Indian PM to pay visit to 3 Indian Ocean countries

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) waves as Maldives President Abdulla Yameen looks on during the closing session of 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Kathmandu in this Nov 27, 2014 file photo. [Photo/Agencies]

NEW DELHI - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that his trip to Seychelles, Mauritius and Sri Lanka, starting on Tuesday, is aimed at bolstering bilateral ties.

"This week I'll be travelling to Seychelles, Mauritius & Sri Lanka, looking forward to enhancing our ties with these friendly Nations," Modi tweeted late Sunday evening.

On his visit to Seychelles, Modi said "I am very glad that I am able to visit Seychelles early on during my tenure and I look forward to working with President (James Alexis) Michael to strengthen cooperation between India and Seychelles."

"During my visit, I hope to achieve substantial progress in areas ranging from the economy to infrastructure and culture. I am certain that my visit to Seychelles, a land known for its natural beauty and warm-hearted people, will be a historic and productive one," he wrote.

On his trip to Mauritius on March 11 and 12, the prime minister said "I am very happy to be there with my sisters and brothers of Mauritius as they celebrate their National Day."

He added "Our relationship with Mauritius has been strong and I am committed to working with Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth to strengthen our ties further in a wide range of issues."

Modi said that he would attend a program to mark the commissioning of Coast Ship Barracuda, which signifies the deep level of friendship between India and Mauritius.

On his visit to Colombo on March 13-14, Modi tweeted "I embark on my first visit to Sri Lanka with great joy and confidence that this visit will make India's relations with Sri Lanka even stronger, in the larger interest of our people."

He added "Robust ties with Sri Lanka signifies the importance India attaches to the South Asian neighbourhood."