PM accorded ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim received a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, India's Presidential Palace, on Tuesday, as part of his three-day official visit to the republic.

The premier, who is in India from Aug 19-21, was welcomed by his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, upon arrival at 9 am.

The national anthems of both countries were played before the respective leaders introduced their delegations.

Following the ceremonial reception, Anwar proceeded to the Gandhi Memorial at the Raj Ghat Memorial Complex to lay a wreath.

He will later receive a courtesy call from India's External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar, at a hotel here.

Anwar is scheduled to hold a restricted meeting with Modi at the Nilgiri Suite, Hyderabad House, followed by a one-on-one meeting at noon at the same venue.

He will then witness the exchange of several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) at Hyderabad House before proceeding to a joint press conference with Modi.

Later, Modi will host a banquet luncheon in Anwar's honour before the Malaysian Prime Minister pays a courtesy call on Indian President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Anwar will then deliver a lecture titled "Towards a Rising Global South: Leveraging Malaysia-India Ties" at 5 pm at Sapru House, Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA).

He will conclude his second day visit by attending an engagement session with the Malaysian diaspora in India at the Multipurpose Hall, High Commission of Malaysia in India.

This marks Anwar's first official visit to India since assuming office in November 2022.

Meanwhile, Anwar in a post on Facebook said the relation between Malaysia and India has long benefitted the people of the two countries.

"This fact is evident from the official welcoming reception this morning accorded by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan," he said.

According to Anwar, his discussion with Modi would certainly centre on the strong ties between Malaysia and India, apart from exploring other areas to boost the friendship of the two countries.

-- BERNAMA