PM Modi set to visit largest Muslim country Indonesia besides Malaysia & Singapore starting today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on the eve of his five-day visit to Indonesia, Malaysia and Malaysia on Monday, May 28, that India had a strong strategic partnership with the three South-east Asian countries and his tri-nation visit would give a boost to New Delhi's Look East Policy.

This is the first time that Modi will visit Indonesia - the world's largest Muslim country - in his four-year rule at the Centre. He has visited Singapore twice and Malaysia once in 2015.

In his third visit to Singapore this time, Modi will address the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual security meet of several Asia-Pacific states, on June 1. It will be the first time that an Indian PM would address this high-profile meet.

"It would be an opportunity to articulate India's point of view on regional security issues and maintenance of peace and stability in the region," PTI quoted Modi as saying.

Modi first stop will, however, be Indonesia where he will meet its president Joko Widodo on Wednesday, May 30. He would hold a joint interaction with the India-Indonesia CEO forum and also address the Indian community-based in Indonesia. Modi said this in a Facebook post.

Stressing on India-Indonesia relations, Modi said: "Both countries are multi-ethnic, multi-religious, plural and open societies. I am confident that my visit to Indonesia will create greater synergy between Asia's two largest democracies and further elevate our bilateral ties."

On May 31, Modi will make a brief stop in Malaysia to congratulate Mahathir Mohamad, the 92-year-old leader who recently became the prime minister of the country after winning a historic election.

Modi will thereafter head to Singapore. "In Singapore, I will be focusing on enhancing India-Singapore partnership in areas of Fintech, skill development, urban planning and artificial intelligence. Singapore entities have become major partners with India in areas like urban development, planning, smart cities and infrastructure development. My visit in Singapore presents an opportunity for both countries to engage further," he said in his Facebook post.

On June 1, Modi will meet Singapore President Halimah Yacob and hold delegation-level talks with its Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Loong said after Modi's informal meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in April that India and China are new powers that growing in strength and influence as the global strategic balance was shifting and it opened new opportunities for cooperation for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Singapore is the current chair of the regional grouping.

On June 2, Modi will unveil a plaque at Clifford Pier, where Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were immersed in sea on March 27, 1948. He will wind up the tour with a visit to the Changi Naval Base in Singapore. There, he will visit the Indian naval ship of INS Satpura and speak with officers and sailors of the India Navy and Royal Singapore Navy, the PM informed via Facebook.