Modi to embark on three-nation visit March end

New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a three-nation visit on March 30 during which he will hold a bilateral summit with the EU in Brussels, attend the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, and become the first Indian prime minister to go to Saudi Arabia in six years.

Modi will visit Brussels on March 30 for the first India-European Union (EU) summit in four years.

EU Ambassador to India Tomasz Kozlowski said in a media interaction in December that India was an extremely important partner for the EU and the new economic and social agenda of the NDA government was specially attractive. He however had noted that that the relationship has not met both sides' expectations despite the potential.

With India being an important trading partner of the 28-nation politico-economic union, he said the EU was "really interested" in completing a free trade agreement with it.

Modi had met presidents of the European Commission and European Council, Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Antalya in Turkey in November last year.

After Belgium, Modi will be in Washington on March 31 to attend the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) amid much speculation that he will meet Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines.

The NSS is expected to be attended by the leaders of around 50 countries.

On his way back, Modi will stop in Riyadh - a visit which assumes significance in the face of the current regional situation and strained relations between the Gulf kingdom and Iran, another strategically important country for India.

Saudi Arabia is also home to nearly three million Indian expatriates, most of whom are blue collar workers.