London: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday had a series of bilateral meetings, including discussions with his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina and Seychelles President Danny Faure on the sidelines of the multilateral Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting here.
The Ministry of External Affairs later said the two leaders discussed the developmental cooperation between India and Bangladesh, and also ways to implement decisions taken during earlier meetings between the two prime ministers.
Modi also met Seychelles President Faure and discussed cooperation in areas of trade and investment and other bilateral issues, he said.
The bilateral talks between Faure and Modi assumes significance after Seychelles ordered an inquiry into the leak of a highly classified agreement signed with India to develop infrastructure on Assumption Island, which lies southwest of the mainland of Mahe.
The opposition in Seychelles has decided not to ratify the pact because of Assumption's relative proximity to Aldabra atoll. Officials had earlier indicated that no meeting has been requested or scheduled with Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and later confirmed there was no interaction between the two.
The “pull-aside meetings” included an interaction with Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Gambian President Adama Barrow, Fiji PM Frank Bainimarama, St Lucia PM Allen Chastanet and PM of Solomon Islands, Rick Houenipwela.
