PM Modi to embark on '3-day, 3-nation' trip today, Ukraine, bilateral ties on agenda

New Delhi, May 01: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on an official visit to Germany, Denmark and France from May 2nd to 4th. This will be the PM's first international visit in 2022.

Key focus of the visit will be to boost ties on a range of areas including trade, energy and green technology.

At a media briefing on Sunday, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said, the Ukraine crisis is expected to figure during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-nation European tour beginning on Monday.

Kwatra reiterated India's "clear" position on Ukraine and called for the cessation of hostilities and resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

The newly appointed foreign secretary underlined the "context, clarity, importance and positive dimension" of India's position on Ukraine and asserted that there should not be any doubt about it.

Kwatra said India's international partners are aware of its position on Ukraine and they have shown a deep appreciation of it.

PM Modi will visit France, Germany, and Denmark. Further, as a part of the three-nation journey, the Prime Minister will address the Indian Diaspora in Berlin and Copenhagen. PM Modi will have 25 intense engagements during his three-day trip, where he would spend over 65 hours, PTI reported.

PM Modi will meet and engage with eight world leaders from seven nations during meetings, both bilateral and multilateral, as well as would connect with 50 global business executives, the sources added. Besides the bilateral discussions with leaders from several nations, two high-profile events have also been scheduled, ANI reported.

He will also interact with thousands of members of the Indian diaspora.

Modi will embark on a three-day visit to Germany, Denmark and France from May 2 amid the Ukraine crisis, which has united much of Europe against Russia.

He will first travel to Germany, then visit Denmark and will have a brief stop over in Paris on his return journey on May 4.

Prime Minister Modi will be spending one night each in Germany and Denmark while two nights in flight.

In Paris, Modi will hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, who was re-elected to the top post in a fiercely-fought presidential election.

In Berlin, the prime minister will hold bilateral talks with Olaf Scholz, Federal Chancellor of Germany, and the two leaders will co-chair the sixth edition of the India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC), the MEA had said in a statement.

It will be Modi's first meeting with Chancellor Scholz who took charge of the top office from his predecessor Angela Merkel in December last year.