Manmohan Singh to undertake three-nation Asia tour

NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will leave on a three-nation Asia tour, commencing on Sunday (Oct.24).

He will visit Japan, Malaysia, and Vietnam during this tour.

Dr. Singh will visit Tokyo between Oct. 24 to 26, for the Annual Summit Meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan.

The two Prime Ministers will discuss bilateral, regional and global issues.

India and Japan enjoy a strategic and global partnership, which has become multi-dimensional.

Prime Minister Dr. Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur will be received in audience by their majesties, the Emperor and Empress of Japan.

The Prime Minister would also have several meetings with political leaders, parliamentarians and captains of Japanese trade and industry.

During his second leg of the tour, Dr. Singh will pay an official visit to Malaysia from Oct. 26 to 28 at the invitation of the Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak.

The latter had earlier been on a State visit to India in January this year.

Prime Minister Dr. Singh will hold in-depth discussions with his Malaysian counterpart on all facets of bilateral relations, as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest.

Dr. Singh’s other engagements in that country will include an audience with the King and Queen of Malaysia, launch of CEOs’ Forum, Khazanah Global Lecture 2010, visit to ‘Little India’ and attending Indian community reception hosted by the High Commissioner.

Prime Minister will travel to Hanoi (Vietnam) in the third and final leg of his Asia tour, for participating in the 8th India-ASEAN Summit and 5th East Asia Summits on October 30.

Dr. Singh, on the sidelines of the summits, will also have bilateral meetings with a number of ASEAN and other leaders.

India’s robust engagement with ASEAN is a key component of her ‘Look East’ Policy enunciated in 1992.

Straddling South and East Asia, India seeks to enhance its civilisational linkages with ASEAN and East Asian neighbours. (ANI)