Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Karnataka starting from January 2 during which he is scheduled to inaugurate the 103rd Session of the Indian Science Congress in Mysuru.
Modi will inaugurate a new hospital of Sri Avadhoota Datta Peetam of Sri Ganapati Sacchidananda Swamiji and participate at the Centenary Celebrations of Jagadguru Late Shivaratri Rajendra Mahaswamiji of Sri Suttur Math here on January 2.
On January 3, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the 103rd Session of the Indian Science Congress at the University of Mysuru, after which he will leave for Nittur in Gubbi Taluk of Tumkuru to lay the foundation stone for a New Helicopter Manufacturing Unit of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
Modi will then proceed to Jigani in Anekal Taluk to attend the inaugural ceremony of the 21st International Conference on Frontiers in Yoga Research and its applications, organised by the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, before leaving for New Delhi.
Saudi Arabia has become India's fourth largest partner
with bilateral trade exceeding USD 39 billion in 2014-15. It is also India's largest crude oil supplier and accounts for about one-fifth of total imports.
There are over 2.96 million Indian nationals working in Saudi Arabia, the largest expatriate community in the country.
This is the highest-level visit from India to Saudi Arabia after the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh trip in 2010.
Modi will hold discussions with the King on a range of key issues including expanding counter-terrorism mechanism as well to step up ties in energy, trade and investments. Both sides will sign a number of MOUs following talks between the two leaders.
Signalling growing cooperation in the fight against terror, Saudi Arabia has deported a number of terrorists to India in the last few years including 26/11 accused Abu Jundal.
There is an exisiting counter-terror mechanism between India and Saudi Arabia and both sides are likely to enhance it further.
Welfare of Indian community as well as Haj pilgrimage are likely to figure in talks. The King will also host a lunch for Modi which will be attended by key ministers and officials.
In Riyadh, Modi will meet top CEOs of Saudi companies, visit the famous Masmak fort, will interact with the Indian community and visit Tata Consultancy centre which had trained over 1,000 Saudi women. It is perhaps first such IT training centre.
Modi will also meet Indian workers of a project being implemented by L&T.
The 'Strategic Partnership' established through Riyadh declaration in 2010 envisions a deeper engagement in political, economic, security and defence areas.
Saudi Arabia plans to invest USD one trillion in infrastructure development over the next five years and Modi is likely to pitch for participation of Indian companies in the projects.
In Brussels, Modi and Charles will be "technically activating" the largest optical telescope of its kind in Asia located at Devasthal near Nainital. The telescope is a product of Indo-Belgian collaboration.
The two countries are likely to sign a number of agreements as they are looking at enhancing cooperation in areas of shipping, counter-terrorism, renewable energy and taxatation.
A dinner will be hosted in honour of Modi which will be attended by top Belgian industrialists and political leaders.
After the summit, India and the European Union will come out with a joint statement and a separate document outlining the roadmap for next five years in the fields of political, security, energy and trade and investments.
A number of India-EU joint initiatives will be announced after the summit.
Asked about the long-pending FTA, Singla said there has been forward movement on a bumber of key issues.
On the Italian marines issue, she said it is now under a UN tribunal for arbitration and that it no longer a bilateral issue.
About the Nuclear Security Summit, Amandeep Singh Gill, Joint Secretary (Disarmament) in the MEA said India expected that the the summit will raise "high-level awareness" about threat of nuclear terrorism and the need to strengthen a legally binding convention to deal with such challenge.
