Narendra Modi meets SL, Bhutan PM ahead of BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach meet

Benaulim: Ahead of the BRICS-BIMSTEC meeting, the heads of the member nations have began to arrive in Goa.

Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Myanmar's Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have arrived in the state.

The BRICS-BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) outreach meet would be held at a star resort at Mobor, located nearly 30 kms away from Benaulim, where BRICS summit is currently underway.

"A friend comes to India...glad to have President @MaithripalaS visit India for the BRICS-BIMSTEC Outreach Summit," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted welcoming the President of Sri Lanka.

After his meeting with Sirisena at Benaulim, Modi tweeted, "Wonderful meeting with President @MaithripalaS. Sri Lanka is one our most valued friends & we are working to deepen our ties even more."

Sirisena also too took on twitter to share about his meeting with Modi.

"With PM @Narendramodi, I discussed ways to deepen SL-India relations and how SL can play a stronger role in the region," he said.

The Prime Minister also held a meeting with his Bhutan counterpart Tsering Tobgay.

"Always a delight meeting you PM @tsheringtobgay. Glad to have discussed the full spectrum of India-Bhutan ties during our talks," Modi said in a tweet.

To which, the Bhutan Prime Minister responded: "Thank you PM @narendramodi for your warm welcome to Goa. Looking forward to fruitful discussions in the BRICS-BIMSTEC Outreach Summit."

Tobgay travelled to India with Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.