PM on six-day visit to Europe

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a six-day tour to Russia, Germany, Spain and France from May 29.

The focus of the visit is to improve India’s economic performance and push a free-trade agreement with the European Union. The prime minister is also likely to take up some strategic issues with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The six-day tour will begin on May 29 with Modi travelling to Berlin. On the same day, he will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel, where the two leaders will discuss issues of mutual interest.

The formal engagements will take place the following day when the two delegations will hold the fourth India-Germany Inter-governmental Consultations. Union Ministers Harsh Vardhan Singh, Piyush Goel, Nirmala Sitharaman and M J Akbar will participate in the talks.

Modi and Merkel will jointly address a trade event on May 30. Spain will be the next stop for Modi.
He will be the first prime minister to visit Madrid in 30 years after Rajiv Gandhi in 1988.

From Spain, Modi will travel to St Petersburg in Russia on June 1 where he will hold the 18th India-Russia annual summit with Putin. This is for the first time the summit will be held outside Moscow.

“The emphasis would be on enhancing the trade and economic relations as the bilateral trade has come down to $7 billion from the earlier position of $10 billion,” said G B Srinivasn, joint secretary, Eurasia in the ministry of external affairs.