PM on three nation Asia tour from Oct 24

Prime Minister will embark on a three nation Asia tour from Sunday. Dr. Manmohan Singh will visit Tokyo from 24th to 26th on the first leg of his tour, where he will have talks with his Japanese counterpart Naoto Kan on bilateral, regional and global issues. Dr Singh will also have several meetings with political leaders, parliamentarians and captains of Japanese trade and industry.Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur will be received in audience by the Emperor and Empress of Japan.

Singh and Kan are also expected to discuss ways to re-energise the G-4 grouping that is pushing for reform of the UN, particularly expansion of the Security Council and inclusion of new permanent members.This assumes significance as India recently was elected to the Security Council as a non-permanent member.Besides India and Japan, the G-4 also consists of Brazil and Germany."The two Prime Ministers will discuss bilateral, regional and global issues," the External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday:

Later, he will visit Malaysia for 3 days from from 26th. Apart from talks on wide a range of issues with Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, the other engagements of the Prime Minister will include the launch of CEOs’ Forum,
Khazanah Global Lecture 2010 and visit to ‘Little India’ in Malaysia.

The Prime Minister will visit Hanoi on the final leg of his tour where he will take part in the 8th India-ASEAN Summit and 5th East Asia Summits on 30th. Dr Singh will also have bilateral meetings with a number of ASEAN and other leaders, on the sidelines of the summits.

India’s robust engagements with ASEAN is a key component of its Look East Policy which was enunciated in1992.New Delhi also desires realization of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the Mekong India Corridor.

The visits are crucial for India's desire to upgrade its ties with East Asia, particularly in economic sphere.