New Delhi: Ahead of his departure to Belgium, USA and Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the Nuclear Summit in Washington DC will strongly deliberate on the crucial issue of threat to nuclear security caused by nuclear terrorism.
"On 30th March, I will be in Brussels to meet with the Belgian Prime Minister Mr. Charles Michel. I would also be holding the 13th India-EU Summit with the E.U. leadership. No words are enough to salute the resilience and spirit of the people of Belgium. We stand shoulder to shoulder with them in the wake of the horrific attacks in Brussels and share the grief of those who lost their loved ones," the Prime Minister said in a statement.
Asserting that India's relations with Belgium are deep rooted and have stood the test of time, the Prime Minister said that within the E.U., Belgium is India's second largest trading partner and that his meeting with his Belgian counterpart Charles Michel aims to expand trade, investment and high technology partnership.
"Along with Prime Minister Charles Michel, I would remote activate the India-Belgium ARIES (Aryabhatta Research Institute for Observational Sciences) Telescope. The European Union is a vital trading partner and the biggest export destination for India. This Summit will advance our multifaceted engagement across a whole range of domains," the statement added.
In Brussels, the Prime Minister would also be meeting with the Members of European Parliament (MEPs), Indologists, Belgian CEOs as well as a wide cross section of the Indian diaspora in Belgium and he would also interact with the Board Members of the Association of Diamond Traders in Belgium.
The same evening, he will address a community programme and interact with the Indian community.
After Belgium, Prime Minister will be in Washington DC on 31st March to participate in the fourth Nuclear Security Summit, where several nations and global organisations would be represented.
"The Summit would deliberate on the crucial issue of threat to nuclear security caused by nuclear terrorism. Leaders would discuss ways and measure through which to strengthen the global nuclear security architecture, especially to ensure that non-state actors do not get access to nuclear material. On the sidelines of the Summit, I would meet with several world leaders to carry forward the agenda of bilateral cooperation with those nations," the Prime Minister said.
On April 2 and 3, he will be visiting Saudi Arabia.at the invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
"India's ties with Saudi Arabia are special. Robust people-to-people ties constitute a key component of our engagement. I plan to work with the Saudi leadership to expand and deepen our bilateral relations. Discussions on the regional situation would also be on the agenda," the Prime Minister said.
Stating that India's economic ties are also expanding, he added that Saudi Arabia is India's fourth largest trading partner, and is also India's largest crude oil supplier.
"In addition to meeting with H.M. King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, I also look forward to my discussions with other important members of the Royal family. We want the prominent Saudi businesses to partner with India's development priorities. That would be one of the key objectives of the business event planned in Riyadh," the statement added.
Prime Minister Modi will also visit the Masmak Fortress, 'L&T Workers' Residential Complex and TCS All Women IT & ITES Center in Riyadh.
