewed momentum, particularly following Colombo’s economic recovery measures and New Delhi’s continued support.
Modi’s visit is expected to reinforce cooperation in trade, infrastructure, and regional security.
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