PM returns home after three-nation tour

New Delhi, Nov 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned home today after a nine-day-three-nation tour of Myanmar, Australia and Fiji during which he had a range of international engagements.

The special Air India plane carrying the Prime Minister and his delegation landed at the airport here at 7:15 am after a 14-hour flight from Fiji capital Suva with a two-hour refuelling halt at Yangon in Myanmar. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was among others at the airport to receive Prime Minister Modi. During his three-nation tour, Modi attended the East Asia and ASEAN-India Summits in Myanmar, the G-20 Summit in Australia and held bilaterals with his Australian and Fijian counterparts.

Modi, the first Indian premier to visit the Pacific country after Indira Gandhi who had come here in 1981, held talks with his Fijian counterpart Frank Bainimarama and also announced a slew of Lines of Credit and development aid totalling USD 80 million for the country. He also addressed Fijian parliament, the first by a foreign leader, after parliamentary elections, during which he said that India was prepared to build a "Digital Fiji".

Modi announced visa on arrival facility for all the 14 Pacific Island countries and hoped it will promote better understanding between the people. During his four-city tour in Australia, Modi and his counterpart Tony Abbott agreed on a landmark framework for security cooperation across the spectrum in defence, cyber and maritime security and combating terrorism, including the threats posed by foreign fighters joining extremists groups.

The two countries also decided to conclude a long- pending Free Trade pact by the end of next year and an "early closure" of the civilian nuclear deal that will facilitate uranium imports to India. Prior to arriving in Australia, Modi attended the ASEAN-India summit and the East Asia Summit in Myanmar.

At the East Asia summit in Myanmar capital Nay Pyi Taw, Modi asserted that the world community must reject any linkage between religion and terrorism while formulating a "genuinely international" partnership in the fight against all forms of terror acts. On India-ASEAN relationship, Modi said there were "no irritants" in their ties and they can be "great" partners.

He said there will be "major improvement" in India's trade policy and environment and proposed a special facility for speedy implementation of connectivity projects with the 10-nation ASEAN bloc. On the sidelines of the summits, Modi met Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak, Russian Premier Dmitry Medvedev, and Thai counterpart Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha.

PTI