PM Narendra Modi's foreign trips 2015: From Seychelles to Pakistan

Here is a list of foreign trips by PM Modi in 2015 

Three-nation tour: Seychelles, Mauirtius and Sri Lanka

Seychelles

The first nation visited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 was Seychelles on 10-11 March. He became the first Indian prime minister to visit the island nation in 33 years. 

He met Seychelles President James Alexis Michelin and discussed maritime and bilateral ties. Modi had said Seychelles was a strategic partner for India rather than a mere neighbour.

He also addressed the Indian diaspora, where he talked about climate change, renewable energy and the Make in India programme.

Mauritius

After Seychelles, Modi travelled to Mauritius, where he was chief guest at the country's National Day celebrations on 12 March.

Modi met Prime Minister Sir Anerood Jugnauth and President Rajkeswur Purryag along with other delegates. He said the "special relations shared by India and Mauritius are deeply rooted in history".

He also commissioned an India-built naval patrol vessel for the island nation.

Sri Lanka

The final destination of the prime minister's three-nation tour in March 2015 was Sri Lanka. He met President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on 13-14 March.

It was the first standalone visit to the island nation by an Indian prime minister since 1987. The leaders discussed release of fishermen on both sides as well as Chinese activities in the region.

Singapore

Modi's first visit to Singapore in 2015 was on 29 March, when he attended the funeral of the city-state's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.

Three-nation tour: France, Germany and Canada

France

The prime minister embarked on a trip to France from 9 to 12 April. The visit was aimed at signing defence deals and promoting the Make in India programme.

Germany

After France, Modi travelled to neighbouring European hegemon Germany, where he discussed bilateral ties with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

He and Merkel inaugurated the Hannover Messe business fair. Modi also unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Hannover.

He addressed the Indo-German Business Summit and spoke of promoting the manufacturing sector and job creation.

Canada

After France and Germany, Modi flew to Canada on a three-day visit from 14 to 16 April. He met various Canadian CEOs, bankers and leaders, besides his then Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper. He also paid a visit to the Air India Memorial besides the Laxminarayan temple in Vancouver.

Three-nation tour: China, Mongolia and South Korea

China

During his visit to China on 14-16 May, Modi signed 24 agreements in Beijing worth $10 billion.

He discussed various issue with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, including political settlement of the border issue, anti-terrorism and expansion of regional blocs like Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the SAARC.

Mongolia

After China, Modi travelled to Mongolia on 16-17 May. The prime minister held delegation-level talks with Mongolian Prime Minister Chimed Saikhanbileg and announced a $1-billion Line of Credit to Mongolia for infrastructure projects.

Saikhanbileg said India is the country's third neighbour after Russia and China.

South Korea

During Modi's visit to South Korea on 18-19 May, the two countries agreed to expand their defence and security cooperation. The two nations inked seven agreements covering aspects like Avoidance of Double Taxation and shipping. Both sides also agreed to review the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and other market access related issues.

Bangladesh

Modi's visit to Bangladesh on 6-7 June saw successful resolution of the 41-year-old dispute over the 4,000-km shared border between the two South Asian neighbours through the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA).

Modi met Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and discussed the security situation, human trafficking and drug smuggling along the border. He was also accompanied by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Six-nation tour: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

Modi visited the five central Asian nations of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as well as Russia from 6 to 13 July.

He also attended the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ​(SCO) summits in Russia.

United Arab Emirates

Modi, who visited the UAE on 16-17 August, was the first Indian prime minister to visit the nation in over three decades. He held official talks with Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi and urged the country's businessmen to invest in India, besides seeking to improve cooperation in energy and trade.

Ireland

On 23 September, Modi travelled to Ireland, where he held talks with his Irish counterpart Enda Kenny. He sought Ireland's support for reforms of the UN Security Council and India's permanent membership in the body. They also discussed issues such as global terrorism and radicalisation.

United States

During his visit to the United States on 24-30 September, the prime minister addressed the United Nations Sustainable Development summit and also participated in a special summit on climate change called by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The primary objective of Modi's visit was to get more foreign direct investment and make the "Make in India" initiative a success.

The United Kingdom

Modi's three-day UK trip from 12 to 14 November was the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister there after nine years.

He met British Prime Minister David Cameron and also addressed the UK parliament, which was a first for an Indian prime minister.

He also had lunch with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, and addressed nearly 60,000 Indians at the Wembley Stadium in London.

Turkey

The primary purpose of Modi's 15-16 November visit to Turkey was to attend the G20 summit, where he met US President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin, British Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The BRICS leaders also met on the sidelines of the summit to discuss the threat posed by Islamic State.

Malaysia

Five days after his Turkey trip, Modi embarked upon a two-nation tour to Malaysia and Singapore. During his time in Malaysia on 21-22 November, Modi attended the 13th Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit and the 10th East Asia Summit.

Besides visiting the Batu Cave Temple, Modi also visited the Ramakrishna Mission in Malaysia to unveil a statue of Swami Vivekananda. He also addressed the Indian diaspora on 22 November.

Singapore

Modi's second visit to Singapore in 2015 on 23-25 November marked 50 years of India's strong relations with the city state. He and Singapore premier Lee Hsien Loong inked the India-Singapore Strategic Partnership. The Indian prime minister also also delivered the prestigious Singapore Lecture and addressed the Indian community.

France

Modi's second visit (30 November-1 December) to France this year marked the much-talked-about COP21 Environment Conference. He addressed 40,000 delegates from 195 countries on the opening day of the UN climate change summit. He also held bilateral meetings with world leaders, including US President Barack Obama.

Russia

Modi's 23-24 December visit to Russia, which was the second trip to the country in 2015, marked the 16th India-Russia annual summit and saw the signing of 16 agreements, including a $6-billion defence deal.

Putin gifted Modi a page from Mahatma Gandhi's diary and an 18th-century sword from the erstwhile Bengal province during a private dinner at Kremlin. Modi also visited Russia's National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) and addressed a 3,000-strong Indian diaspora.

Afghanistan

During his visit to Afghanistan on 25 December, Modi declared 500 scholarships for children of martyrs in Afghan security forces during a joint session of the Afghanistan Parliament.

Modi also inaugurated the Afghan Parliament building, constructed by India at the cost of $90 million (Rs 710 crore).

Pakistan

The surprise Pakistan visit, which can be considered as Modi's foreign visit of the year, was discussed at diplomatic levels. 

Modi, while returning to India from Afghanistan, stopped in Lahore to meet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif. When Modi wished Sharif on his 66th birthday, the latter reportedly asked the Indian prime minister to drop by. The move was welcomed by several world leaders.