Modi visits Bhutan Jun 14-15, Swaraj tours BD Jun 26-27

India's new PM Narendra Modi will make Bhutan his foreign destination to visit after taking charge last month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave New Delhi for the Himalayan kingdom on a 2-day visit on June 14, said Indian ministry of external affairs spokesman Syed Akbaruddin. He said Modi’s 2nd foreign trip will be Japan. He will go to the far eastern country in July after which he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Brazil, South America. Xi Jinping will visit India in September for a high level summit with Indian leaders, Syed Akbaruddin said. Only after that Modi will visit the US which is now all set to welcome him and stamp the visa denied to him so far. The US is trying hard to make up for the delay in catching up with Modi. South Asia expert Sabyasachi Basu Roy Chaudhuri has said: ‘Modi’s priority is clearly the neighbourhood and Asia.’ However, the new Indian premier has not yet planned a visit to Bangladesh, a top Indian official said in New Delhi. ‘Bangladesh is high priority for Modi but he wants the outstanding deals lined up before he himself goes to Dhaka,’ the official, preferring anonymity, said. To signal that Bangladesh is ‘very high’ on his priority, Modi is sending External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on a visit to Bangladesh this month, he said. This will be Sushma Swaraj’s first foreign visit and she will pass on Modi’s invitation to Sheikh Hasina to visit India, he added. Swaraj will tour Dhaka on June 26-27, according to an Indian news agency.